Bulletin Board Winners: December 2013

East Campus

Winner: Alyssa Suhm, Sullivan

Bulletin Board: Homemade for the Holidays

Main Campus

Winner: Ray Ducheine, St. Mary's

Bulletin Board: Twelve Days of Christmas in St. Mary's

Ray's residents acted out lines from the song, including 9 ladies dancing.

South Campus

Winner: Erin Digan, St. Monica

Bulletin Board: The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer

Honorable Mention: Meg Dunne, Stanford

Bulletin Board: 5C Advent Calendar

West Campus

Winner: Andrew Chavez, Moulden

Bulletin Board: Fun Winter Facts (It was plugged in!)

CB Spotlight: Week of 12/9/2013

Freshman-Sophomore Dinner Buddies

Hosted by: Marissa D'Ambrosio, Austin & Sneha Kallukaran, Stanford
CB Category: Unitas / Veritas
Objective: Have the Freshmen from Stanford and Sophomores from Austin mingle over a meal in the SPIT

Sneha shared the following about how she and Marissa planned the CB:

We wanted a way for Freshman and Sophomores to be able to engage in a relaxed setting. We thought it would be neat if the sophomores could share things that they have learned about their time at Villanova with the underclassmen. Marissa and I created a sheet of ice breaker like questions that could get conversation started - (i.e. What was your favorite class at Villanova? Have you engaged in study abroad through the school?) We found a clear spot in the Spit and set up the table speed dating style. Freshmen could sit on one side, and sophomores on the other so they could ask each other questions. We planned on rotating the seats every few minutes so that way everyone could get an introduction. It was a fun and relaxed evening!

Being a Head RA: The Challenges & Rewards

by Katherine Florio, Delurey Head RA

After spending two solid years living “quad life,” I was stunned finding out that I was chosen to be a Head Resident Assistant in a smaller, more intimate building. I didn’t know too much about Delurey Hall, except that it was in a small cluster of buildings on the Southwest Corner of campus near Campus Corner, which I can say, without shame, has been a major landmark of my last 3 and a half years on campus.  I was nervous and excited about what was in store for me, and really had no idea that this job would be one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had as an undergrad.

I wasn’t at all thinking about applying to be a Head RA until my Area Coordinator suggested it to me during a one-on-one meeting. He told me that it would be a great way to expand and strengthen my leadership skills and build upon my already growing passion for residents, especially sophomores. I really loved my job as an RA, but I knew deep down that I had the potential to give a lot more to residence life and to residents. After a little bit more prodding from my Area Coordinator, I decided to apply.

After my interview, I was lucky enough to be afforded the opportunity to become a Head RA. Upon reading the letter, my mind was spinning and I raced down the page to see what residence hall I was going to supervise. Delurey Hall. All I thought to myself was, “Okay, I’ve spent the last year with sophomore residents in a large building, and now they are going to put me in a smaller freshman building? This is bananas (I actually said that)!” Unbeknownst to me at the time, Delurey was about to go through a transformation to an all-sophomore residence hall, and I was lucky enough to be chosen to be a part of it. I have always been a person that loves to be challenged, and my decision to accept the position rested mostly on the knowledge of this transition. I knew that with this change, there was going to be a lot of challenges- dealing with residents who already lived on the Southwest Corner and had expectations and predispositions from the year prior, empathizing with those residents who wanted to experience “quad life,” and creating a totally new dynamic in a building that has housed freshman students for so many years.

While not all Head RAs experience residence hall transitions like I have, all of them are being challenged in different ways. Having these challenges and being able to work through them either on your own or with your staff is an incredibly rewarding experience and an awesome opportunity to learn how to be an effective leader. I am able to supervise two fantastic RAs and have the privilege of interacting with not only 20 of my own residents, but 50 others throughout the building, most of them calling me “mom” which really just makes me chuckle about 100% of the time. I know most of the residents who grace our lovely halls, and have even heard some residents talking about how much they love our building (major score, Delurey FTW).

Being a Head RA means you not only have support from your Area Coordinator and other members of the Residence Life staff, but you are able to give more support to your own staff and watch them grow into their own kind of leaders. It sounds awesome- and it is- so before you brush off the HRA position and say “this is bananas!” think about this opportunity and how you can further expand your involvement in residence life and campus as a whole.

CB Spotlight: Week of 11/18/2013

St. Mary's Carnival

Hosted by: St. Mary's RA Staff
CB Category: Unitas
Objective: Throw a carnival for residents with different games, a raffle, and snacks from local businesses

Ray Ducheine, St. Mary's RA who participated in planning the carnival, shared the following about making this huge event a success:

The St. Mary's Carnival was organized by each staff member having a category of tasks and reaching out to our resources on and off campus to accomplish them. Residence Life, Student Development, and Greek Life were able to lend us games and raffle tickets. Athletics was able to give us a time slot in the gym. Food was donated by Shake Shack and Meltdown. Our crafting queen Michelle provided us with decoration ideas for the gym. We made catchy advertisements in the building and used social media to help spread the word! The main event of the carnival was 'Pie Your RA'. In order to do this, participants had to have five raffle tickets. The raffle tickets were obtained by participating at the carnival booths. They were Connect Four, Fish Bowl, Spin the Wheel, Ring Toss, Can Slam, Guess the Amount, Corn Hole, and Basketball Knockout. The raffle tickets could also be used for winning Chipotle gift cards and Villanova t-shirts.

St. Mary's RA Pratika at her Candy Count table

Alissa, Michele, and Stanford RA Tiffany visiting the carnival

St. Mary's RA Ray holding down the Fish Bowl table

St. Mary's Head RA Steve taking a pie to the face to make residents smile

CB Spotlight: Week of 11/11/2013

Pizza with the President

Hosted by: West Campus RAs
CB Category: Veritas / Caritas-Spiritual/Moral
Objective: Gather residents to have pizza and an open Q&A with university president, Fr. Peter

Lauren Raguette, Gallen RA who helped plan and attended this CB, describes how simple it was to implement:

Each member of the West Campus staff took on a role (marketing, set up, facilitating, or clean up). To re-do this CB or have Father Peter make an appearance at another CB, you can either call or email the President’s Office and ask what dates and times work for him. We ordered pizza from Garrett Hill and reserved the Farley Basement Conference Room. We set up chairs in the conference room, and Father Peter ran a question and answer session. We got a great turn out, asked lots of questions, and learned a lot about the University and the future it holds!

What would you ask Fr. Peter if you had pizza with him?

Bulletin Board Winners: November 2013

East Campus

Winner: Holly Blakley, Good Counsel

Bulletin Board: Give Thanks & Eat Vegan

Main Campus

Winner: Ash Mammen, Moriarty

Bulletin Board: The Science of Alcohol

South Campus

Winner: Nata Flinn, Katharine

Bulletin Board: 2nd Floor Sisterhood "Poetree"

West Campus

Winner: Sadie Dutcher, Welsh

Bulletin Board: Save the World One Step at a Time

CB Spotlight: Week of 10/28/2013

Costume Search

Hosted by: Ash Mammen, Moriarty
CB Category: Unitas
Objective: Visit local thrift stores to find costume ideas and materials

Ash shared the following about how he came up with the idea and the results of his residents' costume search:

So I came up with the idea overhearing a lot of talk on my floor about them not going outside of campus enough and that they didn't have any costumes to wear for Halloween. What motivated me most was them saying that they were going to travel to a costume store by train to find something. That's a lot of money. I'm all about being thrifty and smart with money. A lot of thrift shops in the area are wonderful, vibrant, and filled with the kindest people. Not to mention, they have all kinds of decent clothes and weird knick-nacks. It was fun just to walk through the stores and feel a different atmosphere from the high-priced malls that most people frequent. I originally had this scheduled for Tuesday at 5:30PM but most stores close before 4PM. So I split the CB between Wednesday and Thursday and reserved vans for both days. Four people went the first day; all were really successful with their finds and they had a great time not just finding costumes but things like $5 Villanova sweaters. We had gone to Bryn Mawr Hospital thrift shop, and Pennywise Thrift Shop and Browse Around Thrift Store in Ardmore. The next day, Chipotle had a $3 "Boorito" deal if you go there with your costume. Great way to endorse saving money so today was a great day for Part 2 of Costume Search. Six other residents on my floor and I went on a long adventure from Bryn Mawr Thrift Store, to a Salvation Army Thrift Store in Norristown, and then to the giant warehouse sized Impact Thrift Store in Norristown. The best deal was a full adult Austin Powers costume for only $2! Then together with Austin Powers, a stripper cop, Indiana Jones, a dude with a sombrero, and a cheerleader from Glee, we traveled to Plymouth Meeting to feast on victory burritos. Good times were had by all. 

Check out these awesome thrifty costumes!

CB Spotlight: Week of 10/21/2013

Halloween Decorating

Hosted by: Alumni RA Staff
CB Category: Unitas/Veritas
Objective: Teach residents how to create Halloween themed decorations

***Description to come***

CB Spotlight: Week of 9/30/2013

Grilling Grilled Cheese
Hosted by: Simpson/O'Dwyer RA Staff

CB Category: Veritas
Objective: Teach residents how to use the grills on campus to make grilled cheese

***Description to come***

Bulletin Board Winners: October 2013

East Campus

Winner: Dan Wu, Sheehan

Bulletin Board: Don't go Solo!

Main Campus

Winner: Kate Florio, Delurey

Bulletin Board: Check Out Our Pack

South Campus

Winner: Susan Formosa, Stanford

Bulletin Board: What's Brewing?

West Campus

Winner: Shannon Markert, Rudolph

Bulletin Board: Words to Lift You UP

The Woes of Public Speaking

by Shondaray Ducheine, St. Mary's RA

With their eager and intense eyes all on me, my throat suddenly felt dry as I began to conduct my first floor meeting. The words uh and um started to pop up into my speech. Even though I was following an outline, I definitely remember skipping over information. I couldn’t get a handle on their attention. They would constantly start talking and whispering to each other. The ice breaker I had planned went out the window once my nerves began getting the best of me. Honestly, I was a wreck and, just like my residents, wanted this meeting to end. It wasn’t the best meeting I’ve directed, but I learned a lot about myself in that instance.

Having an outgoing personality does not mean I am a public speaker. Mistakenly, I used to think it did. I assumed the common thread between them was being able to put myself out there. Since I could express myself and my opinions very well with people I had met for the first time, it made sense for me to believe I could do the same in a public speaking situation. However, that is not the case. When I’m conversing with another, verbal and non-verbal cues provide feedback on the conversation. I know things are going well when the other is laughing or smiling. Because I’m used to the flow of reactions in conversations, I didn’t know what to make of the silence or at times disturbances of a floor meeting.

It didn’t take me long to realize that public speaking situations like meetings and presentations have mostly non-verbal cues for feedback. Blank stares can be interpreted as people not listening or boredom. Anxious movements indicate the meeting pace needs to pick up. The occasional nod means I’ve got their attention. Once I learned these cues, I had a better handle on communicating publicly. At least I think so if my stellar presentation grades are anything to go by. Just recently, I volunteered at an open house for my Education major. I spoke to a group of students without a single stutter or dry throat. I was shocked and very impressed with myself. Without even meaning to, I have overcome my public speaking issue.

It is fair to say that I would have gotten better with public speaking as I progressed through my academic career. But, being a Resident Assistant has accelerated this development and has provided me with more opportunities to succeed. This position has tremendously enhanced my social, creative, and authoritative skills. As a result, I am more involved on campus with organizations that require me to speak publicly and connect with others. Because of my increased leadership involvement, I know my confidence will continue to develop and solidify itself for my future profession as a Latin and Science teacher.

CB Spotlight: Week of 9/23/2013 (Part B)

Sustainability Shopping

Hosted by: Erin Digan, St. Monica
CB Category: Veritas
Objective: Take residents to Target armed with a shopping list of the sustainable options that Target has to offer

Erin said this about preparing for and running this CB,

"I created a shopping list of products that Target has to offer that come from companies that are practicing social responsibility and are sustainable. From this list, I gave each resident a copy and told them that as they did their shopping they should think twice when picking their usual brand if there is an alternative that is sustainable. One of my residents said it was easy to make the switch to the alternative because the products were relatively the same price and she was excited to try something new. It is a easy way to take an ordinary trip to Target and make it a sustainable one!"

Check out Erin's sustainability shopping list to inspire your own CB or to make your Target shopping more sustainable!

CB Spotlight: Week of 9/23/2013 (Part A)

Spies and Lies

Hosted by: Matt Gregory, Katharine
CB Category: Veritas
Objective: Discuss the CIA and espionage

Matt said this about planning the CB,

"The 'Spies and Lies' discussion was presented by Noel Dolan who works with the Freshman Learning Communities. The talk was about Espionage and the CIA during the 50s, specifically during an era known as the McCarthy Era. Noel brought in Dr. David M. Barrett, a Villanova University Political Science Professor. The talk was done completely by Dr. Barrett as he gave background of the era and what occurred along with information about the CIA, including common misconceptions. He then finished with a Q&A with the attendees and it ended in little under an hour. My role in this talk was mostly to drum up interest with the residents. Early in RA training we had a dinner with the learning community professors and were able to work out the nitty gritty details regarding where the CB would take place and they left the advertising of the CB to us. There was a signup sheet for the CB in our lobby which included a small description of what the talk was which I felt was very helpful. I found that the best way to get residents interested was to email them about a week in advance and then in the days leading up I used word of mouth to keep the event in their heads. The turnout was much better than expected, about 15-20 residents showed up. The feedback from my residents was that the talk was informative and interesting and that they were glad they attended."

Look what RAs can do when they partner with other offices on campus!

CB Spotlight: Week of 9/16/2013

Life Lessons from TED Talks

Hosted by: Joey Reckamp, Delurey
CB Category: Veritas
Objective: View TED talks that contain messages about different life lessons

Joey shared the following about planning this CB:

"To prepare for the TED talks event, I had to do some research to gather applicable TED talks from the website (www.ted.com/talks). I have seen many of the TED talks before so it was more about finding ones that I had seen previously and verifying that they were appropriate for a CB. I was mainly looking for the shorter videos that were a bit more fast paced to keep the residents interested as well as ones that had some interesting lessons taught in different ways than they were used to.

After organizing the event, I found that many of the residents were interested in attending the CB, but had various commitments (intramurals, sports practices, rushing events, group projects, etc.) that night. Since I was on duty, I ended up basically just showing videos all night and having people come in when they could to watch them. Some of the good ones definitely changed the residents' perspectives (especially the shoe-tying one) and overall I was given a very good response about the event. I even had a few ask for more videos and the link to the general TED talks website so that they could look up their own videos."

Check out the shoe-tying video that Joey's residents really loved!

Here is a list of the other talks Joey used during his CB.

• http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html

• http://www.ted.com/talks/alexis_ohanian_how_to_make_a_splash_in_social_media.html

• http://www.ted.com/talks/renny_gleeson_404_the_story_of_a_page_not_found.html

• http://www.ted.com/talks/rives_on_4_a_m.html

• http://www.ted.com/talks/renny_gleeson_on_antisocial_phone_tricks.html

• http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days.html

• http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation.html

• http://www.ted.com/talks/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die.html

• http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html

CB Spotlight: Week of 9/9/2013

Eating Meditation

Hosted by: Shondaray Ducheine, St. Mary's
CB Category: Caritas
Objective: Teach residents to be mindful when consuming their food

Shondaray shared the following mindfulness exercise that you can use on your own during any meal to be mindful while eating.

Feeling stressed? Mindlessly munching on more junk food than you should be? Then take a moment to meditate over a meal or a snack before you dive into work. To perform an Eating Meditation, any food item can be used and the meditation can be done anywhere with whatever sounds in the background. Before eating, clear your head, and find your center. An imagery that works well for focusing is a flowing stream. As you focus on the food, involve all of your senses by thinking about where the food came from, who made it, what it reminds you of, what it smells like, what it looks like, what it feels like, what you will gain from it, and how it will satisfy you. When you begin to eat, chew slowly and notice how the food changes. Follow the movement of the food down your throat and to your stomach. Continue through the same process until you are done eating. The purpose of this meditation is to slow your mind and movements in order to be present during your meal. If you feel your mind wander or begin to eat faster, look at the food and take a few deep breaths. This alone should bring you back to the meditation. If it does not, gradually allow other thoughts to appear during your meal. Be thankful for the moment and smile. Namaste.

Below is a meditation that can be read aloud for a group.

Centering the Mind—your mind is a stream. Distractions are the leaves and flowers that come across. Gently guide you mind back to the present and focus on your breathing. 

Select a food. Find a comfortable and quiet space in your mind to relax. Take a few deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Understand that you are cultivating a moment of sincerity and attentiveness in this practice. Pick up the food and look at the food. Notice the color, texture, and shape. Examine the food. Are there characteristics of this food you have never noticed before? --Irregular shapes, bumps, bruises, variations in color.  

Take another deep breath; as you breathe out let as much tension as possible escape and sink more deeply into the comfortable position you are in. think about how this food made it to you. Did someone manufacture it and package it in a plant. Did a farmer tend this food and eventually pick it? Was it imported from somewhere else? Did the food require lots of sun and water? How much energy was required to produce and distribute this food? Appreciate the care and labor that was required to bring this food with you. 

Take a few more deep breaths. Now smell the food. Take time to inhale the fragrance of the food. Does it remind you of anything; a childhood memory, your grandmothers kitchen, a favorite restaurant? Do any pleasant or unpleasant feelings, thoughts or emotions come to mind? Just honor them now and let them flow through your stream of consciousness. Don’t dwell on them and get stuck in the memory. 

Take a few more deep breaths. Place the food on your tongue or lick it. Roll the food around in your mouth. How does it feel? What thoughts, emotions, feelings come to your mind; pleasure, guilt, sadness, satisfaction? Honor all that you feel as you take this nourishment in your body.  Resist the temptation to chew or swallow your food.  

Take a few more deep breaths. Does breathing help you enjoy the food more? Sit up straight and try to relax and smile.  

Take a few more deep breaths. Now slowly begin to chew the food. Listen to the sound your mouth makes, your jaw, tongue, saliva and all the other sounds involved in the act of chewing. Do you notice anything differently from when you usually eat this food? Focus all your attention on the food, its taste and texture. How has the flavor and texture of the food changed? 

Take a few more deep breaths. Let the food begin to slide down your throat. How differently does the food feel now? Imagine the food eventually reaching your stomach. How does the stomach feel; happy, grumbling, hungry, satisfied. Be thankful for the food you have just eaten, for the energy and nourishment that it will provide you. Notice any new thoughts, feelings, or sensations that arise as you eat this food. 

As your tongue cleans your mouth after this mindful bite of food, try to maintain the attentiveness that you've cultivated; don't let it be automatic. Food is meant to satisfy hunger. Did this food satisfy your hunger? Did it satisfy other needs that you may have. Take a few more deep breaths. Be thankful for this moment and smile.

CB Spotlight: Week of 9/2/2013

Philadelphia/Villanova Quizzo

Hosted by: CASA Fed RA Staff
CB Category: Veritas
Objective: Test residents' knowledge of Villanova and Philadelphia

Lauren Colegrove, St. Rita's RA who helped plan and run this CB, said,

"Have you ever wondered which 'Nova alum was a star running back for the Eagles or where one of the Liberty Bell's "sisters" is located? These are the kind of questions that keep the RAs of CASA-Fed up at night, so we decided to to hold a "Villa-delphia" Quizzo CB highlighting the connections between our lovely campus and the City of Brotherly Love. After snacking on Philly pretzels and playing five invigorating rounds of trivia, we had three clear champions. We wanted the winner to have the honor of being Mayor for the Day (quick, who is the current mayor of Philadelphia?) but when we didn't hear back from the government office we decided to award them gift cards to Campus Corner, which were just as highly coveted."

Click here to check out the Prezi the CASA Fed RAs made with the quizzo questions!  If you don't think you're creative enough to make a Prezi, then feel free to use the questions as inspiration for your own quizzo CB!

Bulletin Board Winners: August/September 2013

East Campus

Winner: Stephanie Misdary, Sheehan

Bulletin Board: An ode to Sheehan's theme, Game of Thrones

Main Campus

Winner: Jenn Kelly, Alumni

Bulletin Board: Clue Villanova Edition

South Campus

It was a two way tie!

Winner: Bridget Kiley, Stanford

Bulletin Board: Villanova Family Matters

Winner: Megan Dunne, Stanford

Bulletin Board: Don't get Catfished!

West Campus

It was a two way tie!

Winner: Sadie Dutcher, Welsh

Bulletin Board: Villanova Monopoly

Winner: Dan Takaki, Moulden

Bulletin Board: 7 Summits of Junior Year

CB Spotlight: Week of 8/26/2013

Iron Chef Microwave Edition
Hosted by: Stanford Hall RAs
CB Category: Veritas
Objective: Teach residents to cook microwave masterpieces

Sneha Kallukaran, one of the Stanford RAs who organized this CB, said

"Susan Formosa and I put together the Iron Chef CB.  We found most of the recipes on Pinterest.  We did three separate microwavable dishes:

• pancakes, which we prepared in a bowl

• chocolate cake, which we did in a mug, and

• quesadillas with cheese and chicken filling.

Before the actual CB, some of the RAs went to Giant to get the ingredients which were pretty simple (pancake mix, flour, cocoa powder, wraps, and cheese).  Then we brought down five separate microwaves to the lounge, printed out recipes, and allowed the residents to choose what they wanted to make.  We did a tutorial of the three different dishes first, and allowed the residents to try try their creations after.  We had a good amount of residents come in and out and everyone loved the free samples!"

Click here to see the recipe for the microwavable chocolate cake they made!