Hello 2nd Beall families!
I hope you have had a great summer, relaxing and thinking about things like sleep, video games, vibing outside and getting ready for the school year! Now, it is that lovely back-to-school time, and I am so excited for the 2026-2027 school year to begin! Please scroll down to find your in depth + detailed August monthly updates below!
ABOUT YOUR CC
I am Axel Battista and I will be the Community Coordinator (CC) for 2nd Beall! CC's maintain safe and inclusive hall environments through their support of students' intellectual, social, and emotional growth. CC's do this by staffing offices to ensure student safety and security, providing counseling on things such as homesickness to anxiety, and facilitating a variety of activities to foster a sense of community! This year, our hall theme is COMIC BOOK SUPERHEROS!
More information about me and our Residential Life Assistants (RLAs) can be found on the Leadership tab at the top of this page!
HOW TO CONTACT YOUR CC
If you need to get in touch with me, I am reachable by email at axel.battista@ncssm.edu. I additionally can be reached via phone or text at (919) 416 - 2823. Email or text is the most efficient way to get in contact with me, and I will respond to all inquiries within 48 hours. Please be aware that I am on duty late in the evenings, therefore, I am unable to respond to matters prior to 12pm.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM MONTHLY CC UPDATES
Typically, I will update families via email and our hall website at the start of each month. So as to not clog your inbox, the emailed updates will include the most pertinent information, while our hall site will have longer explanations and more details. The site will also be a great way for me to share experiences and pictures of students having a wonderful time on 2nd Beall. Currently, the site has more information about myself, the Residential Life Assistants (RLAs), move-in (including a hall tour video), and so much more! Throughout the month I will also add more photos to the photos section of the hall site, which is a great way to get a glimpse into what 2nd Beall is up to! I am very passionate about creating collages for everyone at home, so please be sure to check our Photos tab, and take a peek at some Archived photos from previous years!
MOVE IN REMINDERS
For move-in we strongly encourage students and families to label all of their belongings. There are a lot of individuals moving around campus on move-in day and sometimes items are misplaced. Labeled belongings are much easier to reunite with their owners, so please be sure to label all items with your name, residence hall, and room assignment.
I am sure that everyone has already received this information, but please double check while you are packing to confirm that you are not bringing any items on our prohibited items list. You will be asked to take them back home if you arrive on campus with them.
I specifically would like to highlight that posters and other wall decorations must be mounted with blue painter’s tape or 3M Command strips or hooks. The following are not permitted: masking tape, transparent tape, duct tape, electrical tape, packing tape, double-sided tape (foam or transparent), poster putty, pins, thumbtacks, brads, nails, AND non 3M Command strips or hooks. Examples of prohibited strips and hooks can be found HERE.
Feel free to review the "Living on Campus" page on this site get a better idea of room layouts. Please note that while we provide general measurements for each residence hall, each room is unique and variations exist in room dimensions. You should use these measurements as a general guide only. We are unable to provide specific measurements for each room. You can also view general Beall information HERE.
ROOMMATES
For many students their time at NCSSM will be the first time they have experienced sharing a room with someone. It is natural for there to be some growing pains as students adjust their habits and learn to live together. For this reason we encourage students to spend their first few weeks getting to know one another and discussing their sleep habits, study preferences, and what makes them feel comfortable in their shared space. After the first extended roommates will work together to craft a roommate agreement; this agreement will outline how they will respect one another’s space, accommodate each other's sleep and study habits, what they can borrow and share with each other, and how they will keep their room clean. The agreement is a living document and can be revisited as needed throughout the year.
While we hope that all students will get along well, it is possible that your students develop a conflict with their roommate that they have trouble navigating on their own. If this occurs you or your student should let their CC know. We will work with the students to mediate the conflict and work towards a mutual resolution. It is imperative that you speak only to your student about any conflict they are having, do not contact the other student or their family. If the conflict continues the CC may ask that the students work with either the Assistant Director or Director of Housing and Residence Life to continue working towards a solution. NCSSM operates at full occupancy; therefore, room changes are not easy to accommodate. No room changes will be approved during the 1st quarter of the school year. Changing rooms is considered only if all conflict resolution options have been exhausted, a space is available, and the move is considered a positive step for all parties involved. For these reasons, a room change should not be viewed as a likely outcome to resolve a conflict.
CCs AND CAMPUS SAFETY ON-CALLs
CCs are available 24 hours a day to assist your students. The Bryan CC desk is staffed each day from 7:30am to 1:00am. All other CC building offices are staffed from 6:30pm to 1:00am each day. Outside of these hours there will always be two CCs on call while students are on campus. The contact numbers for the on-call CCs are posted at each CC desk and can be viewed here. If your student has an emergency they are encouraged to reach out to the on duty CCs.
NCSSM also has Campus Safety Officers available 24 hours. They can be contacted at 919-416-2711 or 919-416-2911.
CLINIC
Student Health, often referred to as the Clinic, is located on the first floor of the Hunt Residence Hall. The Clinic is staffed by a nurse, medical assistant, and a family nurse practitioner. Our medical director oversees the Clinic’s daily operation and is present in the Clinic one day a week. The Clinic is staffed and equipped to manage most acute and chronic illnesses that occur while students reside at NCSSM. Common over-the-counter medications, bandages, splints, and crutches are dispensed at no additional charge to students. Prescriptions, if required, can be picked up from a local pharmacy. Some problems may require additional care, in which case students are referred to area professionals. Families will be notified if this referral is necessary.
Students are prohibited from keeping certain types of prescription medications in their rooms (e.g., narcotics, psychotropics, stimulants). These medications must be retained and distributed by the Clinic. Students may keep over-the-counter medications in their rooms for their personal use (e.g., pain relievers, cold medications, stomach remedies, herbal remedies, vitamins, etc.).
The clinic is open Monday - Friday from 8:00am to 4:00pm. After hours and on the weekends students can reach out to CCs on duty for help; the CCs will contact a 24 hour telephone nursing service called UNC Nurse Connect to seek advice on how to aid your student.
Students may schedule telehealth appointments and in-person appointments, as well as medication drop-off/pick-up appointments. The Clinic is not open to drop-in appointments as it has been in the past.
FIRST EXTENDED PREPARATION
As students prepare for the first extended weekend it is important to understand that we use a special sign out for these weekends away from NCSSM:
Halls close at 5pm on Friday, September 4th and reopen at noon on Monday, September 7th.
CCs will confirm that all students have submitted an Orah pass at their weekly hall meeting. On this pass, students should indicate where they are going for the break, who they are traveling with, and how they are getting to their location.
If a student is not departing early, is not returning to campus late, is not taking a train or Greyhound bus home, and their final destination is home or they are being picked-up by a parent/guardian, they do not need to sign out at Bryan Desk (this only applies to extended weekends).
If a student is departing before the day the Extended Weekend begins or returning to campus late they will need to have a parent/guardian sign them out at Bryan desk or submit an overnight pass on Orah and sign out at Bryan desk with whomever is picking them up.
If a student's final destination is not home and they are not being picked up by a parent/guardian, or if they are taking the train or Greyhound bus, they will need to submit an overnight pass on Orah and sign out at the Bryan desk.
MISC
I'd like for students to fill out the following Google Form as soon as possible! This will help us get to know one another as well as provide useful information that will help me plan fun activities for you!
NEW RESIDENTS, CLICK HERE! (If you are new to 2BL as a junior OR a senior!)
RETURNING RESIDENTS: CLICK HERE! (If you lived on 2BL last year!)
You will hear from me again next week in anticipation for our various move ins, but please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns that I can address. I am so excited for this year to begin, and I cannot wait to meet all of you!
ORAH REMINDERS
Students will use the Orah app on their smartphones or computers to sign out and to sign back into campus.
Anytime they leave campus, they’ll submit a pass - there are multiple kinds of passes a student could submit.
When they return to campus, they’ll end the pass in the app if it is a Day/Local pass. For all other pass types, they need to scan their smartphone at NFC tiles around campus or talk to a staff member.
Families do not need to log into the Orah app. Your role will be approving or denying pass requests for trips more than 30+ miles away from campus, missing curfew, or off-campus overnight, and you can do that through your email only.
Anytime they’re leaving campus,* students will submit their passes using the Orah app on their smartphones or computer.
When your student submits a Travel 30+ Miles, Missing Curfew, or Overnight pass, you will get an email asking you to approve or to deny the pass. You can also send it back to the student, asking for more details. We are asking students to submit all passes 24-48 hours in advance to give you time to review them.
If you are the person picking them up, they will still need to submit a pass, but you won’t get an email asking you to approve it.
Only listed legal guardians can sign out a student without prior approval. - Check Blackbaud to ensure legal guardians are listed.
Please reach out to me or Justin Plummer (plummer@ncssm.edu), Associate Director of Student Services at NCSSM-Durham, if you have any questions or issues.
FAMILIES: HERE IS THE LINK TO THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS DISCUSSED DURING THE JUNIOR/GUARDIAN MEETING FRIDAY, AUGUST 14TH. I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE ALL FAMILIES TAKE A LOOK THROUGH THE PRESENTATION FOR REMINDERS REGARDING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES!
