The Pulse A publication from the Office of Residential Education N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 0
Theme House Happenings SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST:
Theme House Happenings
Get to Know...
Resident Assistant Spotlight
Online Housing… We’ve GOT IT!
Bullying In College
Hope House is committed to raising awareness not only about cancer itself, but how imperative it is that we all do our part, in and around the Geneva community. Hope is something you cannot touch or see, you cannot purchase a pack of it at the store or order it online and find it at your doorstep within 5 to 7 business days. You cannot pick it off a tree branch or dig it up from the ground, and you certainly cannot barter or trade for it. Hope just is. It is a feeling that thrives in all of us, and only those who are brave enough will push vulnerability aside and step forward to declare their wish. Hope is what links us, what strengthens us, what gives us reason to believe in a cure.
With a band of motivated women behind us, the inspiration to make a difference, and a dose of hope, we founded the Hope House in the fall of 2009 and created a movement on the HWS campus that we are so very proud of. We are incredibly lucky to be regarded as members of this cause and to work with such inspiraV O L U M E 1 I S S U E 1
Emily Rogowski ‘12 (Co-House Manager with Caroline Dosky ’12 who is abroad in Argentina)
HWS Domestic Violence Awareness House strives to raise awareness and educate students and members of the Geneva community about domestic violence. As visionaries, we have always been advocates for the men and women who have been victims of domestic violence. In high school we were either leaders or participants in various events that were held to promote awareness about domestic violence. In our efforts to raise awareness we have coordinated several events, such as the Midnight BBQ, the White Ribbon Campaign fundraiser, and Build-A-Safe-Bear for a child victim of domestic violence. From events such as those mentioned earlier we hope to engage the HWS Campus, Geneva Community, as well as neighboring communities to join our efforts in the fight against domestic violence.
“QUOTE””
Shane Samuel ‘13 House Manager
CORNER
It is from these grounds that we created the Hope House of Hobart and William Smith Colleges beginning in the academic year of 2009-2010. With the idea of hope in mind, we have shaped an agenda to do our part to educate students, staff, and faculty on the importance of fighting back. We have organized fundraising events such as, the first annual Penguin Plunge where students and faculty paid $5 to jump in Seneca Lake for Embrace Your Sisters, a local breast cancer organization for which we raised $2,300! We have created crafts and activities for the holiday parties at Gilda’s Club which is a children’s cancer center unit out of Rochester, NY and we have participated in Making Strides which is a walk for breast cancer in Waterloo, NY at the very beginning of October as well as the Colleges’ annual Relay for Life in the spring. On campus we have headed up fundraisers such as Kiss Away Cancer where we sold bunches of Hershey’s Kisses for Valentine’s Day which raised $220 in honor of Lisa Fleming, a Sodexo staff member who passed away from breast cancer last winter. The Hope House has also assumed the responsibility of Daffodil Days where students, parents, and faculty can send bunches of daffodils to each other as part of a Relay for Life fundraiser through the American Cancer Society.
tional people who feel just as passionate as we do. Cancer is bigger than all of us, but with our work in and around the Geneva community, we are willing to minimize its hold over us and create opportunities for others to see the importance of fighting back and creating ‘Hope’ for the future.
Kyli Archibald ‘11 Community Coordinator Rees Hall & Potter Hall
"The best part of being a Community Coordinator is having the opportunity to work closely with the incoming First-Year students and share my experiences at HWS with them. I like to think that they can learn things from me and that I'm an important part of them becoming an active member (and future leader) within our campus community."
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Get to Know...Stacey Pierce “Ultimately, it's up to each of us to choose how we will live our lives, hold ourselves to high standards, and continually evaluate what's inside the image we see in the mirror.” Eric Harvey
Each issue of “The Pulse” will get you up close and personal with a member of the Res Ed Pro Staff. They will answer 13 questions (hey, it’s our newsletter) to help the HWS community learn more about us. First up, we invite you to learn more about Stacey Pierce, the new Director of Residential Education, in this edition of “Did You Know”?
Where were you last semester or this past summer? Last semester/this past summer, I was working as the Assistant Director of Housing and Residence Life at Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY. I had just completed my 6th year on staff with MCC. I was also in classing working on my doctorate. I am scheduled to complete the program December 2012. What attracted you to HWS? The people, the campus and the opportunity to take the Residential Education program at HWS to the next level. I’m also a Pisces and like to shop so the close proximity to the beauty of the lake and outlets didn’t hurt either. What position do you hold and/or what area do you oversee? I’m the Director of Residential Education so I oversee the entirety of the department. I am very fortunate to have a talented staff to help me with all the work that has to be done. They are also a pretty funny and entertaining bunch…laughter goes a long way on stressful days! What excites you about this upcoming year? I’m excited about all of the opportunities for improvement that are being made in the department. I’m also excited to experience my first full year on campus as a member of the HWS community. I’ve attended and/or worked at six different colleges and universities and you never forget your first year on a new campus.
The Office of Residential Education is located at 101 St. Clair Street, next to Hubbs Health Center.
Best part of Training and/or Opening? The energy and excitement of welcoming the HWS first year students to campus. That just doesn’t get old no matter how many times you experience it. Best Sodexo dish so far? their soups!
Any of
Name something you wish you could do that is not related to Res Ed at HWS. I would love to be involved with club Field Hockey. I played in high school and was an All South Jersey All Star goalie and also played sweeper and midfield. I miss the game. I brought my stick to campus just in case I find time to take a few drives on goal. Favorite quote: I love quotes in general and have many that I enjoy. OK, that wasn’t the question was it? “To solve big problems you have to be willing to do unpopular things.” ~Lee Iacocca What is the last book you read or the last movie you saw? Organizational Culture and Leadership by Edgar H. Schein…did I mention I was working on my doctorate? I did steal away and see “Takers” at the local movie theater. I should have stayed in and read a journal article or something. If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be? Stacey Pierce: Life’s Lessons and Laughter Top played song on your iPod or Pandora? Michael Jackson’s P.Y.T. Name something weird you used to do as a kid? Sleep underneath my bed. I have no idea why.
Weirdest/funniest question you were asked during your interview process? On the interview dinner, I was asked to play in a softball game that night. I’m a pretty good and play on 2-3 teams each year. I was game especially since I had my cleats, bats, and glove in the trunk. We continued with the interview but secretly I think we all were wondering if it would be OK if we bailed and went to play ball.
“Soon to be Doctor” Stacey N. Pierce, of Residential Education
*Have a question for “Get to Know”? us at resed@hws.edu
Director
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Resident Assistant
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Name: Lauren Morosky Hometown: Fairview, PA
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What are your career aspirations? I hope to become an elementary school teacher and coach a swim team.
Residence Hall: Caird Class Year: 2012 Major/Minor: Psychology/Education RA Experience: 1st year! What are you involved with on campus? I am the RA of a super sweet floor - Caird 4. I work in Admissions as a Tour Guide (Yes, thank you all for the birthday wishes). I am a sprinter on the WS Swimming & Diving team (Go Herons!). I'm part of Campus Activities Board, and I am in the Teacher Education program for Elementary/ Special Ed. I have also been known to Saga-sit with the best of them.
What does being an RA mean to you? To me, being an RA means creating an environment on your floor that promotes respect and community. It means building friendships and being a resource for your floor. It means having your door open and being there when someone needs a hand. What words of wisdom would you like to share With great with fellow students? power comes great responsibility.
Online Housing...We’ve Over the past few years, Residential Education has introduced online housing applications to help streamline housing selection and reduce paper usage. Having the room selection process online allowed students to see and select rooms at the touch of a button. Residential Education is now adding additional features to the housing.hws.edu website. For this website, students can view their current housing assignment, including square footage and room dimensions, as well as view roommate information—extremely helpful especially over the summer when making plans to return to campus. Also, new features such as waiting lists and registration for breaks have already been used on the site. Additional paper reduction will occur as Residential Education switches to online housing agreements and digital signatures. As we continue to increase the usage of the site, we are starting a naming contest, with the prize of $100 snack money added to your dining services plan.
Did
the deal: Brainstorm a name for our https:// housing.hws.edu website. Some other schools use names like “WebStudent” or “Housing Portal.” We felt we could be more creative than that! E-mail resed@hws.edu (subject line: website name contest) with your idea. Submit your creative name by November 19, 2010. Students will be able to log on to https://housing.hws.edu to vote for the name of their choice beginning Wednesday, December 1, 2010 at 9am. Voting will close Wednesday, December 1 at 5pm. The winning name will be announced via e-mail. The name for the online system will go active on December 2, 2010! With a creative and identifying name, we hope the online housing system will become a regular and helpful tool for students.
You Know Office of Residential
Did you know that the Office of Residential Education and the Centennial Leadership Center sponsor the Leader of the Month Award? Are you or someone you know an outstanding leader on campus? The Leader of the Month Award is a great opportunity for students with outstanding leadership skills to be recognized for their hard work and effort. The award recipient receives a gift certificate for themselves and a faculty or staff member of their choice as well as an award that is presented at the Hobart Student Government Meeting or William Smith Congress Meeting. Nominate the next Student Leader of the Month on the Res Ed website.
Fall 2010 Leader Syed Zaidi ‘12, September
Here’s
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Resident Assistant Name: Kyle Whitaker Hometown: Fort Wayne, Indiana Residence Hall: Odell's 24 Class Year: 2011 Majors: Psychology & Mathematics Minor: Education RA Experience: 3rd year What are you involved with on campus? Varsity Ice Hockey, Psychology Teaching Fellow
What are your career aspirations? High school math teacher and ice hockey coach What does being an RA mean to you? I love my job because I get to work with the most diverse group of students on the HWS campus while ensuring an enjoyable living experience for my residents. What words of wisdom would you like to share Your reputation with fellow students? precedes you -- let it be representative of who you are and how you want to be remembered.
Bullying in College Celebrate and Support Difference In light of the recent attention being given to the anti-gay bullying movement following a number of recent gay youth suicides, it seems a good time to ask ourselves how we can best celebrate and support the differences that surround us on campus. As a student leader and student organization on campus, how can you combat hateful acts and harassment within your own campus community? We all come from a variety of backgrounds. However, these differences may play a larger role in some people’s lives than others. College Bullying Does Exist It may surprise some, but bullying doesn’t disappear after middle school or high school. Bullies are found in workplaces, sports teams, volunteer groups and colleges. College bullying can be demonstrated through things such as: • Hazing • Sexual Harassment • Racial Harassment • Cyber Bullying • Any unwelcome, humiliating, demeaning act which is based on an individual’s specific identity, status or orientation
What Can You Do? There are specific things that anyone that is being bullied, or witnesses bullying, can do:
• Report harassment to college officials such as: area coordinators, group advisors, faculty, staff, counselors, coaches, campus safety officers, deans, etc. • If being bullied, keep a record of each incident. Save emails, voicemail messages, website contacts and take photos of vandalism, etc. • Seek help! Whether being bullied, or helping a peer who is being harassed, always remember that there is help on campus. • Remember that retaliation is not the answer. As hard as it may be, do not seek revenge as it may make matters worse longterm, even if it feels better in the shortterm. • If there is a fear of physical injury or worse, avoid being alone, find friends to serve as a “buddy” while walking on campus or use the campus safe ride system if available. • If the bullying activity is based on gender, race, sexual identity, disability, physical ability or religion, it may be considered a hate crime in the U.S. and may require legal advice. • Bystanders can report bullying just as much as victims of bullying. Friends can lend an ear and provide a gentle reminder to victims that it is not their fault. However, contacting a school official is strongly encouraged.
What Can Your Student Organization Do? Simply celebrating differences can serve as a deterrent to harassment. Identify ways to place diversity and social justice topics in the everyday flow of your organizational life. For instance: • Have a “diversity moment” on each meeting agenda where you share a new fact about a specific population or issue. • Highlight an important diversity fact in your group emails or on your meeting agendas. • Sponsor a bulletin board in Scandling Center where anyone can post quotes, articles and more related to diversity topics. • Send out bi-weekly emails that feature news items, ideas for cultural theme month programs, spotlights on prominent people and more. • Make diversity a natural topic during every one-on-one meeting you have with officers. • Give monthly awards for the best diversity/social justice programs or ideas presented. Chances are your group has some initiatives already in place. By keeping these issues at the forefront, we can all continue challenging ourselves and others to become honest, humble, and humane. Information from Paperclip Communications
