Payroll? What's that?

Kari complains.
Loudly.
She even punched my desk with her fist.

So I gave in. I looked up an answer she could have gotten on her own-any day-24 hours a day. That is the definition of enabling.

But hey-I am an enabler. Now you can all benefit from her persistence.
Thank you for your attention.
Jessica

RAs have some smarts!

Hello RA staffers!

This summer the Dean of Students hosted a retreat for all of the departments in our division. In that retreat we learn about student groups and how they performed academically in the last semester. 

Did you know that the RA staff had a group GPA for the Spring 2015 semester of:

3.35!!

When you look at that compared to the All School GPA of 3.13 that makes us pretty smart cookies. Well smarter than the average bear when you look at GPA as a predictor of intelligence. Which I personally do not... but whatever it was posted for other departments to see so I thought I would share it with you!

Thanks for being students that attend class. :) You are the best staff a girl could ask for!

RA Love,
Jessica

Case Study Winners!

Hello RA Staff!

Here it is! The Case Study winners for the 2015 Fall Training Case Study Competition. All of the RHDs and I were impressed with the amount of training knowledge and shout out to the folks who quotes Listen, Hold, Mirror back to me! But seriously as an entire staff you were all very impressive this week and it makes us as a Pro Staff feel great.

We all agree that you are awesome and trust all of you with the job you have been charged to do.


Now without further ado....

Congratulations to

Michaela Myers and Megan Marema

and

Danae Chaltry and Drew Hetz!

Thanks for participating and taking the time it was clear that you did to present these cases to us. In case you were curious here are the two cases for you to read.

Thanks everyone!

Jessica 

Door Decoration Challenge

Hello RA Friends!

I have decided to have a Door Decoration Challenge this fall- I have cleaned off my door (gasp) and want all of you to fill it!

Who's office is this?!?!

 If you are interested in participating- you just need to make a door dec and slap that bad boy on my door during training. That is it! Pretty easy eh?

I will pick a winner, post it on here and give that person the opportunity to select a prize. The items up for grabs are the following:

-Dinner at my house

-Extra money for programming

-Craft products for your next set of Door Decs

-I will vacuum your residence hall room for a week!

Get excited friends. Training is almost here. Keep your eyes open for a blog post about our newest RHDs joining the staff. 

I cannot wait to see you all so soon!

Jessica

Paws & Reflect

Hey Reslifers,

So the RHDs have noticed this trend where we think that cute animals are the PERFECT solution to basically any concern, conundrum, or quandary.  

Seriously, puppies fix everything.

Jessica does not agree, and seems to think that fuzzy things of the animal variety have no place in Reslife matters.  To a certain extent, this is very true and completely understandable.  After all, a residence hall is no place for a pet (besides aquatic fish in one 10-gallon aquarium per resident), and pet policies exist as they do for very, very good reasons.

However.

Julie would like to assert that while animals have no place in the residence halls, they do have a place in Residence Life.  After all, we can learn quite a bit from the animal kingdom, and what better way to utilize an internet-based tool for continued training and education (read: the Reslife Reader) than by doing what the internet does best: finding pictures of cute and funny animals and sharing them with those we love.

With that, I introduce you to a new feature of the Reslife Reader: Paws & Reflect

Issue 1: Scout

This is Scout.  Scout is a pit bull from Ontario, and proud mascot of "Stuff on Scout's Head," a blog on Tumblr that you should probably bookmark, or whatever it is you do on Tumblr when you find something cool to share.

Aside from being cute as can be, Scout has a particular talent that I think all of us could learn from.

Scout is very good at balancing things.

He balances time, and the so-few hours in a day.

He balances his health, the things that are good for him....

....and things that are less good, but super enjoyable at the time.  (This requires a bit of will power, as I'm sure you can imagine.)

 He balances times when he needs to be a bit more professional, along with times when he can cut loose and enjoy the party.

The things that he balances can vary depending on the time of the year, as seasons change and our commitments, priorities, and interests evolve.

No matter what he balances, a couple things stay consistent.  Scout keeps his focus,  eyes directly on the motivation in front of him.  He's balancing things for a reason, and doesn't get distracted from the thing that's keeping him going - in this case, his owner.

That's something else that's important.  All over the blog, it's clear that Scout's human thinks the world of him.  He has found a place full of love and support, and it's that encouragement that helps him to balance so well.  There's no pressure to balance, only cheerful praise when he takes on one of these challenges and succeeds.

So for today's Paws & Reflect, Scout and I encourage you to think about your own sense of balance, and what helps you to juggle everything on the tip of your metaphorical doggy nose.  What sorts of things do you balance each day, and what people and tools help you to keep your footing?  When you start to loose balance, what things do you set aside first as you regain your equilibrium?  Is it a commitment? Your health? Your studies? Your friends? Who do you have who, like Scout's human, is rooting for you in your journey to find balance, and what motivation do you keep your eye on to help yourself stay stable?

Scout has a thing or two to teach about balance.  But as RAs, you guys have plenty of your own experience to bring to the table.  Take a few minutes today to think about how things balance out in your life, and how you manage keep things steady.  What do you have perched at the tip of your nose these days, and what sorts of things might you need to set aside?  How do you keep your focus, and how can the RA position, your staff, and your Hall Director help you in that juggling act?  And for the record, take a moment to recognize what a rockstar you are for balancing all that you do.  Because you guys are pretty awesome, and Scout thinks so too.

Much love, 

Julie

Staff Shout Outs!

Heya Staff!

As we close out another cold but fabulous Monday, the prostaff wants to take a moment and recognize these Really Awesome staff members for going above and beyond lately.  Email Julie to submit your own for next week, or be on the lookout for a super nifty "Staff Shoutout" form coming to each RA office!

To any who haven't gotten the memo, we have TWO brand new super awesome RAs on staff who deserve your notice and recognition.  Airianna Beard has joined the Quad staff down in Mapes, and Jessica Almaraz just hopped on the TAJ bandwagon up on 3rd floor Johnson.  The prostaff is SO excited to welcome these lovely ladies on board, and we can't wait to get to know and work with each of them!

In fact, we're almost as excited as this sloth.

Hailey Mischler has really stepped up in the past couple weeks filling some spur-of-the-moment duty spots.  Twice now she's volunteered to help TAJ staff out, and her dedication is truly appreciated!

Shout out to Michael Anderson for GETTING INTO LAW SCHOOL!  HOLY WOW that's so exciting!!

On a similar note, Raymond Allen has finished up his grad school interviews!  Time to take a breather and relish some time NOT traveling!  You go Ray!

Kari Brown gets major props from Big Boss Jessica for all her help in preparing for the Oshkosh Placement Exchange.  (And double props from the RHDs for managing to MAKE Jessica let you help her!)

Shout out to Jason Winkelmann for rallying and leading the Quad staff helm in their fearless leader's absence (see the previous post from David about grad school interviews).  Jason has successfully run a full-length staff meeting, schedule break duty, and generally keep things ship shape in David's absence. 

Jason also gets a shout out from Jessica for his super cool Bowser shell at ExtravaGAMEza.

And another shout out from Julie for being so good at reading Julie's mind all throughout GAMEza.

Jason's just been rocking it, people.

Speaking of GAMEza, Jessica particularly noticed Karla Perez's wonderful attitude all throughout set up and the event itself on Friday, and would like to thank her for going above in beyond in making the event successful.

And finally, Mherete Mherete beat his own personal record at the track meet this past weekend.  Great job, Mheretekins! (Is that how you spell it, Jill??)

Thanks for being fantastic, peeps.  Be on the lookout for our next round of shout outs, and remember to submit your own!

<3 DJ3

Staff Shoutouts!

Hola!

It's time again to recognize those staff members who have been Really Awesome over the last week.  Email Julie to submit your own for the next round of shout outs!  

Pizza Party Winners!

Congratulations to our RAs with the TOP 5 RESPONSE RATES on resident evals!  Be on the lookout for a communication from Jessica about how to claim your floor's prize!

• London Mosher - 100% (Holy smokes!  Great job, London!)
• Melissa Velpel - 85% 
• Chris Hamilton - 80%
• Mherete Mherete - 78%
• Maggie Breen-Lyles - 72%

Michael Anderson!

Michael's been on the ball with several incident reports about damages in the halls.  Good eye, Michael!

Dan Knox!

Shoutout to Dan from Jessica for being true to himself and his own temperature needs and wearing his winter coat indoors at Jessica's house over Thanksgiving, even though Jessica was being mean and making fun of him.  You go, Dan!

Colin Uthe!

Colin has been an all-around rockstar on staff, in addition to just being a positive and pleasant person.  He also kicks David's butt in Madden, which important and needs to be recognized.

Shantavia Young!

Picked up THREE nights of Thanksgiving break duty for Scott staff.  Way to take one for the team, Tavia!

Zach Matson!

Zach came to the rescue when bad weather prevented Maggie from making it back to campus for her duty night over Thanksgiving Break.  Zach jumped to fill in because he's awesome and always willing to help a fellow staff member.  Thanks Zach!

Rachel Grutza!

Rachel has put a lot of thought and care into her programs this semester, and her effort has been very much appreciated.  Keep it up, Rachel!

Veronica DeLisle!

Veronica handled some rough and unexpected situations on her floor efficiently and professionally last week.  Thanks for holding down the fort, Veronica!

Until next time!
<3 DJ3

Staff Shout Outs!

Heya Staff!

As we head out and wind down for the break, we want to recognize these Really Awesome staff members for their fantastic efforts this past week.  Email Julie to submit your own for next week!  In the meantime get some rest, eat some good food, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Laura Savall & Ryan Slowinski!

These two hosted a wonderful RAD event this past weekend - a Buffalo Wild Wings eating contest - that was super well attended and gave residents a lot of fun.  Nice job, Programmers!

Kari Brown!

Kari has been on top of her game managing some difficult situations with positivity, timely communication, and a roll-with-it attitude.  Thanks for going above and beyond, Kari!

Matthew Shultz & Akash Sen!

This pair put on a successful (and inadvertently well-timed) all area event centered around Super Smash Bros.  Residents had a blast and it was the perfect spring board for folks to go out and buy the newest Smash Bros game, which had just been released.  Like, that night.  It was funny and unexpected and totally awesome.  Well done!

Emily Coates, Karla Perez, & Veronica DeLisle!

These ladies hosted a well-attended all are about the health benefits of yoga and fruit smoothies. Residents participated in a half-hour yoga session (some of these pictures are ridiculous.  We have some flexible residents in TAJ, people) and despite some unanticipated hiccups (Rest in Peace, TAJ blender), the event was well executed and lots of fun.  Also, those smoothies were flippin' delicious.  Love it!

Derek Saxon, Jason Winkelmann, & Raymond Allen!

Your fearless SAHDs have taken the plunge into launching a new and exciting initiative in Ripon Residence Life - Hall Congress, a new incarnation of the previously seen Hall Council system.  These guys have put a lot of hard work and energy into launching this system and getting the word out, and the prostaff couldn't be more proud.  Keep it up, guys!

The TAJ Blender!

See note above under Emily, Karla, and Veronica.  You put up a good fight, little guy.  See you on the other side.

Be on the lookout for our new round of Shout Outs next week!

<3 DJ3

Staff Shout Outs!

Whazzup Reslifers?

Check out our staff shout outs for this week!  These staff members were caught going above and beyond in being Really Awesome this past week.  Give them a shout (or high five, or 'sup nod, or enthusiastic greeting) when you see them out and about.

Have you seen a fellow staff member being especially fantastic this week?  Have an inside joke you just HAVE to play up online?  Want to share a funny story or tidbit with the rest of RA Land?  Email Julie with your own shout outs and we'll post them here!

London Mosher!

She was wonderful in Cymbeline last week and has juggled a busy rehearsal and play schedule all semester.  Take a breath, London. You've earned it!

Akash Sen!

Akash handled a...let's call it "nontraditional" duty night with professionalism and took everything in stride.  Thanks for being awesome, Akash!

Marthe Folivi & Konner Feldhus!

These two hosted an all area event called "Cards Against Depression" that educated residents and dealt with some super important issues!  Keep it up!

Melissa Velpel!

Melissa has been rockin' on the communication front and has really stood out this week for her follow through and timely handling of concerns on her floor!  Love it!

Jason Winkelmann!

He's consistent and thorough adminstratively, he puts up with David calling him mean names, and he totally would have worn the pirate pants Jessica made (unlike a certain grumpy and style-conscious SAHD we all know).  Youza boss, Jason!

Shantavia!

She's been going above and beyond connecting with her residents and drawing them out of their shells, and generally being a fantastic presence for students who are going through rough times.  Great job!

Angela Pamperin!

Angela had, like, one of the busiest Sunday nights TAJ has ever seen, and she rolled with it beautifully.  You're awesome!

Carl Meisner & Jenny Delgado!

Each of these folks has really stepped up the last week and filled some pressing needs on their respective staffs. Thanks for the stellar team spirit!

Ray Allen!

Ray stepped up confronted an ongoing behavioral concern from some of the residents in his area, holding them accountable and addressing the problem at hand. Keep it up!

Karla Perez!

Karla is laying the foundation for a new student group on campus focused on fitness and physical health. It's a REALLY exciting opportunity, and if you want a supportive network of exercise buddies but aren't interested in a formal team environment, you should totally ask her about it!

Zach Muench, Rachel Grutza, & Jenny Delgado!

These three won the Money Matters game show this weekend, which is kind of really cool.  Hooray!

Keep being awesome, folks!

Much love,
DJ3

Staff Shout Outs!

Hey staff!

Below you'll find some shout outs to RAs who have been caught being especially fantastic in the past couple weeks.  "Staff Shout Outs" will be a weekly feature here on the Reader, so keep your eyes peeled for more tales of RAs doing what they do best - being Really Awesome in all the things they do here at Ripon.

Did you catch a fellow staff member going above and beyond this week?  Have an inside joke you just HAVE to play up online?  Want to share a funny story or tidbit with the rest of RA Land?  Email Julie with your own shout outs and we'll post them here!

Yessra Sankari!

She actually emailed all of her residents right after the INservice to let them all know that if they need anything to please come talk to her and that her room was a safe space.  She took what we talked about and put it into practice. This is awesome. 

Rachel Grutza & Marthe Folivi!

Both attended the WAICU RA Conference and they stepped up to compete in the Case Study Competition. That's awesome. 

Konner Feldhus!

100% on plan forms the night they went out. Can we talk about how awesome that is?

Megan Marema!

Represented Scott staff at the WAICU conference this month!

Shantavia Young!

The first RA on Scott staff to have officially submitted ALL community development floor program proposals for the semester!

Angela Pamperin, Melissa Velpel, & Rachel Detrie!

These three used their all area theme of "Appreciation" to host a super successful and well-executed program.  Residents of the TAJ area were invited to add their handprints to the walls in the handprint lounge of lower Johnson, and those who attended seemed to really love the event.  Kudos for continuing a much-loved tradition on campus, and for managing to make the entire event happen without spilling A DROP of stray paint.  Great job guys!

Kari Brown, Karla Perez, & Maggie Breen-Lyles!

JATSCats representation at WAICU!  They were the cat's meow at Concordia.

Jill Kalis, Derek Saxon, Angela Pamperin, Chris Hamilton, Dan Knox, Karla Perez, Malainey Myrin, Matthew Schultz, Michael Anderson, Shantavia Young, Yessra Sankari, & Zach Muench!

TOTU 2014 was an absolute BLAST!  Thanks to all these staff members for their hard work in making this event a success, and a special shoutout to all the goldfishies who have now found a new home here on campus.

Great job everyone!

<3 DJ3

FORTIFY!

Hello RA Land!

I know you have heard all about the RA Conference but I wanted to share the highlights. First of all- it was a challenge to get access to even write about this. In the digital age you would think accessing a blog would be easier!

In the world of Student Affairs in Higher Education there is a strong emphasis on professional development and continuous learning. The RA conference is one of those opportunities that we have as professionals to provide that kind of development for you as students! If you are not already familiar with WAICU I encourage you to check out their website here. WAICU has created lots of opportunities for collaboration between private schools in WI and for each of us to learn from one another. The pro staff members at different institutions get together to host an RA conference for all of our student staffs in Residence Life departments in each school.

Maggie, Karla, Kari and Megan freezing on the balcony of the CCES Building at Concordia

Concordia University Wisconsin hosted this November on a chilly day in Mequon. Concordia is located right on Lake Michigan and it was fun to see another campus. They also have tunnels connecting their buildings so some students NEVER walk outside in the winter. The RA Conference is also a great way to meet RAs from other schools and hear about their experiences- and being jealous of those tunnels.

The theme of the conference was Fortify! As in fortifying our communities and maintaining a strong foundation as we serve college students. Schools were asked to present a roll call skit demonstrating the foundation of their institution. Ripon's roll call was a play on two of Ripon's trademark slogans: "We're writing the book on quality, personal, undergraduate education" and "More.Together." We put together 12 pages in a book that illustrate the types of things that make up the foundation of Ripon's quality undergraduate educational experience and how that makes Ripon a place that is more together. It was pretty great if you ask me! Those in attendance did great work making their book pages and we looked good on stage.

The conference includes a keynote speaker, programming sessions, networking opportunities, and a case study competition. The keynote speaker this year was a High School Teacher named Tom Roekle who gave a funny and inspiring talk about how RAs can and do make a difference in the lives of our residents. He used funny stories about his daughter and his experience as a teacher/coach to help us see the lessons in everyday situations. He has a killer arm and showed it off while throwing snickers into the crowd.

Joanis asks for a selfie! Of course!

The case study competition had a component for both returning RAs and first time RAs to participate with a partner from another school. Rachel Grutz and Marthe Folivi participated from Ripon and Marthe even took home 2nd place with her partner from Marian University!

back: Marthe Folivi, Megan Marema, Kari Brown, Rachel Grutza, David Polizzi
front: Maggie Breen-Lyles, Karla Perez, Julie Weiner, and Jill Kalis

All in all the day was a great day of learning, inspiration and fun. If you are interested in learning more or making sure you are in the van to go to the next conference talk to one of these peeps! Comment in the comments section below if you have things to add to this article too!

-Jessica