RA Appreciation Week! - West Campus

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.

April 20-26 is Resident Assistant Appreciation Week! In Residence Life we know our RAs work very hard to provide a great experience for our on-campus residents. THANK YOU for all you do, RAs! This post features the amazing staff in West Campus.

(Felts, Kellogg, & Warren) Staff,
I cannot tell you proud I am to work alongside you this year as you helped students from near and far create a new home. As I look back on this year and reflect I see so many small opportunities that you took to tell a student that you cared them and that you were there for them. Thank you. I was utterly shocked in a good way with the maturity, level of awareness, and understanding you displayed in conversations with, and about our students. When life got crazy with projects, events, and life (as you are full-time college students) I could still trust you to follow through and keep the important things in mind. When the makeup of our team changed you rolled with the punches and trained new staff without missing a beat. You all are the hardest working undergraduates I know of, and it is hard to put into words the difference you have made in the halls and the department as a whole. Thank you so much for all that you do! - Brandon

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Abbott, Brown, Smith, and Steagall. 4 different buildings, each with their own personalities, niches, and quirks. Each of them has different Living Learning Communities (LLCs) that creates a solid community amongst their floors. Together, they come to form our wonderful staff; the 12 RAs that live in each of those buildings take on the same qualities of their respective buildings but are also unique: they represent West Campus.

It has been a pleasure watching our staff grow over the year. They have built relationships amongst the co-RAs in their building, their duty partners, and other RAs from across West Campus. Visually, it is everywhere in our area: in the dining hall as they sit with each other, keeping a fellow RA company while the other is on duty, and during our always-lively staff meetings. They are more than an RA staff: they are a family.

Our staff has had some very difficult things that they have had to deal with. It could have been very easy for many of our staff members to stop giving 100% to their work because of these difficult times. However, in good times and in bad, our staff members always have come back to one question: how can we help? Because of this level of dedication, our staff has continued to triumph over each of these moments. We could not be more proud of them.

Jon and I are so thankful for each of you! You all have done fantastic work that makes both of us very proud. Best of luck to all of you in your future endeavor!

Much Love, Travis & Jon

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The Bailey, Baldwin, Bowyer and Pierce staff has worked hard dealing with student issues, but also creating meaningful events to get their residents out of their rooms and socializing. They have put on different events from a risky business educational series to touring campus to show students their classes. Recently some Bailey Gentlemen were working on some cardboard boats to race this Saturday, and preparing teams for the Olympics by holding try outs. Baldwin has held some discussions, and had some great floor decorating events. The residents really take pride in making the floor their own. Bowyer has enjoyed karaoke and dinner discussions on life. Pierce has been active with game nights and movie nights, and just socializing on the floors. Every building worked hard to get their residents involved within the SIU community, and it shows when the groups are together in the dining center or out at campus events.

The group knows how to work hard in and out of the classroom especially in their positions. This close-knit group can always be found in the dining center eating together, going to the rec center together, or taking their residents to events on campus. I could not be more proud of the hard working, loyal group of staff. This is your week to celebrate all you have accomplished, so thank you for all your hard work.

Jess & Tristen

RA Appreciation Week! - University Hall

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.

April 20-26 is Resident Assistant Appreciation Week! In Residence Life we know our RAs work very hard to provide a great experience for our on-campus residents. THANK YOU for all you do, RAs! This post features the amazing staff in University Hall.

The Spring 2014 University Hall Resident Assistant staff is a strong and capable group! This mix of new and veteran staff members have worked together seamlessly this semester to make sure the residents of University Hall have a positive experience. The staff consists of:

First Floor
Miranda Hayes & Veronica Nkunde

Second Floor
Rachel Homewood & Jamaal Moore

Third Floor
Natalie Cartolano & Chris Weiss

Fourth Floor
Mariah Patz & Lucas Sears

Fall 2013 RA staff also included Mike Hulyk and Kalekey Love El.

From left: Lucas Sears, Veronica Nkunde, Mariah Patz, Hall Director Drew Donahoo, Natalie Cartolano, University Hall Staff Mascot Li’l Hauler, Miranda Hayes, Chris Weiss, Rachel Homewood, Jamaal Moore

This staff has accomplished many great things this year, most noteworthy of which is an active, engaged community. With a residential population predominately ages 21 and up and with most residents having single rooms, this can be a tough goal to reach. However, this staff has excelled at getting residents out of their rooms and interacting with each other.

Some of the most successful events the University Hall RAs have planned this year include Tai Chi and Hot Tea, Safe Zone Training, Personal Safety Halloween Trick or Treat Sacks, Family Dinner (cooked by the RAs), a Super Bowl party, “A Day in Africa,” Spring Break BINGO, Rainbow Waffles, Frozen Festival featuring Sno-Cones, and more board game nights than you could imagine! Each of these events, as well as the numerous others we've had this year, have been popular with residents and helped to contribute to the active community we've had this year.

Between hosting Chancellor’s Scholar candidates, interviewing potential new RAs, providing extra assistance during busy weekends, their weekly RA responsibilities, and many other duties as assigned, this staff has really proven themselves over the past year.

I am very thankful to have worked with this staff and am in debt to them for all they have taught me this year. It has been a great year and it certainly would not have been without this group. The efforts they have put into getting to know their residents, providing quality programming, and effectively responding to issues as they arise are impressive and appreciated.

Thanks so much for a great year, University Hall RAs! 

RA Appreciation Week! - Wall & Grand

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.

April 20-26 is Resident Assistant Appreciation Week! In Residence Life we know our RAs work very hard to provide a great experience for our on-campus residents. THANK YOU for all you do, RAs! This post features the amazing staff in Wall & Grand.

WAGsWAG Family…what is it you may ask? Well, let me give you the description.

WAGsWAG family [wag] [swag] [fam-uh-lee, fam-lee]

Noun: An SIU student who is a resident assistant at Wall & Grand apartments. This finely picked group of individuals wears many different hats. These individuals are conflict managers, educators, enforcers of rules and regulations, concierges and additionally student leaders. Their job is not easy and truly is never done. They are able to take on situations head on and deal with them in a patient and helpful manner. A WAGsWAG family member needs to be academically strong, customer service-oriented, quirky, have a creative personality and be a strong student leader.

There is no way I could ever describe my WAGsWAG staff in one description. Each one of them has a different personality and contributes their own to what it means to be part of the WAGsWAG family.

Thank you WAGsWAG family:

For the endless amount of hours you pour into your work 

For the creative programs and bulletin boards you have created 

For the positive attitude 

For always going above and beyond 

For always being there to help your fellow staff and residents 

For being professional 

For being positive role models 

For being responsible and respectable individuals 

For being a nifty and quirky bunch

For always providing a good laugh

Now you may ask who these wonderful individuals are:

Top row from left to right: Tyler Mode, Christian Kleckner, Joseph Essig, Apryl Wright, Jacob Rose
Bottom row from left to right: Earnest Johnson, Jessica Carron, Heather King, Chandrea Willard, Brittany Lemke

RA Appreciation Week! - Neely Hall

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.

April 20-26 is Resident Assistant Appreciation Week! In Residence Life we know our RAs work very hard to provide a great experience for our on-campus residents. THANK YOU for all you do, RAs! This post features the fantastic staff in Neely Hall.

     I would like to thank the Neely Hall RAs for another great year. We started by having one of the busiest move-in days Neely Hall has ever seen. You worked extra shifts, hauled student belongings, and assisted parents. After many many hours on your feet, you escorted students to the various Saluki Startup events.

     You helped residents become acclimated to campus. Showed them how to do laundry, how to put money on their student IDs, how Grinnell works, and how to loft their beds. You helped connect their laptops and tablets to the internet. You helped them understand how to swipe-in at the front desk and how to check out the kitchen key.

     You helped them have tough conversations with significant others still in high school. You helped them connect with their parents after they lost their cell phone. You held wildly successful game nights, and movie nights, and make-your-own-sundae nights. You met with roommates for hours and hours, attempting to smooth over disagreements.

     You showed residents the Rec, took them to all the Dawg’s Nights Out, baked cookies, decorated cupcakes, tie-dyed t-shirts, made door decorations, nurtured student leaders, helped them study, brought them to lectures, connected them with faculty, and gave tours to parents and prospective students. You held a fantastic trick or treat event throughout the hall. You had floor dinners and planned events with residents. I think everyone in Neely now knows how to make a s’more and has eaten at least two.

     You’ve provided students with your patience, with tissues and cleaning supplies, with your undivided attention, with change for the pop machine, with your wisdom, with free condoms, with your caring and supportive words, with pens and paper, and with smiles and lifelong memories.

     I cannot thank you enough for the personal attention you provide to the residents, the late hours, the piles of paperwork, the last minute changes, reading all my emails, the interrupted sleep, the caring and concern you display, and the corny jokes and bad puns. It has been a fantastic year and words cannot adequately express the amount of gratitude I have for you and how you have stepped up to tackle all this year has presented.

Thank you Neely RAs for all you do! - Ryan