Resident Assistant Spotlight - Dakota Justice

SIU Residence Life has some great things going on, and we want to showcase some of our proud moments on our blog. We also hope people considering working in RA, graduate assistant, or full-time positions with our department will take a minute to learn more about the things we are doing. More information about our department, including position descriptions, application information, and graduate and full-time staff profiles can be found on our recruitment website.

RA Spotlight - Dakota Justice of Mae Smith

The sign I'm making is for my fraternity - it's a phoenix.

What’s your name? Dakota Justice

Where are you from? Westmont, IL

What’s your major? Anthropology

Where is the best place to study on campus? The Library is easily the best, quiet and peaceful. Also far away from all my video games

What is your favorite book? Septimus Heap series

What is your favorite food in the dining halls? Stir Fry to order is the BEST!!! XD

What is your favorite local restaurant? Primo's easily

Why did you become an RA? I wanted to be an RA because I love helping people and being there for them. Everyone needs to have someone they can talk to, and I am always happy to be that person.

What is your dream job? My dream job is traveling to distant and strange lands where history is buried right beneath your feet, so an Archaeologist is my dream. 

Best advice you would give to a new student on campus? Do not conform so much that you lose who you are, yeah there is a lot of pressure to fit in but one would rather fit in the right place than try and force his way in to the wrong place.

Are you an RA and would like to be featured? Talk to your Hall Director about submitting your profile information.

Resident Assistant Spotlight - Ashley Zissler

SIU Residence Life has some great things going on, and we want to showcase some of our proud moments on our blog. We are currently accepting applications for Resident Assistants for the spring 2015 semester. More details, along with the application, can be found on our website.

RA Spotlight - Ashley Zissler of Mae Smith

What’s your name? Ashley Zissler

Where are you from? Mae Smith Nation!

What’s your major? Zoology; Pre-Vet Focus

Where is the best place to study on campus? Anywhere with accessible snacks

What is your favorite book? Harry Potter and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

What is your favorite food in the dining halls? Cheeseburger mac and chicken nuggets

What is your favorite local restaurant? Pag's and Don Taco! i could live off pizza, tiramisu , and chicken nachos!

Why did you become an RA? Many reasons: to be a part of a community that makes a big difference in the lives of students, to gain valuable experience for my future, and to better myself by being exposed to a diversity of people. Always have more to give than you've got to prove.

What is your dream job? I wish to be a Zoo Veterinarian and to take part in bio-medical research which will aid in the conservation of a wide variety of species. I also wish to inspire others on the importance of cohabitation with all life on earth.

Best advice you would give to a new student on campus? GET EXPERIENCE NOW!! It is never too early to get some sort of leadership or job-related experience. It will make getting a job or going to grad school after graduation way easier for you in the long run :)​

Are you an RA and would like to be featured? Talk to your Hall Director about submitting your profile information.

Welcome to the Team - Sara Holtzman!

SIU Residence Life has some great things going on, and we want to showcase some of our proud moments on our blog. We also hope people considering working in RA, graduate assistant, or full-time positions with our department will take a minute to learn more about the things we are doing. More information about our department, including position descriptions, application information, and graduate and full-time staff profiles can be found on our recruitment website.

This post was written by Sara Holtzman. Sara is one of two Hall Directors in Mae Smith, and this will be her first year as a full-time staff member in Residence Life.

Wowza! Time has certainly flown by! I am thrilled to begin my journey as a full-time professional within Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Residence Life team! I completed my grad work here and simply decided that I adored SIU Carbondale Housing’s commitment to inclusion, professionalism, and education a bit too much to say goodbye.

I was a bit nervous to begin my career here, but knowing that I would have the opportunity to build amazing mentorships and friends helped me to stay. A colleague of mine introduced me to the phrase, “there is nothing wrong with blossoming where you have been planted.” I cannot begin to explain just how thrilled I am to blossom here in the Mae Smith Nation at SIU Carbondale!

My arrival was smooth and ridiculously fun as I was welcomed into the full-time group. Days of training and nights of cook outs, movies, and plenty of conversation have been phenomenal. I am on a personal mission to grow some awesome plants, mainly basil and cilantro, continue working on my fitness at the Crossfit gym I joined, and hopefully volunteering on one of the local farms! I am wildly grateful for my counterparts and continue to look ahead most to doing what we love - serving students and having a blast.

Meet the RAs! - Ron Addison

SIU Residence Life has some great things going on, and we want to showcase some of our proud moments on our blog. We 

also hope people considering working in RA, graduate assistant, or full-time positions with our department will take a minute to learn more about the things we are doing. More information about our department, including position descriptions, application information, and graduate and full-time staff profiles can be found on our recruitment website.

As we recruit new Resident Assistants for the 2014-2015 year, we wanted to introduce a few of the talented individuals currently on our team. This profile features Ron Addison, RA in Mae Smith Hall!

What’s your name? Ron Addison 

Where are you from? Saint Anne, IL


What’s your major? Aviation Technology


What is the best program or event you’ve been to on campus? Job Bound, HvZ (Humans vs. Zombies), Dawgs Nite Out


What was the last book you read for fun? The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

What is your favorite thing about being an RA? Being exposed to the various cultures and personalities. 

How else are you involved at SIU (in addition to being an RA)? Student Alumni Council, Rotor and Wing Association of America, Women in Aviation

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Ten years from today is a long time, but at the same time I know it'll go by quickly. The main goal that I have is to be with a company that I can still be within five or ten years. I hope to continue to grow, develop within the department, and move forward within my responsibilities, taking on more escalated issues and projects as time progresses. I am not concerned where the company is; I am more interested in being with the same company, just in a more advanced role.

What is your favorite quote? "Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”― Dr. Seuss 

What do you do to unwind when you’re feeling stressed? Jog, Read, Listen to music

Are you an RA and would like to be featured? Talk to your Hall Director about submitting your profile information.

Mae Smith Area Council

SIU Residence Life has some great things going on, and we want to showcase some of our proud moments on our blog. We also hope people considering working in RA, graduate assistant, or full-time positions with our department will take a minute to learn more about the things we are doing. More information about our department, including position descriptions, application information, and graduate and full-time staff profiles can be found on our recruitment website.


Dennis Hoyle, Hall Director of Mae Smith, coordinated today's blog post. Dennis is the adviser to the Mae Smith Area Council, the programming and representation group for Mae Smith Hall. Members of the executive board for the MSAC contributed their thoughts about being involved with this highly successful organization.

The Mae Smith Area Council is a passionate group of students who are devoted to quality programming in the residence hall. This year for the Mae Smith Area Council, in particular, has been filled with excitement, learning and stories of student success. Below are some of the thoughts of MSAC members about what has made this year special:

"I believe what makes us successful is that we are always doing an event for the building and we are always at the top of our game. The events I am proud of most are our movie nights and making tye-dye t-shirts." -Jamal

"I like getting to make and see all the smiles that people have when they come to one of our events!" - Haylee

 
 

Make a Hand-Turkey Night

"I think that from the very beginning we all became good friends, which helps us get along and communicate easily with one another so we can efficiently plan events." - Anna

Mae Smith residents are thankful for Area Council!

"The only word I can think of to describe our Area Council is FAMILY. We are extremely close and always welcome new members and new friends." -Becky

Bowling Night!

"We all get along pretty well and we learned how to organize and communicate in a positive and effective way. I really enjoyed putting on the Tie-Dye event. I had fun when we put on the game night event and made snow cones also!" - Anna

No problem getting waivers signed for football

"I can't say that I have ever had as much fun being on an executive board than I have since I joined Mae Smith Area Council. I really enjoy the sense of community in Mae Smith and there is such a feeling of fulfillment after a successful event. I believe we are so successful because of the time and energy commitment put in by our executive board and by our advisers, we never leave good enough alone and we constantly strive to bring bigger and better events to our residents." -Adam

 Want to be a part of an Area Council for the 2013-2014 school year? Contact your Hall Director for more information.

S'more Time with the Faculty/University Associates!

SIU Residence Life has some great things going on, and we want to showcase some of our proud moments on our blog. We also hope people considering working in RA, graduate assistant, or full-time positions with our department will take a minute to learn more about the things we are doing. More information about our department, including position descriptions, application information, and graduate and full-time staff profiles can be found on our recruitment website.

In University Housing, our mission is to "...provide a high-quality, affordable living/learning environment that contributes to personal development and academic success." One way we contribute to the living/learning environment is by inviting faculty and staff members from across campus to get involved in our residence halls through the Faculty/University Associate (F/UA) program. F/UAs are volunteer members of the SIU Carbondale community who commit to spending time in University Housing, interacting with our residents. Each F/UA is different and so is each community, so there are no set expectations. We like the F/UAs to be able to work with the Residence Life staff in their community to find the best fit for them.

Last night we held "S'more Time with the F/UAs" programs in Mae Smith, Schneider, and West Campus. F/UAs were invited to come out, make s'mores, and hang out with the residents. We had a great turnout at all three events and want to extend a huge THANK YOU to the faculty and staff who participated.

Residence Life staff and students chat with Mae Smith F/UAs from the School of Architecture and New Student Programs.











Residence Life staff and students at the Mae Smith S'mores event

Beautiful lakeside s'mores event for West Campus residents and their Faculty/University Associates

Students, faculty, and staff mingle outside Schneider Hall during their s'mores event.