For Kerr Hall Council members and Resident Assistants, residence hall events help students connect, relax and get involved with other students living in their dorm. With careful consideration of schedules, personal interests and the four pillars, the planning and coordination of these events by RAs and Council members is often more than students imagine.
These four pillars, academic excellence, life skills, wellness and community engagement, according to Austin Farmer, Griffith and Kerr Hall’s resident director, are at the forefront of the planning of events.
“RAs come up with their own ideas, and I encourage them to work in groups; that’s the best way to brainstorm,” Farmer said. “Then they propose these programs to me, with different items they will need, the objective of the program,” said Farmer, who also added that the students should take away some new knowledge.
RAs are required to host two programs in a semester that fit into one of the pillars. All events are planned to not conflict with other RA or school events like Homecoming, so residents can enjoy events throughout the week without choosing what to go to.
An example of a community engagement program is “Spooky Kookie,” an event that took place on Oct. 28. The event had residents decorate cookies, watch a spooky movie and residents were encouraged to wear their pajamas or a costume.
When it comes to planning, Hall Council Historian Meliza Veoasquez noted that communication and relevance are key, such as with the “Spooky Kookie” event. She detailed how her and her fellow officers will communicate event ideas and try to coordinate with the holidays.
“We are currently planning two events for Thanksgiving; one is a non-perishable food drive to help those who might/can afford it. We are also planning to have a “Friendsgiving” for residents that are not able to go home,” said Veoasquez.
Hall Council Vice President Cheyenne Kantu added that in addition to correlating their events with what is going on and the holiday season the council members like to add their own spin and input to make the event truly special. The idea for the “Spooky Kookie” event started with Kookies and slowly members started to shout out additional ideas, such as encouraging people to wear costumes and pajamas while also having a movie for people to watch while decorating Kookies.
The events start out as a conversation between the VP and the President of Hall Council. Once they decided what they should focus on with the next event, the next step is to spread out the plan between the Council and check in with the RAs to make sure no event is going on during the same night or that they are too similar to other events coming up. Kaden Kazee, hall council treasurer, maintains teamwork behind the programs.
“I like working together and seeing the events come together,” said Kazee. “First you’re like ‘oh my gosh, how are we going to do it?’ Then to see how great the turnout was today was very surprising, and I was like ‘okay!’ It is so exciting to see the residents coming in, and it gives us more to look forward to the events coming up,” said Kazee.
Veoasquez says her favorite part is the creative side. “Whenever I make the flyer or do something on Instagram, I get to design it how I want and just send it to the group,” said Veoasquez. “We trust her judgment; we never doubt her, and we are always like ‘yes!’,” added Kantu.
As the semester continues, Hall Council and RAs plan to keep building community with new ideas, seasonal celebrations and opportunities for residents to come together. Behind every event, RA’s or Hall Council is a team of students who care deeply about other students at their resident halls.
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