December, 2001

John Iannone, ed.,
Graduate Assistant

Inside this Issue

Going Home for the Holidays?
'Tis the Season - (Top 10)
Door-to-Door Salespeople

Click to Jump to an Article

Going Home for the Holidays?

Jason Jones - Taurus Area Coordinator

The Holiday Break is coming fast—are you ready for it? Here are a few simple things that you need to know before you go home for break or if you are planning to stay at the complex.

Have you thought about rent?
Rent must be received (not postmarked) by January 3, 2001. You can pay before you leave, or mail a check to the Knight's Krossing phase 1 office.

What’s in your refrigerator?
If you’ve ever had a science class you should know what happens to left-over food when it gets left in the fridge too long. Check expiration dates and if the food will go bad before you get back, give it away or toss it!

What about that bag of trash?
If you think the fridge will smell bad, imagine a forgotten piece of chicken in the garbage over all break! Bugs will love it too, so get the trash out of the place and tidy up the kitchen area—especially the floor. You may even want to put the dishes in the dishwasher and hit play. Don’t forget about the bathroom and bedroom trash as well!

Prepare your apartment!

• Are all of the faucets turned off?
• Put the heater on automatic, set to 55 degrees. This will ensure proper ventilation, and it won’t get too cold.
• Turn off alarm clocks. If you’re not home, maintenance may have to come in and do it.
• Unplug anything that can be damaged by an electrical storm.
• Unplug holiday lights.
• Turn off all lights except for one that is visible to the complex—this will make people think twice about whether you’re home or not.
• Stop newspaper deliveries

Protect your belongings!
Lock the windows, bedroom doors, patio door, front door, and set your alarm. Take home things that you feel are too valuable to lose. You may want to consider a renter’s insurance policy. Criminals know almost every college student goes home for the holidays. Don’t make it easy for them! If you don’t know how to set your alarm, ask your RA for help. They’ll be happy to give you a demonstration.

Turn on your voicemail.
You can get your messages while you’re away by calling your own number and pressing *. For security, don’t announce that you’ll be away for an extended period! And for practical reasons, take the time to listen to the PAETEC messages, before you just hit delete.

Finally…
Have a safe and restful Holiday Break. No matter what school you attend, take this time to rest your brain! For those of you who are graduating or leaving for any reason—good luck to you in the future and know that someone here will miss you!

'Tis the Season...

Gidget Lewis - Aries Community Area Coordinator

Top ten things to do to get in the holiday spirit:

• Volunteer at a local shelter or soup kitchen.
• Pick up the phone and call three friends that you haven’t spoken to in a while.
• Bake some holiday cookies and share them with neighbors.
• Visit the elderly in your community.
• Make homemade greeting cards. A personal touch says a lot.
• Donate food and clothing to organizations like the Red Cross, Salvation Army, or the Mustard Seed.
• “ Adopt an Angel” or a family and give a gift from the heart.
• Go Caroling.
• Take a moment of reflection on what you’re thankful for.
• Smile. Say ‘hi’ to a stranger. Make someone’s day.

“We know they’re annoying. THEY know they’re annoying. But did you know they’re not ALLOWED to be here?”

Sick of Door-to-Door Salespeople?

You’re expecting a guest, talking on the phone, or maybe you’re just sleeping. You hear ‘knock knock’ on the door. You’re excited—visitors! You open the door, and “Hi, do you need an (oil change / vacuum cleaner / lifetime supply of gummy bears...)?”

Ugh. We know they’re annoying. THEY know they’re annoying. But did you know Knight’s Krossing is a no-soliciting property? They’re not ALLOWED to be here.

If you’re one of the unfortunate people who finds yourself dealing with them, just call your community office and report them. The first time it happens, their company gets a warning. If they do it again, the process escalates until they understand that we’re not playing.

The same is true for the ads they put on your door, your car, and our bulletin boards. We get those too, and we don’t like them any more than you do. So don’t worry about calling these in, just know that we deal with them the same way.

And don’t worry about not having the pizza place’s phone number if you don’t get their advertisement on your door. This month, we will be delivering a resident resource book to your apartment.

In this book, you will find an amazing wealth of numbers to all the local pizza places and restaurants, as well as campus departments and lots of other information you’re sure to find useful!

So look for the book this month, and don’t hesitate to call us if you’re as sick of door-to-door sales as we are!