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Of The Month (OTM) Award Winners
Recognizing Excellence on Campus.
Each month the Office of Residence Life recognizes
excellence in our residential community and winning
nominations are sent forward to regional and national
awards. Nominations are available in a number of
categories and anyone can nominate. To learn more,
click here.
This page lists current and past award recipients.
To read the description of the recipient, click on their
name.
Special congratulations to our most recent regional
OTM winners. These individuals were recognized
across seven states for their excellence.
Fall
2006 Winners
Spring 2007 Winners
Fall 2007 - 2008 Winners (see below):
August
September
October
November
AUGUST
Spotlight of the Month: Alumni Square and
Townhouse Staff (AST)
Transitions are never
easy and there sure are a lot of them this semester.
Between having RAs in the apartments and townhouses for
the first time, as well as changes to the alcohol and
party policies, there has been a lot of adjustment
happening for upper-class students in the apartments and
townhouses. Some community members are not pleased about
some of these transitions, some very vocally so, however
the Alumni Square & Townhouses staff have persisted and
kept their heads held high. The AST RAs continue to
fulfill their duties to the best of their abilities.
There have been countless conversations about the
reasons for policies. The staff team persisted through a
total of 18 opening meetings to share what it means to
live in AST. Six RAs managed to greet approximately 650
residents sprawled out over an area of 3 city blocks.
There were many late nights the first few days of duty
and some encountered negative and hostile situations but
these tireless efforts are paying off as there is more
and more proof of successful community development in
AST every single day. Don’t forget that Alumni Square
was a literal construction zone right up until opening
as well! It’s not easy preparing a building to open when
there are barbed wire fences and construction equipment
at every corner. None of this was easy but the great
team of Emily Lange, Naoko Miyamoto, Ben Zeidler, Katie
Chapman, Pedro Soto, and Alex Johnston have not only
survived but have thrived. Due to their efforts, AST is
being set up for a great year!
Community of the Month: East Campus (EC)
East Campus residents and
staff have created a welcoming environment for new
residents. During move-in days, there were often 5 or
more staff members passing out lemonade, cold water and
cookies to residents and their families as they braved
the heat to get moved in to our home. Lounges were
decorated painstakingly to create a warmer environment
on the floors and main lobby. As soon as students moved
in, they also took the initiative to welcome their
fellow floormates by cooking rice crispy treats,
bringing home leftover food from meetings/work, grilling
out for each other, etc. Game nights and movie nights
have been organized. Residents have inquired about a
variety of great programs they would like to put on for
their fellow residents. Our first two area-wide programs
have been well-attended (over 300 at our first
barbecue). Residents have worked side-by-side with staff
to make pounds of homemade hummus and to gather movies
for our late-night movie nights on the roof of LXR. An
immediate partnership has begun that has incredible
potential over this upcoming year.
RA of the Month: David Parkinson (VCW)
There are 8 new RAs in
this building, and David has spent countless nights
going on rounds with them, helping them to confront
incidents and keeping them company during rounds. He is
always around to answer questions about university
policy to the new RAs. He has a busy work schedule
outside of being an RA and a heavy course load, but he's
always upbeat and makes every event he attends more fun
for his residents. We went to the Nationals game
together with our residents, and afterward my residents
thanked him for making it a good time. David has been a
wealth of information regarding the things to do in
Washington DC, especially for his vegan and vegetarian
residents. His residents have written "Best RA Ever" on
his white board.
Student of the Month: Andrew Butler (VCW)
When a friend was highly
intoxicated, Andrew did the right thing and called for
emergency medical response. Andrew was not worried about
the friend's constant protests. Instead, Andrew was
looking out for his friend's best interest. Andrew made
a safe and responsible decision, and in doing so he
helped make our community a loving and safe environment.
Advisor of the Month: Jessica Belue Buckley
(McCarthy)
Few things are more
difficult than for a person to come into a position of
leadership in an unknown place where the stakes are
high. In the case of Jessica Belue Buckley, she has
proven her tremendous capabilities in only her first
month at Georgetown University as the McCarthy Hall
Director. She has shown tremendous leadership over the
seven McCarthy Resident Assistants and played an
important role in Resident Assistant training. Jess has
kept all of the Resident Assistants on target regarding
the myriad of tasks given to us. She continually
encourages us to push ourselves to be legendary RAs. She
was part of all the initial floor meetings and has taken
the time to meet residents individually by walking the
floors. Jess has an open door when she is in her office
and has encouraged residents to come and have a banana
moon pie, a product of her Alabaman roots. In addition,
she has taken RAs to Costco this past month so that they
could purchase important supplies for
community-building: cookie dough and candy! Even in the
face of adversity (a 2:30 am fire alarm going off on a
rainy Sunday morning), Jess had a smile on her face and
was focused to make sure that students were safe. The
rain did not dampen her spirits and consequently, her
smile and kindness lifted the hearts of all the weary,
sleepy students around her, especially the McCarthy Hall
staff. Jess has a kind demeanor and is easy-going, but
at the same time she is precise in her actions and
words. Her leadership capabilities are stupendous and
she is a solid rock as a Hall Director. Most
importantly, Jess’s kindness has created a remarkable
bond and camaraderie among the McCarthy Hall Resident
Assistants. Jess is a competent and courageous advisor
and for all the reasons stated, is an exceptionally
worthy candidate for Advisor of the Month.
CIR/FIR of the Month: Angela Senander (NS)
Angela has been a great
presence in the building as a community builder and
spiritual consultant. Most recently, she held a program
titled "What are your expectations of a Jesuit
University." This program details a brief history of the
Jesuits, and why the Jesuits found education important.
This introduction led to some great questions from
students from all sorts of educational backgrounds. This
is a great way for New South CIRs to start their Spirit
of Georgetown programming campaign!
Social Program of the Month: Welcome Back S'mores
(VCW)
The
program was developed because of the obvious need for a
program the first night freshmen arrived on campus. New
Student Orientation (NSO) did not kick off until the
next day. Based on past experiences, the RA's knew that
if you program early, residents are used to spending
time with the other RA's and residents in the building.
Since there is a large outdoor patio in front of our
building, Village C West, we decided to use the space
for our first program. NSO had music playing, and the
check in tables were on one side, so it was a high
traffic, highly visible place to be. 2) The primary goal
of the program was to give residents a way to get to
know each other after moving in. By being outside in an
open patio, you eliminated any doors or barriers that
stood in the way of getting to know each other. A
secondary goal was that it provided an alternative
program to the typical alcohol culture. Residents knew
VCW was their home, and not just a "party place." 3) The
program began at 11:00pm on the VCW patio. We had two
grills going, and a table with all the makings for
s'mores. NSO had music playing. We advertised the
program only the day of with posters that had in big
words "S'Mores" and word of mouth. Residents began
trailing out. At one time there were about 250 people on
the patio. The total tally for the night was at least
300, if not more residents. Not only did residents
socialize, but they were exposed to some Georgetown
tradtions. Eric Cussimano, an Orientation Advisor, and
RA Pasha Chandra lead the students in the fight song.
They practiced it as a large group a few times before a
run through the Fight song. 4)The program was to end at
1:00am. We luckily had some Icee sticks when the weather
got hot. After the RA's cleaned up and retired, a good
175 people were still standing around outside, talking
and socializing without the need for the RA's or OA's to
break the ice. The program was very cost effective too.
Late Night Programming Board picked up the tab for us.
5) Residents from all the floors got to meet each other.
Instead of just going to sleep that night alone in their
rooms, they got to go out and socialize. Residents are
overall receptive to RA's because of the early
introductions. It also gave for more solidarity with NSO
(New Student Orientation). Residents saw how both
offices played a dual role towards creating one positive
freshmen experience.
SEPTEMBER
RA of the Month: JC Calcerano
(NS)
It’s tough to figure out where to
start this nomination. Since the beginning of training,
JC has brought a much embraced dynamic to New South. JC
has the ability to joke around and keep the staff
light-hearted, while still being able to help ground and
keep us all focused. As a supervisor, I can not say how
impressed I have been with his attention to detail,
handing in paperwork on time, and offering me strong
feedback to help make our staff stronger. He has
constantly taken initiative in our group and has been a
great resource from everything to leadership, artistic
ability, and a few well placed jokes. JC embraces the
top ten in his role as an RA; he has started a Resident
of the Week program celebrating both individual and
community accomplishments. On our weekly reports, he
always has a fun fact to share about what new he learned
about a resident. He even got over 30 people involved in
helping create his Mario Kart Tournament (featuring a
crown and scepter for the champion to be passed down
after each tournament.) One of my favorite tasks he has
accomplished was solving a growing issue in laundry
rooms nation wide. JC posted laundry room rules and a
white board for NS2 students. Students write down their
name and what machines they are using. Students then can
try to find a person and ask them to remove their
clothes when the machine cycle is over. Furthermore, JC
bought 2 laundry bins so, in the event they can not find
the student, one may place clothes in the bin instead of
throwing them around. Best of all, his example on the
rules uses Greek Mythology Names, nice touch JC. JCs
presence and above and beyond work has truly reflected
among his floor and in the building. Thanks for all your
work!
Student of the Month: Jonathan
Jacobs (VCE)
Jonathan Jacobs is a freshman
resident of Village C East. Over the past four weeks,
Jonathan has taken the initiative to establish a loving,
caring, and healthy community on his floor. Every Friday
and Saturday night, Jonathan bakes cookies and brownies
for his floormates as midnight snacks when they come
back from parties, a night out with friends or just
hanging around. In addition, Jonathan owns an enormous
collection of movies on DVD. Rather than keeping the
movies to himself, or watching them only in his room,
Jonathan created a Movie Viewing Schedule for the entire
semester and posted it on the common room door.
Residents may simply look at the schedule to see when
their favorite movie or a movie they haven't seen is
playing in the common lounge. Each week has a movie
theme such as Woody Allen Week or Audrey Hepburn Week.
In addition, Jonathan compiled a Viewers Choice time
slot for each week where residents can choose their
movie for the night from his collection or their own.
For special viewings, such as Midnight Movie Madness on
Saturdays, Jonathan displays a synopsis of the upcoming
movie on the common room door, in case residents are
curious. His movie nights have attracted up to 15
residents at a time, including residents from other
halls such as McCarthy, New South, Village C West, and
Harbin. Early in September, Jonathan was enthusiastic
about redecorating the common lounge and decided to
organize a trip with residents to Target. With their
assistance, he purchased flower paintings with frames, a
glass jar filled halfway with shiny beads and an
electronic candlelight, flowers in a vase full of
marbles and a door mat that reads, Welcome in twenty
different languages. Jon did not only beautify the
common lounge, but also diversified it. As Neighborhood
Council Treasurer and Interhall representative, Jonathan
is a dedicated resident of Village C East and cares
about the well-being of his floor. The tasks that
Jonathan has accomplished are the little things that
simply bring a group of strangers together through
common interests. These little things make living in a
residence hall worth the while.
CIR of the Month: Brenda and
Theresa (Harbin)
As a former Harbin resident, I was
already made aware of Therea's love and support while
living in the building my first year. I was excited to
be working with her on a professional level since we
were both going to be working in the same building, and
I was looking forward to meeting the new chaplain as
well. When I received word of her name, Brenda Bertrand,
I googled her, and to my surprise, I was able to read
quite a bit about her life prior to committing to
Georgetown for a year. Both of these women are amazing
leaders and have been wonderful additions to the Harbin
staff thus far. They have worked to assist in staff
development, they attend all of our programs, and they
are a great support system. Each has reached out to me
personally during this difficult year, and I don't know
what I would do without their wisdom, support, and love.
Because of their hard work, energy, and dedication to
the job, I nominate both Brenda and Theresa for this
award. They are wonderful role models, and I am blessed
to be working so closely with them this year.
Spotlight of the Month : East
Campus Community Council (EC)
In order to build community during
the month of September, East Campus was lucky enough to
be awarded "Community of the Month." To celebrate this
accomplishment, the East Campus Community Council kicked
into high gear to throw a wonderful party on the LXR
rooftop on September 22. After literally one community
council meeting, the members advertised, bought
supplies, ordered cake, reserved the sound system, and
decorated within 6 days to pull off this event. The
wonderful sense of community in East Campus really
shined during this event. Over 200 residents attended
the rooftop event to eat cake, drink "bubbly" (sparkling
cider), and listen to Georgetown's own a cappella groups
(also acquired by community council). The sun was
setting, a cappella music rang out under the moonlight,
and the setting was just perfect. Without an event like
the Party on the Rooftop, it is possible that residents
of East Campus might not have known that they were the
community of the month. Because of this phenomenal
event, residents bonded, creating a unique sense of
community rarely seen in an upperclass residence hall.
The East Campus Community Council has fostered a sense
of openness, friendship, responsibility, and has
represented their community with a wonderful sense of
enthusiasm through this event.
Diversity Program of the
Month:Fast-A-Thon programming (McCarthy)
The RAs
in McCarthy developed the idea to encourage residents to
participate in Fast-a-thon since one of the RAs was
fasting for Ramandan. As the idea developed, both RAs in
McCarthy and the Southwest Quad Community Council worked
together to develop the idea of a Midnight Suhoor
(breakfast) the evening before Fast-a-thon. The goals
were to gather the community around a faith holiday, to
encourage Quad-wide participation, and to encourage
residents to think and talk about the purpose of fasting
during Ramandan. RA Erica Haviland and Anthony Edwards,
a council member, spearheaded the planning, and many
throughout the quad helped to carry out the actual
event. The Muslim Student Association was also invited.
At 11:00 PM, Res Life staff, FIRs, and CIRs gathtered to
begin cooking pancakes and cutting fruit. At midnight,
residents gathered, Arabic music began, and everyone
shared food on the night before participating in
Fastathon. Residents ate, hang out, and many discussed
Ramandan. The program was quiet successful as it
gathered a number of students from across the quad both
for social time and for spiritual development. Many
learned about Ramandan and also met residents from other
areas. The connections residents made that evening --
both with other residents and with faculty & staff in
the quad -- will continue through the remainder of the
year. As will the interfaith development of many of the
non-Muslim residents who participated.
Educational Program of the
Month: Sex Jeopardy (VCW)
1 & 2)
The program was developed as a follow up to a Building
wide program called "Hooking Up." Hooking Up sought to
opena dialogue about the dating culture on Georgetown's
Campus. Sex Jeopardy sought to go one step furtur and
open a dialogue about sex at Georgetown. It gave the
name of resources on campus, and litte known facts
related to the topic. 3) Health Education Services put
together two rounds of Jeopardy on PowerPoint with
questions about sex life on Georgetown's campus. The
topics ranged from "That's What She Said" to highlight
the vernacular used to describe human anatomy to "I hope
its not..." to talk about STD's. Slides also highlighted
the services Georgetown offers to students to promote
healthy sexual habits. A professor served as the game
show host. 10 teams of 2 competed until final Jeopardy.
The audiance also had a chance to participate. 4) The
program was a great partnership with a University Office
(Health Education Services), Faculty member and the
RA's. The attendence number was great for program that
is educational in nature in light of the many actitivies
happening the same evening. 5) The lasting effects are
yet to be seen. But, there were many residents who came
to a program for the first time this year.
Community Service Program of the
Month: Run LXFar, Chris Daniels and Louise Bernard (EC)
This
program was developed at the request of FIR Louise
Bernard in East Campus. RA Chris Daniels, who is an avid
runner, decided to take her idea to heart and
participate in this 5K run for cancer. 2. The goals of
the program included building community on LXR 2, to
have fun, to get some exercise, and to help research for
cancer! 3. Residents got up on Saturday morning and ran
a 5K along the canal in Georgetown along with Louise and
Chris. They received a free t-shirt and free breakfast
at the Four Seasons hotel. 4. All residents who
participated had a wonderful time. The particular
feedback was that it was nice to see Chris in a
not-so-RA role - he is just a normal guy who likes to
run as well. They also really enjoyed the community
service aspect of the 5K because they were running for a
cause. Why else would 10 college students get up at 7:30
on a Saturday? 5. All residents who participated in this
program have made a lasting bond with FIR Louise, who
they may not have sought out otherwise. Also residents
have the lasting effect of having bettered the community
by contributing to cancer research by running.
Social Program of the Month: Copley Office Olympics
(Copley)
1) How
the program was developed. During a staff meeting, we
discovered that our chaplain Rob, our RA Rebecca, and HD
Mary Ellen were all major fans of the TV show the
Office. RA Rebecca had left this staff meeting and
within the first week or two of school began to find out
that a lot of our Copley residents also were big fans of
the show. CIR Rob thought that the show would be a good
weekly event to watch with residents and Rebecca agreed
to work with him. Rebecca and Mary Ellen started to talk
about having a kickoff party the week before the season
premiere on Sept. 27th that would give residents the
chance to watch their favorite episodes from the 3
seasons and the final episode of season 3 to close the
event. In discussing which of our favorite episodes we
could show, Rebecca recalled the episode titled The
Office Olympics’ in which the characters in the show
compete in their own version of the Olympics. This is
when Rebecca suggested in addition to showing episodes,
we could host our own Office Olympics as a late night
alternative program for our residents! 2) The goals of
the program. GOAL: Provide a fun late night alternative
program for Copley residents on a Friday night GOAL:
Provide an opportunity for our Copley Dunderheads (what
Office fans are called) to get together and celebrate
the new season over food, fun, and their common interest
GOAL: To provide an opportunity for those who had never
seen the show to meet new people and have fun GOAL: To
promote the weekly CIR and RA Office watching program 3)
A brief description of the program. Throughout the night
the program tried to replicate as much of the Office
Olympic episode theme. This was accomplished through
signage- a recreation of the banner that was hung in the
show signifying the Office Olympics, posted Schrute
Bucks on the walls, created a homemade Water Cooler for
the Water Cooler Office Trivia breaks that were held in
between each episode that was showed, a stapler in jello,
and hung the doves of peace (12 origami doves that were
attached to fishing line for the closing ceremonies).
The program was advertised through fliers with pictures
and quotes from characters on the show, Schrute Buck
Postcards with information on them, building email, and
a poster of one of the main characters that was hung in
the Copley lobby that had a countdown to the Olympics on
it. Later on that poster was raffled off as one of the
prizes from the Olympics. Rebecca kicked off the night
with the opening ceremonies of the Office Olympics. This
consisted of the lighting of the flame (a candle which
was consistent to what was used in this episode of the
show). We then showed Rebecca and Mary Ellen’s favorite
episode, and had a poster with all of the episode titles
on it for our residents to pick the order/episodes for
the rest of the evening. The first event to kick off the
night was the Georgetown version of the Icelandic sport
of Flunkerton, one of the events on the show. For our
version instead of paper boxes we used Georgetown
emergency ration buckets which was a way for us to also
explain the purpose of these buckets in case of an
emergency to our residents. Winners of Flunkerton and
the rest of the events received Olympic medals (handmade
from paperclips and yogurt lids consistent with the
show) and one Schrute Buck. Residents collected Schrute
Bucks throughout the evening to win our Office-themed
prizes at the end of the night. Some prizes were Office
memorabilia (i.e. calendars and posters) but then other
prizes related to specific aspects of the show (a can of
beets, spam, Herr’s Salt and Vinegar potato chips).
Other activities included an M&M eating contest, Office
trivia, and Hate Ball (paper football competition).
Throughout the night our residents enjoyed themed food
and drinks from the show- lemonade, pizza, jello, and
Herrs potato chips. For pictures of the event I welcome
you to visit the Copley webpage photo gallery at:http://www18.georgetown.edu/explore/organizations/copley/?Action=ViewGallery&ID=242
4) A brief evaluation of the program. This program was a
creative way to build on your typical pizza and a
movie/show program. The residents that came really
appreciated the themed activities and got into the
competition of the night. Since we didnt just have a
trivia competition it allowed for students who had not
seen the Office before to also participate in the events
and the fun. I think that the buildup of different types
of advertising really helped us get a large group of
people. If this program were to be done again it would
be nice to do it in a building accessible to all campus
residents (after 10pm only Copley residents can access
the building) because I think this was something that
other Office fans would appreciate too! 5) Lasting
effects of the program. First, this program was a way
for Rebecca to also market the Copley Castle Cinema
Program she is doing each week with her Chaplain Rob in
which students are welcome to watch the show the Office
each week in Rob’s apartment on Thursday nights. While
we had a lot of Dunderheads show up, we also had a fair
amount of people who had never seen the show before that
are now excited to come to the weekly program to watch.
This was a great chance for residents to also share in a
love of the RAs, CIR, and HD that allowed us to better
connect with them over a shared interest. Additionally,
some residents brought their friends from other
buildings to the program which was nice to see! Rebecca
is considering following up this program with a
recreation of another Office episode & the Dundies!
OCTOBER
RA of the Month: Caitlin Chen (Darnall)
As a returning Resident Assistant, Caitlin has gone
above the duties of her job description. In leading the
staff Caitlin has been a resource for all of the new
staff members who feel comfortable asking her for advice
and guidance and respect her opinion a great deal.
Caitlin’s floor is always immaculately decorated and her
floor is appreciative of her care to make their living
environment beautiful. She spends hours of her time hand
crafting decorations for each season to hang and has
inspired other RAs to follow suit. Her residents can
often be heard in the hallway bragging about how good
their floor looks much to the chagrin of other
residents. This care about something to minute goes a
long way because it shows her residents that she cares
about their community. Programmatically, Caitlin thinks
of innovative ways to teach her residents the vital
skills they need for success without them knowing. One
such program was a quiz about the Georgetown University
Code of Conduct, a document most residents never bother
to read but are held accountable to. By ensuring her
residents know their rights Caitlin has empowered them
to make good decisions and realize the consequences for
violations at an early time in their college career. As
a supervisee Caitlin is the kind of staff member I hope
everyone has the pleasure of working with. She is always
willing to help and asks for tasks without prompting.
Caitlin also won an award at our RA banquet last year
commending her for an LGBTQ program she organized and
got 160 of our 315 residents to attend. This program has
started a tradition for our building and she aided in
its completion again this year. Caitlin is considering a
graduate assistantship in residence life after she
graduates this year and I know she will make an
excellent addition to our field. In addition to her RA
role Caitlin serves as a VP for Georgetown University
InterHall. She dedicates over 15 hours a week to this
organization and has spearheaded the USA Today
readership program. It has taken her a year to implement
this program and have numerous meetings with university
officials. The program is in its final stages of
completion before it is piloted for the campus
community. On top of all of this she works in the
Residence Hall Office in East Campus. As a graduating
senior there are many other ways Caitlin could spend her
time but she chooses to engage in service for the campus
community and for this reason and the numerous ones
above she deserves this recognition.
Advisor of the Month: LeNaya Crandall (Reynolds)
LeNaya began this month by stepping in as a third
advisor to InterHall--an organization that had
previously only had one or two advisors. She has
volunteered for this role not as part of her job
requirements, but as part of her own professional
development. This is in addition to her work in advising
her own Community Council. LeNaya has found the time in
her busy schedule for two one-on-ones with InterHall
Executive Board members every week, weekly EB and GA
meetings, and time to meet with the other two advisors.
LeNaya stepped into her role as InterHall was undergoing
two major projects. One was registration for the
regional CAACURH conference and the other was the
formation and election of a new VP for Public Relations.
LeNaya took to advising both of these roles with great
thoughtfulness and enthusiasm. Despite never having
attended an -ACURH conference, LeNaya assisted a
relatively new NCC with completing registration and
travel plans for all those attending. While she asked
for help and support where appropriate, LeNaya took this
advising challenge on immediately and successfully.
Additionally, in the midst of this transition, LeNaya
helped manage some communication difficulties among exec
board members with regards to the conference. LeNaya was
also assigned to advise the newly formed VP for Public
Relations. This role was formed during other publicity
needs for the organization (InterHalloween and the
Housing Raffle). LeNaya began her advising with this
role quickly and has been a positive sounding board for
ideas and support in this transition. In short, LeNaya
stepped into a role that had never been done before (in
multiple ways) with calm and enthusiasm and has become
an indispensable part of the advising team.
Resident of the Month: Robin Reidl (Kennedy)
In mid-October, I began to advertise a game night
that I was organizing. Within minutes of sending out the
e-mail, Robin responded enthusiastically offering to
bake for the event. The following week, I advertised a
Halloween poker tournament with candy instead of poker
chips. Again, Robin energetically volunteered to bake
and organized a joint baking effort amongst several of
my residents. Needless to say, the Halloween poker
tournament was a success. Most of the participants were
specifically attracted by Robin’s baking. She also
offered her assistance in helping me recruit people for
the Markoff Haunted Forest trip I was planning. She
first suggested a friendly form of intimidation but
subsequently settled on recruiting people with sweets.
Again, her help was instrumental in filling the bus. I
then advertised that Kennedy Hall was having a common
room Halloween decoration contest. Within minutes of
sending out the e-mail, Robin comes running down the
hall excitedly explaining to me her glanderous plans for
the Common Room’s Halloween decorations. I offered my
support and offered $20 to buy supplies and pizza to
recruit people to help. The Sunday before Halloween,
Robin put her extraordinary artistic abilities to work.
This was particularly helpful for an artistically
challenged RA. She effectively and innovatively
delegated responsibilities amongst several floor members
and produced great work. The following Tuesday, she
continued to diligently work until 3AM the following
morning preparing the common room for the competition.
Again, she exercised great leadership in delegating
tasks to other floor members. The common room was soon
covered with black curtains, flying bats, scary images,
candelabras and cob webs. She ingeniously constructed a
graveyard with a tombstone and fictitious cause of death
for each resident. This graveyard turned into a comedic
gathering point for all my residents as everyone came to
see how others died. I was run over by an erratic New
York City taxi driver. Her initiative produced a
wonderful looking common room and the floor went on to
win first place for the best decorated Common Room in
Kennedy. I wish to nominate Robin for the October
Resident of the Month for the tremendous initiative she
has taken in bringing our community together. She
successfully involved my residents in planning and
effectively delegated tasks in decorating the common
room. She has worked hard to foster a sense of community
amongst my residents by frequently baking. Most
importantly, she has been enthusiastic, supportive and
energetic about all of October’s programs.
Executive Board Member of the Month: Jake
Baranoski (Darnall)
During the month of October Jake was an exemplary
treasurer for GU InterHall. Each year, this organization
runs a housing raffle where students can purchase a
ticket and win a spot in a coveted university owned
apartment or townhouse. Jake has committed over 20 hours
to ensuring the success of this endeavor. Although it
was not his duty he went almost every morning at 9:30am
to ensure the table was set up, the software was
functioning and there were no questions of him by those
working the table. He then came back numerous times
throughout the day to make sure everything went well.
Additionally he sat for many shifts at the table and
covered for other people when they were late or did not
come at all. Each night he broke down the table, took
inventory and prepared for the next day’s sales. Jake
additionally thought to put a table inside residence
halls so that sophomore and junior students would be
more inclined to purchase the tickets on the spot. Also,
Jake took the lead in advertising for the event although
it was not his duty. He spent many hours in the morning
hanging fliers for the event throughout campus and
additional hours at night refreshing the fliers for the
next day. Jake’s dedication to ensure this event was
successful was to me, the epitome of an executive board
member. He did not complain about his tasks but rather
took all of his responsibilities seriously and with
great maturity. Jake is a new treasurer and with 2
month’s experience in this position has proven he is
more than deserving of this award.
Chaplain of the Month: Jon Wiggins (VCE)
A. Jon is absolutely incredible. He constantly gives
and gives some more to the staff and residents in VCE.
This month during the busy midterm season, he made and
delivered banana bread or brownies to every floor in the
building. My residents loved the treat! He regularly
hosts a Friday night game night to provide residents
with an alternative to the typical "Friday night scene."
This month he hosted a very successful prayer dinner for
our staff. He helped Ben make lasanga for the dinner and
delegated the prayer to Farooq, who did a wonderful job.
Along with our HD, he leads a weekly book group. He
always goes far above and beyond what is required of a
CIR and does so with a great attitude.
B. Jon has always been, and never fails to be, the
best Chaplain in Residence I have ever seen during my
time here at Georgetown. Jon is not only concerned with
the well-being of Village C East's community as a whole,
but also goes above and beyond his responsibilities to
cater towards the needs of the building. He is always
visible at programs and events, and is often awake until
hours past midnight either baking for a floor,
collaborating with an RA, or preparing for an event on
the next day. His commitment is an encouragement to all
the RAs and the Hall Director - he is an essential part
of Village C East's community, and is most certainly
deserving of this award.
Spotlight of the Month: Darnall Staff (Darnall)
The Darnall Hall staff has worked tirelessly during
the month of October to put on a myriad of programs for
our residents. Such programs have included outside
offices and student groups. The staff sponsored a
building wide program about LGBTQ issues on campus
cosponsored with the LGBTQ Community Resource Center
that 200 of our 315 residents attended. This program was
in response to campus issues that have been occurring
and sparked a candid conversation with our residents. As
a result of this program the staff had meaningful
conversations with our first year students about taboo
topics. Another staff member hosted a program on why our
residents should be proud to be Georgetown Hoyas. She
contacted alums that work at the university who came and
spoke and then showed the movie Georgetown Forever. This
program also attracted residents from different floors
which is quite uncommon during the beginning months of
school. Another RA has organized many cultural
conversations around issues that are not widely
discussed like genocide in countries other than Darfur.
These conversations have sparked a building wide effort
to raise money for these causes and truly make a
difference. Darnall Hall formerly had the reputation of
the place no one wanted to live because of the
facilities and its distance from everything on campus.
The staff has worked tirelessly to make Darnall Home and
has succeeded well beyond their self imposed benchmarks.
Residents enjoy all the programs and effort their RAs
put into every day interaction and ensuring their
residents succeed. As a result, incidents are down this
year which gives everyone more opportunities for
positive interaction and dialogue. I do not know where I
would be without my staff and I cannot imagine this
level of success without the 100% dedication they have
all given to this building and their residents.
Organization of the Month: VCW Community Council (VCW)
Andy, Marissa, and Caitlin have taken this month on
by the horns. First, they enrolled about 140 residents
in our building in a successful assasins game that is
going on to this day. The three coordinated selling the
water guns on their own, seeking prizes, and enlisting
participants. They maintain a "dead or alive" list that
is updated daily. The three also are constants at
InterHall meetings. All three positively contribute to
that group outside their duties of representing Village
C West. They have helped out not only with the
upperclassmen housing raffle, but InterHalloween. It is
so refreshing to see a resident based group so motivated
and organized. For these reasons, the VCW Community
Council Senior Reps should be the Organization of the
Month.
Educational Program of the Month: Healthy Take-Out
by Naoko Miyamoto and Emily Lange
RAs Naoko Miyamoto and Emily Lange sought out to
develop a program that would provide community
development and socilizing but also include an
educational component. Naoko and Emily designed a
program that would address the nutritional content of
the most popular delivery food with campus residents.
The two consulted with Carol Day of Health Education
about the information and invited her to present at the
program.The actual program consisted of Emily and Naoko
ordering various healthy dishes from Bangkok Bistro,
Wingos, Philly Pizza, and Hunan Peking. All the
residents in attendance got to sample portions of
approximately 8 different dishes. Carol Day provided
handouts about the best choices for ordering healthy at
these local establishments and spoke about them and
other nutrition and health tips, as well as the
resources available in Health Education. After the
presentation, residents continued to socialize and enjoy
some dishes they never tried before. Many remarked that
they learned of new menu items they would have never
tried but actually liked. Others learned answers to
specific health and nutrition questions that had.
Residents can continue to reap the benefits of the
program as they all have a guide to what dishes they
should order now when they want dinner delivered!
Diversity Program of the Month: AST Promotes
Acceptance (AST)
A. The Window Campaign is
a program to unite the AST community. It aimed to show
tolerance and acceptance for everyone. Each apartment/
townhouse was given flyers saying statements such as
"I...celebrate diversity" and they were told to stick
them on their windows facing the outside if they
supported those ideas. Several students have hung them
up.
B. The program was
developed in response to a number of recent campus
incidents involving bias and hate. The AST staff chose
to do something to address the current campus climate
and give residents the opportunity to show that they do
not agree with the actions of a few individuals on
campus. 5 different signs were developed. Each of the 5
has a different statement. The statements are: I stand
for acceptance. I respect everyone. I celebrate
diversity. I appreciate our differences. I support
peace. All the signs have a small Jack logo in the
middle and AST Promotes Acceptance across the bottom.
Each of the signs is in a different color. There is also
a cover letter (included at the end) which also includes
a list and description of various campus resources.
Copies were made and distributed so that each apartment
and townhouse has one cover letter, one resources sheet,
one sign per resident. The 5 different statements were
varied. The instructions describe that if you agree with
the ideas you should post it in your window facing the
outside. RAs are not simply distributing packets to
apartments, but holding conversations with each
apartment as they distribute them. Distribution has only
begun recently but signs are starting to pop up slowly
but surely in the windows. Once signs are more
widespread it will be a visual statement to the
community of how many people support acceptance and that
bias in not acceptable in out community. Cover Letter:
Dear Alumni Square & Townhouses Resident, In light of
recent concerns about alleged hate crimes and other bias
incidents within the Georgetown community, members of
our community have expressed their desire that the
Alumni Square & Townhouses community show its commitment
to remaining a welcoming environment, and to reach out
to anyone and everyone feeling frustrated or isolated by
events on campus. Today, we're giving each resident a
small placard for their window. If you agree with the
importance of remaining engaged in the ongoing campaign
for tolerance, acceptance, and non-violence and wish to
do something to show your support, please tape it up in
your window facing the outside. Its just a little
something you can do if you want to show what Georgetown
is really about. It's as simple as that. Please feel
free to share your thoughts and concerns about this
issue with your Resident Assistant (RA), Hall Director,
or Chaplain-in-Residence (CIR) so that we can work
together towards a safer and more inviting community.
Please note that various University resources can be
found on the reverse of this sheet. Hoya Saxa, Your AST
Residence Life Staff Team & Community Council
Spiritual Program of the Month: SWQ Fast-a-thon (SWQ)
The SWQ Community Council
members (especially RA Erica Dehaviland and a McCarthy
resident whose name I don't know) wanted to support
Muslim students who were observing the fasting
requirements of the month of Ramadan as well as help
residents to become more familiar with Muslim customs.
They sought to bring greater awareness and participation
to the Muslim Students Association's Fast-a-thon
program, where individuals -- whether Muslim or not --
pledge to abstain from eating food from sunrise to
sunset on a particular date (October 3, 2007) with money
being donated to a food-related charity in the fasters'
names. The SWQ Community Council developed the idea to
host a pre-Fast-a-thon breakfast at midnight, a Midnight
Suhoor, to bring residents together and feed them before
they participated in the day of fasting. The breakfast
included chocolate chip and blueberry pancakes, fruit,
juice, and milk. Attendees could also grab take-out bags
of bagels and cream cheese prepared by the Community
Council, in case they wanted to eat something additional
just before sunrise. Some Arabic music was played in the
background and numerous staff (RAs, HDs, a FIR, and a
CIR) assisted with setup, cooking, serving, and
clean-up. The program had a great turnout for a
first-time event with no sense of how many people would
definitely come. Although some residents came mostly for
the free food, it was a time of conversation and
community-building. The organizers had hoped to have
someone speak specifically about Ramadan but were unable
to arrange for this so reflection on the reasons for the
gathering occurred much more informally. For some
residents, the publicity about the Midnight Suhoor drew
them into participation in the Fast-a-thon program for
the first time and thus provided some new long-term
awareness of a part of the Muslim tradition.
Social Program of the Month: East Campus Super
S'mores (EC)
This
program developed from an idea by East Campus Community
Council to host a s'mores night in the courtyard using
the grills. We wanted to do something more special and
unique, so we decided to add various optional "toppings"
like peanut butter and caramel sauce to the s'mores.
Thus, we called the program "Super S'mores." The goal
was to increase sense of community among residents of
East Campus, bringing together Nevils residents as well
as LXR residents. The advertising for the program was
great in itself, as we made actual s'mores using brown
and white construction paper that flipped up to reveal a
marshmallow wearing the red Superman "S". Galina Olmsted
designed flyers depicting Superman, so we went for the
whole Superhero theme. Alas, it rained on the night of
the 9th, so thinking quickly, Community Council voted to
move our Super S'mores indoors to the newly renovated
East Campus Underground. This ended up to be one of the
programs strengths, because it introduced residents to
the new space and showed the resilience of the
program--almost 75 residents came despite the
last-minute location change and nasty weather. The
peanut butter went over so well that we decided to add
nutella for our next Super S'mores night, and decided to
make it a regular program. Hopefully residents bonded
over delicious food as they met new people. I also think
that residents respect Community Council more after this
event because we provided them with a fun, social
activity and free food!!
NOVEMBER
RA of the Month: Emily Bushman (Reynolds)
Emily Bushman has
demonstrated exceptional skill as an RA in November and
I would like her to be congratulated for that. The most
notable thing Emily did this month occurred when one of
her residents suddenly became extremely psychologically
unstable. Emily immediately dropped what she was doing
and attended to the resident, calling in all available
and necessary campus services. Because of Emily's
quick-thinking and professional, but caring, demeanor,
her resident was able to make crucial decisions
regarding her mental health during an incredibly
stressful time in her life. Additionally, Emily has
shown great support to her staff this month. She has
attended all of my Tuesday night House Parties and
several of my Tea and Cookies Nights. Emily also created
and distributed flyers to the entire Quad for one
program and created and posted large advertising posters
in each residence hall in the Quad. Finally, Emily
hosted a very well-attended floor dinner for her
residents on November 16. She spent the afternoon
cooking massive amounts of enchiladas after spending the
morning shopping for their ingredients. To really make
the event special, Emily created individualized
invitations for each room and decorated them with a
stamp that she carved out of a potato in order to
provide a spot of interest and color. Emily went
above-and-beyond her role as an RA in November through
student support, staff support, and program planning,
and she deserves to be commended for her great
achievements.
Resident of the Month: Anthony Edwards (McC)
I would like to nominate Anthony Edwards for Resident
of the Month. One of the most active members of the
community council, Anthony takes initiative on many
programs that serve the entire Southwest Quad. This
November, Anthony spear-headed the planning of the
quad’s Thanksgiving dinner. He organized a number of
residents and floors to help prepare dishes, he
coordinated the purchasing and delivery of all the
ingredients, and he publicized this event, which was
attending by over 120 residents. He is also active on
his floor, frequently volunteering to bake for the
floors weekly cookie night. Anthony consistently takes
initiative, follows through, and seeks to plan events
that will bring the community together in positive ways.
With a smile and positive attitude, Anthony is
frequently the first one to arrive at an event to help
set up and the last one to leave after the clean-up is
done. His ideas, reliability, energy, and concern for
others help make the Southwest Quad a better place.
Community Service Program of the Month: Casino
Royale (VCW)
The program was developed by a staff of RA's last
year that wanted a second semester social program to
close out the year. It was decided since the venue,
F.Scott's, and food was all donated, the money would be
given to worthy on campus charity. Last year Residents
stated they wanted the event to be a mixer for earlier
in the year, so it was scheduled for November. It
retained the same programming format, only this time the
money was to benefit the American Cancer Society's Relay
for Life, the largest on campus fundraiser at Georgetown
University. 2). The goals of the program were: Social
Event: To promote intermingling between the different
floors in Village C West. Each floor was allotted a
certain number of tickets based on the quota system so
that as many residents from different floors could come.
Community Service: We hope that by benefiting Relay for
Life it would encourage residents to participate in the
event. Liz Tobia, the chair of the event, came to the
event to mingle. Community Building: Students not only
built a stronger community within the building by having
a shared experience, but it also made residents more
aware of the community around them since the event is
off campus. F. Scott's is one of the most exclusive
night clubs in DC and has a history deeply rooted in the
history of the city. Promoting Social Norms: Doing this
a second year has made the event become soemthing of a
tradition. Since it is on a Thursday night, a typical
"party night" at Georgetown, it acts as a program
promoting better social norms. 3) The event was a
charity benefit. $10.00 was charged for a ticket fee,
with all money going to American Cancer Society's Relay
for Life. The event itself was a mixture of a dance,
food, drinks, and casino games. At the end of the night,
prizes were raffled off, with the grand prize being a
free round trip ticket on Jet-Blue Airlines to any of
the destinations they fly. The venue, F. Scott's, is one
of the most exclusive clubs in Washington, DC. The venue
and all the food was donated by the 1789 Restaurant
Group. 4) The event was a great success with oer $1200
raised for the charity. The event sold out in 1 week
Residents continue to talk about the event. Many want a
similar event in the spring. Already, we have been
feeding off this enthusiasm to plan a large scale
building wide program for next year. 5) Residents now
have a shared experience building a community within the
building. Residents have voiced their want to create a
Relay for Life team. Residents have also asked for
another program second semester. It is highly likely
that someone who attended Casino Royale would attend
another similar event. Residents got to meet RAs from
other floors. It was also good to see RA's in a social
setting different than their role within the building.
Residents also enjoyed getting to be off campus. It was
a way to open their eyes to opportunities beyond out
front gates.
Social Program of the Month: Harbin Harvest (Harbin)
1. The program was developed out of the idea of
having residents visit each Common Room in the building
with the hope that students who do not normally get to
interact will be able to meet each other and develop
community. 2. The goal of the program was to promote
inter-mingling amongst the eight floors in Harbin;
celebrate Thanksgiving and to raise money to donate to a
local charity as students were asked to make a $1
contribution or a canned good. 3. The program involved
having different Thanksgiving dishes in each Common Room
and have residents go from floor to floor to assemble
their meal. Each RA worked with their Neighborhood
Council to identify a dish that they would prepare. The
turkey and ham was located in the Lobby and the side
dishes in the Common Rooms on the other eight floors. 4.
Overall, the program went very well. Perhaps, in the
future we could ask true and false questions about the
history of Thanksgiving while residents wait in line for
food. 5. The major lasting effect of the program is that
it has encouraged us as a staff to strive to do more
building-wide programs. Also, the residents in
attendance at the program all commented that the program
was a great idea. In addition to this, the fact that the
program facilitated conversation amongst residents was a
big bonus.
Educational Program of the Month: Annie Leibovitz
Exhibit trip, Erica Haviland (McC)
RA Erica Haviland
organized a trip to the Annie Leibovitz exhibit at the
Corcoran gallery. Her goal was to provide an outing in
D.C., to offer an opportunity for residents to visit a
museum and view art, and to offer a different
opportunity for her resident to interact. She publicized
specifically to her floor and coordinated with other RAs
to publicize this D.C. outing. The program brought
together a handful of people to explore part of the
city, to go to a museum some had never visited, and to
view an exhibit both artistic and popular. This program
was a creative twist to a D.C. museum outing, as Erica
took the time to research the exhibit and share
information in her publicity. She offered to pay for
half of the entrance for those attending. Those who went
enjoyed the excursion and were interested to learn about
this photographer who creates both art and pop culture
images.
Chaplain of the Month: Ilan Weinberg (EC)
Ilan has become more visible and active in the East
Campus community during the month of November. He has
invited students to on-campus lectures and hosted
discussions afterwards. He co-hosted a trip to the
Holocaust Museum during which he shared his own family's
emotional experience of the Holocaust, which not only
takes a lot of courage but must be very difficult for
Ilan to talk about. Around the end of classes, Ilan
provided all residents with a large pan of lasagna and
pizza as a study break, which was a totally unnecessary
yet very appreciated act. Additionally, Ilan played a
HUGE part in East Campus holiday festivities by helping
to create a truly enormous menorah to hang in the LXR
lobby, ensuring that the East Campus community is
inclusive of all faiths. He chatted and mingled with
students for hours while the community decorated a
Christmas tree and hung the menorah and Kwanzaa candles.
He took pictures, ensuring that all would have good
memories to share after the holidays. Ilan brings such a
dynamic personality to the East Campus staff. Residents
and staff alike love to interact with him. He deserves
to be recognized publicly for his amazing work in East
Campus during November.
Organization of the Month: VCE 8th Floor CC (VCE)
The Village C East 8th floor Neighborhood Council has
dedicated a tremendous amount of time in developing a
friendly community for residents. Through programs, they
strive to assure that each resident feels "at home" and
is not excluded from social activities. I can recall
several instances where I had entered the common lounge
and at least fifteen residents out of the twenty-five
residents were sitting together watching a movie or DVD
collections of Grey's Anatomy and Family Guy. The
treasurer of the Neighborhood Council Jonathan Jacobs
and another member Nora Hughes usually organize these
viewings. During Family Guy Season Series Week, Nora
baked apple crumb cake for everyone. During Grey’s
Anatomy Season Series Week and other movie viewings,
Jonathan baked cookies and brownies for everyone. For
our monthly birthday celebration, the executive board of
the Neighborhood Council purchased necessary items and
assisted in publicizing and organizing the event. During
the Weekend Brunch, the secretary Cortne Edmonds, her
roommate Dominique Barron, and treasurer Jonathan Jacobs
purchased ingredients and prepared the food on their own
and on time. These residents exemplify leadership skills
conducive for a residential environment. After Jonathan
Jacobs purchased Holiday decorations for the floor,
residents including Anna Gallo spent either the Friday
night or Saturday morning decorating the entire floor.
Even after Thanksgiving break, residents added more
decorations. I was very impressed. The time and effort
they put into it is exceptional. On November 30, about
seven residents including Lillian Fosteris and Jane
Caudell-Feagan took an early morning trip to the
Democratic National Convention Committee gathering in
downtown DC. One of the residents who organized the trip
actually miscalculated the distance of the event from a
local metro stop. Thus, they walked two miles in the
cold weather and were quite displeased with the
resident’s mistake. However, they made it to the event,
saw several presidential candidates and were grateful
for the experience. In perspective, they forgave the
resident and actually thanked him for organizing the
trip. Circumstances such as the previous allow residents
to grow collectively making experiences memorable and
worth the while. On a daily basis, I see true harmony,
brotherly love and support among them. I believe this
has developed because residents have provided social
avenues for fellow residents in which they get to know
one another better time after time. Ideologically, the
more they build it (activities), the more they come. The
more they come, the more healthy relationships grow and
residents no longer see each other merely as residents
but as friends. On my floor, I am glad to say that I am
a RA for a group of friends and not just residents.
Spotlight of the Month: Pat Hughes/Tony (VCW,
Facilities)
During
the last part of the month of October and early part of
November the District of Columbia faced days in a row of
large amounts of rain. As is typical throughout campus,
some leaks happened due in large part to the amount of
rain in such a short span of time. However, the leaks in
Village C were more then expected. Some 15 different
leaks were reported between Village C East and West with
the most (over 10 leaks) coming from Village C West.
With so many leaks, close to 30 residents in Village C
were affected. The residents and residential staff of
Village C filed work orders online and over the phone
only to be told that they would have to wait until the
rain stopped so the roofers could identify and fix where
the leaks were occuring. Pat Hughes (Residential
Facilities Manager) and Tony (Village C Minatenance)
decided they had had enough and worked to resolve the
problem on their own without the roofers. They pulled
the design plans for Village C West and tracked the
leaks on the plans and found potential areas where the
leaks could possibly be. Tony then worked to fix the
leaks individually on his own without the roofers. Later
on when the next rainstorm came there was only one leak
in all of Village C! Pat and Tony went above and beyond
the call of duty for the residents of Village C and
deserve to be recognized for their hard work and
dedication!
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InterHall
serves as the campus-wide organization to address the
needs and issues of residential students. They
provide advocacy, programming, and leadership for
students on campus.
