The NI Guide program, which helps new students adjust to college, promises to build its reputation in the fall.

Matthew Miller, student coordinator of the Office of Orientation and Student Assistance, said students who become NI Guides have a chance to help the NIU community.

To qualify for a position as an NI Guide, students are required to fill out an information sheet, must have at least a 2.0 grade point average and plan to continue at NIU next fall.

Miller said guides have several responsibilities. NI Guides write welcome letters, help students move into their residence halls, take students on campus tours, plan events in New Student Welcome Days and answer questions.

NIU sophmore Carole Vanderwagen, an elementary education major, was an NI Guide last year. She said being a guide was “hard at first but was fun if you make it fun.”

Vanderwagen said she was a guide because “it was a chance to meet new people” and because “it sounded like a neat thing to do.”

Miller said guides also help plan the welcome days activities. He said the guides also help choose residence hall activities and encourage freshmen to be involved.

Although NI Guides work as volunteers and are not paid for their work they receive some benifits, he said. Guides get T-shirts, coupons for local restaurants and are allowed to move in the residence halls early.

Miller said this year, the organization plans to honor NI Guides at the first football game played in the Huskie Stadium.

NIU freshman Jennifer Willson, a physical therapy major, said the NI Guides “were great and really helped me get aquainted,” with the college environment.

Miller said there is a small percentage of volunteers who join for the wrong reasons, such as for the chance to move in early.

Miller said there is little to be done about this problem because there is no way to check on the guides and see if they are doing their job.