#YouWon'tWantToMissThis

Hello fabulous ResLife staff! Just thought I'd update you on a fantastic upcoming All Area. This week TAJ staffers Rebecca, Aklesiya, Ricardo, Erika, and Danae will be hosting "Spring Things" for our Diversity All Area this semester. The event will be showcasing various spring traditions from around the world including: Russian Pancake week, Pagan Spring Equinox, and an easter egg hunt! So come on down to JML this Wednesday from 7-8:30pm to get your craft on, get your pancake on, and get your easter egg hunt on!

Truth

WHEN A RESIDENT RIPS DOWN THE FLYERS FOR YOUR PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY'RE MAD THAT YOU DOCUMENTED THEM

Would you hire Christine?

Oh. My. God.

This is so awesome! Would you guys hire Christine?

I would.

7 Ways With Ramen Noodles- CHECK IT OUT!

When is the last time you took a good hard look at delicious Ramen? It can be pretty good if you jazz it up a bit...check out this spot for SEVEN ideas to make Ramen better. 

Then maybe plan this as a program for your residents! A BYOR (Bring Your Own Ramen) kind of situation and you can bring the rest of the goodies or the recipes!

Sounds pretty yummy to me!

Changes Ahead!

A wise person once said that life is change, but growth is optional. This seems particularly relevant this time of year as RAs (both old and new) will start to receive news concerning their placements for next year. This can be a difficult time for a multitude of reasons - some RAs will be overjoyed with their placements, some will be anxious, and others will be disappointed.

This is only natural... we're creatures of habit! We become accustomed to the areas that we live, we become accustomed to the types of residents we have to work with, and we become accustomed to the dynamics that define staff and RA-supervisor interactions.Changes that affect these normalized elements of our lives are upsetting. Luckily, there are some strategies for dealing with change that we may not like and that we may not be ready for (burrowed from tinybuddha.com):

1. Reduce expectations.
In each of my life’s circumstances, I had high expectations for my family, my business, and my marriage. I had expected each to remain constant and to last forever. But I’ve learned that nothing lasts forever. Nothing.
You can have reasonable expectations of how you’d like something to turn out, but you can’t marry yourself to that result. Reducing or having no expectations about a relationship, a business, or a situation can help you accept whatever may come from it.
When you set reasonable expectations, and don’t expect or demand a particular outcome, you’re better able to manage any changes that do come your way. Unreasonable expectations of life, however, will likely be met with loss, disappointment, and pain.

2. Acknowledge change.
For the longest time, I refused to believe that change was in the realm of possibility in a situation. I’ve since learned that change can happen quickly and at any point.
Be aware that change can happen in your life. This means understanding that things can and will be different from how they are now. Acknowledging change is allowing it to happen when it unfolds instead of approaching change from a place of denial and resistance.

3. Accept change.
I desperately tried to prevent and stop change from happening in my business and marriage by trying to forge ahead even in futile situations.
Instead of resisting, allow change to unfold and try to understand what’s transforming and why.
Circumstances will not turn out the way you want them to, and it’s perfectly all right. Embracing the situation can help you deal with the change effectively, make the necessary shifts in your life to embrace the change, and help you move forward after the event.

4. Learn from the experience.
If you accept and embrace change, you will start looking for and finding lessons in it.
When dramatic changes were happening in my life, I refused to acknowledge them at first, so change left me distraught and without meaning. Once I reflected back and finally accepted the changes, the lessons I started absorbing were profound.
Change becomes your greatest teacher, but only if you give yourself permission to learn from it.

5. Recognize you’re growing stronger.
When you accept, embrace, and learn from change, you inevitably grow stronger. The ability to continuously accept change allows you to become as solid as a rock in the midst of violent storms all around you—even if you feel afraid.

6. Embrace the wisdom.
The more I permitted change and impermanence in my life, the more I grew as a person. Embracing change has brought newfound strength into my life and surprisingly, more inner peace.
When you proactively embrace change and learn to accept it as a part of life, you are filled with more calmness, peace, and courage. When life fails to shake you up with its twists and turns, you realize that changes can’t break you.
You’ve reached a level of understanding in life that some might even call wisdom.
While by no means have I reached that place called wisdom, I’m working through my aversions to change. I now openly welcome and embrace it.
When we can accept change, learn from it, and become all the better for experiencing it, change is no longer our enemy. It becomes our teacher.

So remember... it's more than just change ahead - it's new opportunities as well!

There is no I in TEAM

Top 10 Interview Questions, and How to Answer Them

Hello everyone!

Keeping with the theme of our last in-service, I wanted to give you all the top ten most asked interview questions, and how to answer them!

Top 10 Job Interview Questions and Answers

Doing well on the job interview is crucial to getting the job, no matter how impressive your resume is.  And an important aspect of doing well in interviews is proper preparation.  For the most part, many of the interviews will have the same common questions that might be phrased a little differently. 

1)  Tell Me about Yourself

This is probably the most-asked interview question, next to “[d]o you have any questions for us?”.  And there is a reason for that.  The answer to this question really tells the employer a lot about you and what you are all about.

In order to answer this job interview question effectively, you must be succinct, confident, but not overtly conceited.  The answer should be longer than 1 minute but shorter than 3 minutes.  Beyond a few minutes, you are just going to lose their attention.  To answer this question, talk a little about where you grew up, your education, and any relevant work experience you have.  Be sure to concentrate a lot of your time on your career.

This is not a question for you to talk about your personality or character traits—but the interviewer should be able to get a good grasp of who you are from your answer to this question.

2)  What Makes You Qualified for this Job?

This is a tricky question to answer; you don’t want to come off as a braggart but you also want to expound on the qualities that makes you better than other candidates.  To answer this, do not focus on your GPA or what school you graduated from.  Instead, focus on specific skillsets that makes you valuable, as well as specific accomplishments that makes you the best candidate for the job.  Remember to cater your answer specifically to the job announcement.

3) Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?

Do not ever bad-mouth your previous employer when answering this job interview question.  It doesn’t matter if the previous employer really stuck it to you or not.  Doing so is very unbecoming and unprofessional and can easily disqualify you from the job you are applying for.  If you really did leave your previous job because you did not like your boss, you can simply state that you and the previous employer did not see eye to eye on certain aspects of the job.  Be sure to have specific examples in mind.  Another good answer to this question is to say that there was no room in the company to grow professionally and further your skills.  You should also never say that the previous employer did not pay you enough—this will make the interviewer think that you are only in it for the money.

4) How Would You Describe Yourself?

Like many other interview question that requires you to describe yourself, you should be careful to walk that fine line between bragging and selling yourself.  Do not be too brief but don’t lose the attention of the interviewer by being long-winded either.  When answering this question, pick up to three of your best attributes and expand on them with some specific examples.  If you think honesty is one of your best traits, then you should describe a situation in your life (preferably work-related) in which you were extremely honest with someone even if there is a high likelihood that your honesty would have cost you something of great significance, such as a promotion.

5) What Has Been Your Biggest Accomplishment So Far?

In answering this, do not list accomplishments from high school; they do not matter.  If you recently graduated college then it is okay to talk about the feats you have accomplished in college.  However, if you have been in the work force for several years, then you need to talk about accomplishments that are career-related, and hopefully closely related to the job you are applying for.  It is okay to spice up your accomplishments a little but make sure not stretch the truth too much.  Some examples of accomplishments worth noting are:

·         Finishing first in a company-wide sales or work-related competition

·         Implementing a system that saves the company money or brings in extra revenue

·         Overhauling an archaic strategy or system

Remember, accomplishments do not have to be bestowed upon you.  Accomplishments are simply milestones and feats that you think are worth noting.

6) What is Your Greatest Weakness?

Refrain from answers such as “I work too hard” or “I have trouble leaving tasks unfinished.”  These answers are too clichéd and you can bet that many of the people in the interviewing pool will answer the question with those answers.  Your answer should be truthful yet memorable.  Be honest about your weaknesses but also talk about what steps you have taken to improve upon those weaknesses.  For instance, you can say that you are not a particularly adept public speaker.  However, as an addendum to that answer, you can also say that you are taking steps towards be more comfortable on stage by going to Toastmasters meetings, volunteering for more speaking engagements, or even taking a public speaking class.  Employers love employees who take the initiate to improve upon themselves.

As an additional tip, it is best to choose a weakness that doesn’t particularly affect the job you are doing.  In the example of public speaking above, you can use it for jobs that do not involve speaking in public.  However, if the primary purpose of the job you are applying for is to speak in public, then you have pretty much all but disqualified yourself from the job if you answer the interview question with that answer.

7) What is Your Greatest Strength?

This interview question will usually go along with the question above.  Answer with a positive trait of yours and give a specific example of how that strength was showcased in a work setting.  Like the question above, you should pick a strength that can be adapted to the job.  For instance, if you are an tax accountant, then being “detailed and thorough” may be a strength that want to talk about.

8) How Do You Measure Success?

Success has a different meaning for everyone.  So there really is no right or wrong way to answer this question.  However, be sure to talk a little bit about what professional success means to you, as well as personal success.  Here are some answers that you can give to this question:

·         At a professional level, success means that I am working with people who are passionate about the work they do and love coming to work every day.  At a personal level, success means that I am able to provide my family with a comfortable lifestyle so that they never have to worry about money.

·         Professional success means that I love my work and the work I do is something that I would not trade for anything.  Very few people go through life loving their work.  I want to be one of those few.1

·         Success to me means that I would have accomplished all the goals I set out to accomplish as a child.  I wanted to be a doctor as a child and now I am applying for your hospital, one of the most prestigious hospitals in the world.  I would say that I am on the road to success.

9) Why Are You Looking for a New Job?

The best way to answer this question is to accentuate your need for professional growth.  You should not allude to the fact that the company did not pay you enough.  You should (almost) always frame your response with a professional growth angle.  Here are some sample answers that would suffice if you are asked this question:

·         The previous company was a rather small company that lacked the growth potential I was looking for.

·         The previous company did not allow me to grow beyond my current position.

·         The previous company and I disagreed on a lot of moral/ethical issues and I finally decided that it was time for me to part ways.

10) Do You Have Questions for Me?

Everyone interviewer will ask you this question at the end of the interview.  This is the chance for you to display your curiosity and eagerness to work for the company.  You should always have a set of smart and intelligent questions to ask the interviewer. Here are some questions that you can ask:

·         What are the company’s plans for the next five years?

·         Is the company looking to introduce any new products into the market in the coming years?

·         Will there be opportunities for employees to attend trainings or continuing education classes to improve skills that relate to the job?

·         What are the company’s expectations of me within the first month of working?

·         How is the organization set up?  How big is the team I will be working with?

·         Will there be opportunities for me to take on leadership roles in the near future if I am hired?

·         How does the company measure and gauge the output of its employees?

A First-Aid Class for Mental Health

You know how to help people with a cut or scrape, right? How about a panic attack??

Check out this article written by Meagan Morris!

Here’s a thought experiment: You’re walking down the street with a friend when your companion falls and gashes her leg on the concrete. It’s bleeding; she’s in pain. It’s clear she’s going to need stitches. What do you do?

This one isn’t exactly a head-scratcher. You'd probably attempt to offer some sort of first-aid assistance until the bleeding stopped, or until she could get to medical help. Maybe you happen to have a Band-Aid on you, or a tissue to help her clean the wound, or a water bottle she can use to rinse it off. Maybe you pick her up and help her hobble towards transportation, or take her where she needs to go.

Here’s a harder one: What if, instead of an injured leg, that same friend has a panic attack?

It's possible that you'd know how to help, but the average person isn’t properly trained to assist in those types of situations. It’s an alarming gap in our collective knowledge, given that roughly 18 percent of U.S. adults have some form of mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

And unfamiliarity, as many people with mental illness know all too well, breeds stigma. Since 2001, the National Council for Behavioral Health has attempted to combat that stigma with its Mental Health First Aid program, which teaches participants how to recognize when someone is going through a mental-health crisis, and how to help them get through it.

"It really gives you the skills you need to identify—and ultimately help—someone in need," First Lady Michelle Obama said in a speech last year after going through the training. "Because you never know when these kinds of skills might be useful."

I recently discovered Mental Heath First Aid while paging through the free community events section of a local magazine. The ad, sandwiched between listings for a yoga class and a church bake sale, promised to teach even people who were ignorant about the basics of mental illness how to recognize the signs of a crisis. Intrigued, I signed up.

On a Saturday morning a few weeks later, I found myself with a handful of other people in the basement of a public library, unsure what to expect out of the eight-hour training. I had no background in the subject: It’s one thing to lend a sympathetic ear to a friend, something I’ve done plenty of times, but quite another to know how to handle a more serious situation.

One of the primary goals of Mental Health First Aid, a program created in Australia by the nurse Better Kitchener, is to make people like me less afraid of those situations. This is especially important in rural or poorer areas where professional mental health treatment isn't readily available, according to Betsy Schwartz, the vice president of public education and strategic initiatives for the National Council for Behavioral Health.

"The training is designed to help people realize that it's real and treatment is available—and that people with mental illness can live normal lives," Schwartz says.

The training started off with big-picture overviews on some of the more common mental disorders: depression and mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, psychosis, and substance-use disorders. It also walked us through an action plan for helping someone who’s experiencing a panic attack, suicidal thoughts, psychosis, self-injury, or substance abuse. The plan—which uses the acronym ALGEE—outlined the major steps of first-responder aid for a person experiencing a mental-health problem:

Assess for risk of suicide or harm;
Listen non-judgmentally;
Give reassurance and information;
Encourage appropriate professional help;
Encourage self-help and other support strategies

Not every step is applicable to every situation, but ALGEE is meant as a more general tool, a road map to help bystanders assess a problem and determine if professional intervention is needed.

Program organizers stress that mental-health first aid can’t prepare someone to diagnose and treat a mental illness, much like someone trained in regular first aid wouldn’t be expected to stitch up a gaping wound.

"We're not teaching people to make the diagnosis or tell people what is right," adds Schwartz. "You're there as an immediate help to know what to do and see the signs if someone is experiencing a mental-health crisis."

Dealing with a physical injury is pretty cut-and-dry in terms of what first aid can be provided, but every mental-health situation is different because every person's mind works differently. The trainers in my class gave quite a few personal anecdotes of their own experiences, along with a few example situations we had to assess as a class, but it obviously couldn't cover everything that could possibly occur in everyday life. I learned a lot that day, but I still left the training feeling overwhelmed by all the things I didn’t know.  

According to Schwartz, that’s a common reaction. "Our training emphasizes that it's not necessary to go really in-depth to provide help," she says. Instead, trainees learn enough to manage an acute situation until someone with the proper professional background can step in.

I haven’t yet been in a situation where I had to use my new knowledge, but on the other side of the training, I do feel more prepared should I ever need to. At the very least, I know I won’t be afraid if someone I encounter experiences a mental-health crisis, and I may even have a better understanding of what they’re going through—and that alone made the training worth it.

Marketing Your RA Job-February In Service

Rootbeer Floats with Residence Life :)

Guess what RAs?

On WEDNESDAY March 23 we are hosting a sweet dinner for RAs. Just for Y.O.U. It is in the Commons so bring your meal through the line and meet us in the Heritage Room.





There you will get...

And of course sweet time with other RAs and even the newest RAs on our staff after they learn about their jobs for next year. 

The RHDs and Jessica sure do love our RAs. 

Stereotypes and RAs

How many of you visit ResLife.net?

There is some good stuff there-like this article :) http://reslife.net/diversifying-our-staff-potential-resident-assistant-candidates-and-stereotype-threat/

Diversifying Our Staff: Potential Resident Assistant Candidates and Stereotype Threat

As student leaders, resident assistants (RAs) are the heart of what drives our Residence Life departments across the nation. RAs are looked to and expected to be strong role models for their communities based upon their every day behaviors. The strive to nurture a diverse environment is an important component of being an RA as more and more students of color are attending college.

Reflecting that diversity in our staff must remain a priority as we strive to practice the tenets of what we espouse in our departmental and institutional missions. Yet, are the numbers of African-American resident assistants consistent with the numbers of that particular student population on our campuses? And how can we assure that potential African-American student candidates feel “identity safety” as they strive to secure a leadership position within the halls?

This article will explore the idea of stereotype threat and how that may impede progress to diversify our Residence Life student staff. Stereotype threat and its related issues will be defined and further suggested interventions for success will be illustrated. This article will be helpful to resident directors, assistant directors, and directors who devise and implement resident assistant staff selection throughout the academic year.

Stereotype Threat

Stereotype threat is a concept that has been regularly studied by Dr. Claude Steele, head of the psychology department at Stanford University. He defines stereotype threat as “the threat of being viewed through the lens of a negative stereotype, or the fear of doing something that would inadvertently confirm that stereotype” (Steele, 2003, p. 111). Because of this threat, anxiety is created in the person and the intervening response may be avoidance of the perceived threat or diminished performance in light of the threat, as can be the case with academics.

A person may have been the target of a specific stereotype, and due to that experience, that person may feel mistrustful and/or apprehensive when in similar types of situations, even if they aren’t being stereotyped or discriminated against. “Such, then, is the hypothesized nature of stereotype threat – not an abstract threat, not necessarily a belief or expectation about oneself, but the concrete, real-time threat of being judged and treated poorly in settings where a negative stereotype about one’s group applies” (Steele, 2003, p. 112).

Let’s look at a specific example of stereotype threat. Imagine a situation in which a black resident is confronted by their white RA for a quiet hours violation. Yet, other white students who are just as loud in the hallway are not confronted. The stereotype involved here is that black students are loud.

This unfair interaction has now set the scene for stereotype threat for this particular black student. As a result, this student may experience what is referred to as “spotlight anxiety” when visiting other residence halls and coming in contact with other RAs or other Residence Life staff members. The ultimate consequence is that this student may not take part in activities in the halls, become an invested part of the hall community, or consider the prospect of applying to be an RA.

Because race is such a salient and tangible aspect of a black student’s life, Student Affairs administrators must take greater strides in developing “racial trust” by having an inclusive and nurturing environment so these students feel at home and are more apt to become a leader within the halls. “In specific classrooms, within specific programs, even in the climate of entire schools, it is possible to weaken a group’s sense of being threatened by negative stereotypes, to allow its members a trust that would otherwise be difficult to sustain” (Steele, 2003, p. 130).

Providing a safe and inclusive environment is the key for leading black students to apply for and become resident assistants. Specific interventions can be implemented in order to create a holistic and comprehensive Residence Life program that nurtures diversity.

Interventions

Acknowledge the Problem – The simple fact that black students are not applying for resident assistant positions is not an adequate excuse for why diversity is not being reflected in the staff. Assuming that black students do not want to participate or are not interested in such leadership positions in the halls is a naïve perspective and should be quickly dismissed. Acknowledging that there is a clear deficit in an appropriate reflection of diversity in the staff is the first step in making progress. Assessing and diagnosing the problem should lead to further discussion and planning specific interventions for inclusion.

Develop “User-Friendly” Selection Processes – Many departments are dogmatic in their approach to the selection process and this may not be conducive to attracting everyone. Day-long and weekend group candidate sessions may not be ideal for students who have outside employment or may need to return home in order to take care of family, which is the case with many students of color. In addition, religious holidays and other sacred observances (e.g. Sabbath) should be respected by not hosting selection activities on these particular days.

Many departments mandate taking a semester long RA course, which is not only very labor-intensive for students and staff alike, but may have financial repercussions for students on scholarships or cannot afford to take an “extra” class in addition to their already full semester course load. The need and efficacy of such classes should be re-examined especially as it regards to the department’s mission on attracting all students to the resident assistant position. Honestly, Student Affairs professionals go through less to get a professional, salaried job than many RA candidates do to get room and board! So why set up students for failure or have them self-select out when you can save time and money and not alienate a large group of students.

Establish Relationships – Become an ally; get out there! People don’t care about you until you show them how much you care about them. Establishing relationships is the hallmark of every Student Affairs professional. Establishing relationships on campus is not only a great way to develop rapport with students, but also a way to attract potential student leaders. Being nice is simply not enough. In order to engender trust among students of color, true outreach must be a strategy and thereby a priority for Student Affairs professionals.

There are ample opportunities to become an advisor to student organizations on campus. And if the role is already filled, attending meetings, providing support for their programs and activities, and being generally available for advice and leadership development is always appreciated by students.

Student mentoring is also another way to develop strong, supportive relationships. Guiding students of color to become involved through campus work-study programs that you may supervise (e.g. desk attendants, mail clerks), programming & activity planning in their hall, and simply taking an invested interest in their lives is a great way to develop trust and confidence.

Critique Your Current Climate – Taking steps to objectively assess the current climate and atmosphere of the residence halls in regards to welcoming black students is of utmost importance. Do black students enjoy their living environment and regularly attend programs in the hall? Are their current staff members of color to reflect students like them? Are current staff members trained properly to handle incidents of discrimination and intolerance? Is a tone set that establishes a campus culture that does not tolerate racial insensitivity?

These questions must be answered in order to understand whether or not the foundation can be laid to recruit and develop student leaders of color within the residence halls. But if these students are uncomfortable and ultimately do not want to live there, why would they want to work there?

Conclusion

Being mindful of stereotype threat and interceding to try to develop trust among students of color not only serves to attract potential resident assistant candidates, but also to develop and enrich students’ college & university experiences despite the resident assistant program. Acknowledging lack of diversity as a problem, developing strong relationships by being an ally, creating inclusive selection processes, and critiquing the current on-campus Residence Life “experience” as it pertains to students of color are practical manners in which to pave the way for incorporating diversity into the Residence Life staff.

References

•Steele, C. (2003.) In T. Perry, C. Steele, & A. Hilliard III (Eds.)., Young, Gifted, and Black: Promoting High Achievement Among African-American Students (pp. 109-130). Boston: Beacon

Submitted by Scott M. Helfrich, M.S., Area Coordinator, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Why RAs make great wedding dates...Check it out!

why RAs are the best wedding dates ever

03/13/2014 by Chrystina Noel

http://chrystinanoel.com/2014/03/13/why-ras-are-the-best-wedding-dates-ever/

I recently went to a wedding with my friend Ryan. He asked if I would go. I said yes. Then he told me it was a family wedding and I was going to be meeting a lot of really important people from his childhood. He followed it up with “but I knew you could handle it, which is why I asked you.”

Sometimes Most times in life people like to humor me, but this time I didn’t feel like I was being humored. Why? Because I used to be an RA.

Last year I had two weddings that I needed dates to and both times I took an RA. I took Ryan to a wedding where I wouldn’t know anybody else there and I took Brian to a Catholic school girl wedding – which says something in itself  And you know what, I knew they could both handle it. Because they were RAs.

It was Ryan who pointed this out to me and inspired this post. (See, credit where credit is due.) All content is original.

Why RAs Make The Best Wedding Dates

They usually remember names, and if they can’t remember names, they remember facts.
I happen to be one of the people that remember names. But I can assure that even if an RA can’t remember that the girl with the brown hair in the blue dress is Michelle, he or she will remember that Michelle loves to travel and went on a really cool trip to Argentina last year with the tall man standing next to her (Rob). That could be useful if you’re left alone in the bathroom line together.

They clean up nicely.
Please see Exhibit A below.

Exhibit A

They know how to make small talk.
The first weekend of being an RA when all of your residents move in you not only need to make small talk with every resident on your floor, but every single resident who is in your building, and his or her parents, grandparents, siblings, significant others, etc. As an RA you have a stash of really easy small talk ideas already lined up – the weather, the day of the week, something the person is wearing, a fun fact you just learned, a question to ask, and more.

They know how to ask unassuming questions.
If you don’t know anybody besides your date at a wedding you don’t know that Uncle John used to be dating Sally, but he’s now in a domestic partnership with Betty – and Sally’s now married to Joann and together they own a company where they heal plants using crystal and gemstone therapy. And there’s nothing wrong with any of that – but you honestly have no idea what you’re walking into. So, if you’re already pre-programmed to ask questions like “so where do you call home” or “tell me more about that” or “so what does that look like” you’re going to be a lot better off.

They don’t mind making fools of themselves on the dance floor.
Most RAs don’t have any shame. They’ve already been put on the spot so many times that there’s just not room to keep that emotion around. Also, sometimes the easiest way to break the ice is to make a fool of yourself. Hey, somebody’s got to do it.

They’ve seen it all.
Seriously. The types of questions I got asked as an RA blew my mind – don’t get me wrong, I was always happy to answer – but I was shocked at the amount of personal questions that people asked. Questions about hygiene, sex, alcohol, death, careers, salaries, religion, politics – we’ve heard it all, from students and parents. Also, we’ve already dealt with a lot of drunk college students, and your friends and family can’t be any worse than that.

Did I miss anything?

PS. Also check out Confessions of an RA part 1, Confessions of an RA part 2, and How To Decorate a Residence Hall.

Sh*t RAs Say

It's hump day so why not enlighten you all with this beautifully accurate video as a mid-week pick me up.

ENJOY 

New Cricut cartridge!

We got a new cartridge!

Come Cricut things!

iACEs for February/March

Now through February 15 Kyonna was able to get this awesome traveling Black History Month exhibit to be displayed in the Center for Diversity and Inclusion. The interactive component is the display itself! But a meal together would be nice :)

February 9 Founder's Day celebration during Golden Hour. It is actually a cool ceremony to celebrate how old and awesome Ripon College is-and we award some people for contributing to our local community. It is a nice ceremony-is always done by noon and usually there is cake to eat in the Commons to celebrate our birthday! Lunch discussion about how cool old stuff is- like a College founded in 1851 should follow with the cake!

February 10 Health Services and Counseling Services are celebrating love the Old School way by having everything for you to send Valentines to people on campus and off. They pay the postage! It would be interactive to have your residents to send one to another person on the floor, like a secret Valentine for each other.

February 10 A Valentine's Craft night with RAD. Tavia will be there to help you make crafts for your floormates-the interactive part here is the crafting at a table with each other!

February 11 The Black History Month event is a cartoonist that looks at Police brutality. This event is sure to spark some conversation. Meet with your floor afterward and have everyone bring their favorite comic and talk about why those were their favorites. Some political cartoons, Sunday funnies and even Calvin and Hobbes can say a lot about our society and such.

February 12 If you are not on the planning crew for ExtravaGamesZa you can make this an iACE with your floor. If you compete against one another and stay together through the event-your interactive component is DONE.

February 13 The SMAC Mayhem Poets is going to be an AWESOME show. Slam poets never disappoint. Before you head to the event you can all gather around a computer and google some slam poets and even try your hand at it in preparation for the event!

February 14 Join the Residence Life crew as they bring everyone together in the best Ice Breaker program EVER. Eat pizza, ice cream sundaes, and meet new people! Maybe afterward you can get together as a floor and giggle at bad pickup lines to round out the evening.

February 15 Join LaUnida as they help answer all your questions about voting in Ripon and voting in general. The interactive part can be a trip to SAO to all register for your absentee ballots or printing out the directions on how to register here in the city of Ripon to get that out of the way before Wisconsin's primary on April 5, 2016.

February 16 Black History Month event. BSU is sponsoring a Diversity Town Hall meeting during Golden Hour. A great way to talk about our campus climate and how to work together to make sure that climate matches the community we want to live in together. The interactive component here can be going to lunch together and continuing the conversation with some prompts- like what would their ideal world look like? Their ideal college? Their ideal residence hall? What things would be part of it.

February 20 BSU is showing the movie Mandela about Nelson Mandela and his life. The interactive part of this iACE could be imagining what Mandela or MLK felt like in jail and talking about how to maintain momentum for change in those kinds of environments.

February 23 The Library puts on these awesome workshops at 4pm through out the semester. On this day it is about video production and things like YouTube. How cool would it be to make a YouTube video with your floor to remember this year after you get some sweet skills to learn how to make it awesome.

March 2-11 The InFocus and Off Campus Study photo show in Rodman. This features art from places you could actually go as a student at Ripon. Maybe grab some brochures from the Commons or the Registrar's office about studying off campus and the interactive part of your program can be helping your residents talk about their former experiences or research for future opportunities.

March 2-5 The spring play "Holiday". Get fancy, go out to a show. Take some photos. Make it a special memory for your floor.

March 5 If you are not part of the planning crew- Bingo Bonanza is an iACE to end all iACE's. It is a residence life program, so you know it is guaranteed to be a blast.

March 9 De-stress on National Panic Day with a RAD event. Prep for this event by listening to Panic! At the Disco for 15 minutes during a dance party before you head to the event. Or you can have your residents put all the things that stress them out into a bucket of some sort-you can take them to this event and leave them there. Leave the stress there and do not bring it back to the floor. The symbolism is sometimes enough to reduce stress.

March 22 The Mitzvah Project is a one man play about half Jewish soldiers in the Nazi army. There is a short discussion that follows, you and your floor can participate in that and learn more about bias and inclusion from our history.

March 30 Orson Scott Card is the author of many books-including Ender's Game which was recently made into a movie-there is a speech (more details to follow soon) about him at 4:30 this day. The interactive component could be a trip to the Public Library or Lane Library and see if any of his books are available to check out-or learn what authors are similar to his style for those interested in reading more. 

16 Reasons Former RAs Make The Absolute Best Employees

Jacob Geers

1. We are used to non-traditional working hours. Need us to stay an hour extra? No biggie, considering we were used to being awoken at 3 in the goddamn morning to hold some freshman’s hair back as they puke in the public bathroom.

2. We aren’t afraid of difficult conversations. Ever have to approach two people about how their sex noises are disturbing a community? Ever talk to two roommates about setting mutually agreed upon masturbation policies? Yup, we’ve done all that. Think we’ll be nervous about approaching Doug from the cubicle over about investing in some deodorant?

3. We thoroughly understand the idea of “soft bargaining.” RAs typically have very little “actual” power and rely on either convincing people that we do, or that our path is the best for EVERYONE involved. We don’t need to “be the boss” or threaten someone’s job to get results.

4. Boy, we sure can handle emergency situations. We don’t freak out when the unexpected happens, we are basically conditioned to expect the most absurdly unexpected things possible. We adapt, we modify, we change tack and make sure everything turns out okay. We have seen our fair share of trashed bathrooms, falling apart buildings, and fights, to know how to perform when shit hits the fan. At the very least, we can keep a calm voice while dialing 9-1-1.

5. We care about respect, not popularity. We aren’t necessarily around to be everyone’s friend, but we want to be seen as consistent, fair, and principled. We aren’t going to be crying in the break room about how Karin from accounting doesn’t like us (probably).

6. So, yeah, you bet we can handle criticism. We’ve heard it all, from residents, bosses, co-workers, the list goes on and on. If it’s constructive we will use the feedback to make us better. If it’s nonsense, it won’t affect our work performance in the slightest.

7. And we also aren’t easily pushed around. We aren’t yes-people by any definition of the phrase. We have been hardened by many inebriated residents yelling at us about their lawyer dad who will sue EVERYONE because we wrote up his baby girl for throwing furniture down the stairs.

8. That being said, we know how to be polite — but direct — when handling problems. We aren’t afraid of telling a supervisor directly that we have a problem, but we will always do it with respect for the process.

9. Need someone to plan an event? Oh, let me tell you… We’ve planned dozens, maybe hundreds, of events, and those were programs we didn’t even think people would show up to! Give us a guaranteed audience and we will totally shine.

10. We can out multi-task anyone, any day. Ever try writing an essay, talking to a resident who is going through a breakup, doing rounds, and eating dinner in the same 30 minutes? We have.

11. We know how to work on a team, even when we don’t like the team. We got our motivation from our residents (and on bad days, from our compensation) so we know how to perform even while being upset.

12. We understand diversity, and what it really means to be inclusive. And yeah, we’ll call out Bob the night shift manager who tells blatantly racist jokes while clocking out in the morning.

13. But we know how to do it without just “being offended.” We ask leading questions, we try to have dialogues, and we try to actually solve problems. Cuz that was our job.

14. You need someone to summarize information? Maybe into some sort ofresource to share with others? Which of our 3,450 bulletin boards should we use to demonstrate that we have that particular skill down pat??

15. We know how to prioritize. What is a right now problem? The building’s fire alarm. What is an ASAP problem? A huge roommate disagreement. What is an important, but less important problem? Our own homework lololololol.

16. But we get it all done. Why? Cuz we are the hardest, most badass workers you’ll ever see.

Proud Papa's and Mama's

As a Residence Life staff we work to support a student and their academic success. What a better way to do this than have a proud parent fridge on your bulletin board!

Look how cool this is!

Bulletin Board Bonanza!

     

         Considering you are all super duper busy, we recognize that you all probably don't walk around to see all the awesome bulletin boards that your fellow RA's put their heart and soul into.......

But you're in luck though because this post is dedicated to just a few of the many wonderful bulletin boards that can be seen throughout the Res Halls!!

                                                                       Drew Hetz

                                                                      DeLou Wilson

                                                                Winona Holmes-Robbins

                                                                           Jill Kalis

                                                                     Jessica Almaraz

                                                                     Gillian Jackson

                                                                      Erika Isaacson

                                                                   Rebecca McLain

                                                                     Marthe Folivi

                                                                     Emily Coates

                                                                  Jorge Gutierrez

                                                                 Holly Erickson