We are glad you are here and want you to learn a lot while having a good time. This can best be accomplished when everyone remembers to follow a few rules and be courteous and respectful of each other. If you are unable to abide by the Firespark! rules, we will call your parents and send you home early. We have eight rules dealing with the safety and well being of all students that are absolutes:
1. Be in your dorm by curfew (10:55 p.m.)
2. Hand in your car keys upon arrival if you drive
3. Stay out of a member of the opposite sex’s dorm, floor and room
4. Students may not possess alcohol or drugs
5. Students may not be with persons (on or off campus) who are using alcohol or drugs. If you are found in the company of another person who is drinking or using drugs you will be sent home. Excuses or explanations of innocence will not be accepted. NO association with alcohol or drugs will be tolerated.
6. Riding in a car, truck, motorcycle, or any other motorized vehicle not driven by a Firespark! staff member, your parent, or your legal guardian is forbidden. You may take a taxicab if you wish, within the Gainesville City limits and after approval from the staff. (see Section 8, Going off Campus.)
7. Inappropriate use of the internet. Internet access on campus is limited to sending and receiving email. Use of campus computers is monitored for compliance. Any Firespark! student who uses the internet to access inappropriate sites (violence, porn or offensive materials) will be removed from the program.
8. Continual violation of other rules and regulations, thereby making a general nuisance of yourself, will result in being sent home.
The following are the rest of the rules, regulations, and suggestions for getting along with your fellow students so everyone will have a positive camp experience.
1. General Dormitory Rules
A. Doors–Lounge doors are locked, and hall doors are locked and
alarmed for security reasons. Do not prop them open or attempt to
go out an alarmed door. If an alarm is set off, we will not be happy.
B. Property-Do not deface or damage property. If you do, you will be charged for the damage (See item number 11). This includes removing screens from the windows. The Fire Marshall prohibits extension cords in the dorm.
C. Common Areas (Lounges)—Treat the furniture as you would at home; pick up after yourself (throw away coke cans; take-out food bags, etc.); don’t leave your personal possessions in the lounges (they may not be there when you get back).
D. TV—The TV may be on only during the following times:
7:00-8:45 a.m. (before classes)
5:00-6:00 p.m. (dinner)
11:30-1:00 p.m. (lunch)
9:30-11:00 p.m. (after evening program)
2:45-3:30 p.m. (break)
E. Visitors—Only Firespark! staff and students are permitted in the dormitories. Parents and friends who come to visit must check in with the Firespark! office. Firespark! students are not allowed in non-Firespark! dormitories or private apartments.
F. Smoking—Absolutely no smoking is permitted in the dorms, classrooms, or any building on the Brenau campus. Purchase, possession or use of tobacco products by persons under the age of 18 is illegal in the state of GA.
G. Littering—All refuse must be disposed of properly in the waste receptacles around the campus. Littering is prohibited on the Brenau campus
H. Verbal Behavior and Conduct—Threats or verbal abuse directed toward any member of the University community is strictly prohibited. Indecent conduct, including but not limited to, lewd, profane or vulgar language is also prohibited on campus.
2. Firespark! ID
A. Must be worn and visible at all times when on campus, and kept
with you when off campus.
B. Uses of ID:
1. Identification as Firespark! student at Brenau
2. Admittance to cafeteria- a must have if you want to eat
3. Keep room key attached—easy to find
4. Phone number of Firespark! office available at all times
3. Attending classes and evening events
A. You are expected to attend all classes; they are the reason you are
here. Attendance will be taken.
B. Attendance at evening events is required. You will pick up an attendance card at the beginning of each event and turn it in at the end of each evening’s program. Please do not mutilate it.
C. A sign listing the evening event will be posted in the lobby. It will also tell you what kind of dress is required. Most events are informal, but a few are dress-up and require ties and slacks for the men and dresses or nice slacks for the women. No shorts or jeans on these evenings.
D. Etiquette:
1. Be on time and leave only at the end of the program.
2. Be quiet and still during the program.
3. Applaud only after the end of a selection, not after each movement.
4. Food and drinks are not allowed in the auditorium.
5. No cell phones, pagers, or other electronic devices are to be brought to the auditorium
or any class…if seen they will be taken up and given to your house parent.
4. Illness
A. If you are ill, report to the person on duty in the Firespark! office or
to your dorm counselor.
B. If you are too ill to attend classes or events, then you must stay in your room, not in the lounge.
C. Your roommate may bring your meals from the cafeteria if you are too sick to go yourself, but you must have permission from the Firespark! office before taking food out of the cafeteria.
5. Curfew
A. You are to be in the dorm by 10:55 p.m. and in your room by
11:00 p.m. for night check in. The outside doors will be locked and
room checks begin at 11 p.m. Trips to the coke machine, laundry,
phone calls, etc. must be made before
11:00 p.m. Bed checks are made every night.
B. Lights should be out by midnight, and quiet must be observed. Your floor counselor may make an exception to the lights out time if you are quiet and using your time for a good reason.
C. Curfew may be extended on the weekend. If curfew is extended, the dorm director will post a sign. If there is not a sign posted, curfew is not extended that evening.
6. Cafeteria
A. You will need your Firespark! ID for every meal—no exceptions. If
you loose your pass, there is a $10.00 fee to replace it. This can only
be done in the Firespark! office.
B. Food, glasses, utensils, etc. may not be brought into or removed from the cafeteria. This also applies to soft drinks. Do not bring coolers or large thermos containers into the cafeteria.
C. Shoes must be worn in the cafeteria (state law); no hats may be worn in the cafeteria. Please behave with respect for others; disruptive behavior may result in being barred from the cafeteria.
7. Mail/Phone Calls
A. Mail will be delivered to the Crudup lobby daily about 11:00 a.m.
and will be placed in the mailboxes. Check your box regularly for mail
and phone messages received during class hours.
B. There is no number where your family and friends may call you directly. However, they may call the Firespark! administrative office (770-534-6741) and leave a message for you to call them. Your parents may want to ask your dorm parent for his/her number in your specific residence hall. They may leave voicemail at that number, but this phone is in the dorm parent’s room and the message may not be picked up for several hours. It is not a number to call for a casual conversation with you. Each dorm has one phone in the hall that may be used to make calls. This phone can be used to make long distance calls only if you have a phone calling card accessed by using an 800 number. If you do not have a calling card, you can purchase a calling card when you register on Sunday or from the Firespark! office during the week. Do not attach any device to a phone line—phones are not allowed in students’ rooms. However, you may use your personal cell phone as long as you are not in class, at night performances, or after curfew. Violations of these usage times will result in the loss of cell phone privileges.
C. Be considerate of others; limit phone calls on the dorm phones to five minutes, especially if another person is waiting.
8. Going Off Campus
A. Whenever you leave campus, sign out on the sign-out sheet in the
Crudup
lobby. Be sure you have Firespark! ID with you at all times.
B. If you are taking a cab, you must stay within the Gainesville City limits.
C. Be sure to sign back in when you return. Another student may not sign you in or out. We must have an accurate record of where you are in case of any emergency.
D. Never go off campus by yourself. Please go in groups of two or more people.
E. Early morning exercisers, please tell your house parent the night before if you plan to run before breakfast. Do not go by yourself (at least 2 students) and please stay within the “Brenau Mile”—the rectangle formed by Prior, Washington, Boulevard, and Candler Street. You may not leave the dorms before 6:30 a.m.
F. You may not leave campus after the evening program.
9. Keys
A. Carry your key with you at all times; attach it to your Firespark! ID. There is a $1.00 charge every time we have to let you into your room.
B. Keep your door locked. Things can disappear.
C. Do not give your keys to anyone except a staff member.
D. Report lost keys to the Housing Director. They will be replaced in about 24 hours at the cost of $10.
10. Noise
A. Courtesy and respect for others are a must.
No amplified instruments in the residence halls. Other instruments,
within reason, may be played in the residence halls from 9:00 a.m. to
11:00 p.m.
B. Keep all sound sources at a reasonable volume level at all times. All radios, etc. must be turned off by midnight. Remember, you need your rest to be ready for classes in the morning.
C. Only one source of music at a time in the lounge areas—no sound wars.
D. If you are asked to be quiet, please be respectful of the person and their request.
11. Cleaning
A. Room checks will be made periodically to assure rooms are reasonably clean. Respect your roommate’s need for sanitary living quarters.
B. Campers are responsible for emptying their own trash into the large containers found on each dorm floor or in the lounge area of the dorm.
C. Additional toilet paper is available from your dorm counselor.
D. Before checking out on Saturday, your room must be inspected and approved by your dorm counselor.
12. Damage
Infrequently, students have been involved in damage to the college facilities. Although the damage was not extensive, it was expensive to repair. In the event of damage, the following procedures will be in effect:
A. Damage to the lobby, stairwells, and any common area will be deducted equally from all participants’ key deposit money on a prorated basis.
B. Damage to a dorm room, bath, or furnishings will be shared equally by those in the room, unless one person admits responsibility for the damage.
13. Miscellaneous Items
A. Room changes
1. No room or roommate assignments will be changed before 6:00 p.m. Monday.
2. All changes must have the approval of the Housing Director.
3. Changes must be acceptable to all parties involved.
B. Laundry
Coin-operated washers and dryers are available in every dorm. Please check with the dorm counselor if you have trouble locating the laundry room in your dorm.
1. Laundry must be done before 11:00 p.m.
2. Do not leave clothing in the machines when they have finished washing or drying—it is unfair to others and may result in lost items.
3. Soap, etc. may be purchased at the bookstore in the Student Center.
C. Money and Change
1. Where to get it—housing staff does not keep change.
a. Firespark! bank—located in the Crudup lobby; hours will be posted.
b. Bookstore on campus—located on lower level of the Student Center.
2. Needs for change.
a. Laundry-most machines take $0.75 in quarters per/load
b. Vending machine snacks
D. Read the bulletin board in the Crudup lobby for
announcements/changes every day.
E. Use of Brenau University Library and Computers
1. Books may not be checked out.
2. You may request a book be placed on reserve to use there.
3. Copies of material needed for further study may be made
on the library copier.
4. Internet access on campus is limited to specific computers
(2 in Crudup Lobby, 1 in Virginia Hall, and 3 in the Tea
Room) and only for sending and receiving email.
14. Safety Reminder
While we have never had an incident of an attack or sexual assault during the Firespark! program, we want to impress upon you that these crimes are possible in any location and at any time. For this reason, we encourage you to avoid contact with persons not associated with the program or the university and ask that you report any contact with "innocent appearing" people who express interest in what is going on in the program.
Because these problems have occurred during summer camps at other colleges and universities, we want to take every precaution to ensure that we do not become victims. We do not wish to limit you from normal activities. However, you must know that seemingly charming and friendly people can commit terrible crimes.
We want you to have a wonderful, positive experience at Firespark!, but not at the expense of others or in a way that might endanger you. Realizing you are young adults, we expect you to act responsibly. Everyone should have an extraordinary two weeks if each person keeps in mind a few guiding words: fun, learning, caring, sharing, responsibility, cooperation, consideration, attitude and respect.