Here is an idea for you?

Some ideas for advertising ResLife events:

Chapel Slides. Send PowerPoint slides to Diana Tocheff or Abby Scott.

Posters. You can have an RD print a 11 X 17 color poster for 80 cents or 11 X 8.5 for 40 cents.

Email. If you want to learn how to send pictures or backgrounds on an HTML email, come by Student Development some day and ask Ryan. Make sure you add a catchy subject line.

Word of mouth. Always works well for smaller events, especially just before an event.

Word of many mouths. Communicate with other RAs and have them spread the word.

Announcement at another event. Attend another RA's event and ask them (in advance) if you can advertise your program.

Coupons for free food. Use the coupon as your promotion of time, date, place and theme.

Make Faculty Aware. Specifically get faculty involved with any educational programming that may relate to their subject matter, they can advertise for you and you may suggest that they offer extra credit to their students that attend.

Channel 24. This is a new option for advertising of campus events. This is open to ResLife events that are being advertised campuswide. Posted below is the policy for anyone interested in this option:

Channel 24 Policies

1. Channel 24 will post PowerPoint slides that advertise student extra-curricular activities that are general in nature, applying to all MVNU students, and officially sponsored by Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

2. Only one slide may be posted per event.

3. Event sponsors desiring to advertise on Channel 24 must submit an appropriate PowerPoint slide at least 7 days before the event. Please email the completed slide as an attachment to Ryan.Schmitz@mvnu.edu.

4. Slides will be posted on channel 24 no earlier than 2 weeks in advance of the event, unless registration information is needed earlier than the event date.

5. Slides must be submitted in an MS PowerPoint format only. The Student Development office will not create PowerPoint slides or be expected to edit slides. The Student Development office reserves the right to edit the content of any slide submitted.

6. PowerPoint slides will run for 10 seconds only, so animation should be limited or not included on submitted slides.

7. A legible font, large enough to be viewed clearly, should be used on all slides. Avoid having too much writing on a slide; limit information to the most important details.

8. Backgrounds will not always transfer properly with the current software. Also, not all backgrounds submitted will be available for use on Channel 24.

9. It is the responsibility of the party submitting the slides to notice any mistake, or outdated slides, or if a slide is not on Channel 24 when it needs to be. Please notify Ryan.Schmitz@mvnu.edu about any corrections that need to be made.

PS 3conomics

Note: I try not to double up on posts unless my personal post is about MVNU. So if you have already read this, no need to read it again, it is the same.


So by now most of us have heard about the crazy events that took place last Friday (November 17, 2006) with the Release of the Sony PlayStation 3. There was the guy that ran into a pole, the guy that got shot, the several robberies and don't forget there were several PS 3s that were sold for over $2,000 on Ebay.

Well you may not have heard the less dramatic, but equally interesting acts that happened throughout the country, including here in out-of-the-way Mount Vernon, Ohio.

It began a few days ahead of the release when a group of MVNU students started scouting out the local Wal-Mart Supercenter. They found out that there were going to be 6 PS 3s and 4 vouchers for additional PS 3s that were guarenteed within 3 weeks. They found out that the longest anyone every waited for anything at our Wal-Mart had been 12 hours.

They spoke with professors and received semi-official excuses, they had friends promise to bring them food and they planned to show up about 24 hours prior to the 11/17/06 12:00AM release date.

Of the 10 people waiting in line, 7 were MVNU students; here is where it shifts from a stunt to capitalism at its best: one student paid another student $50 to shift from a voucher to an actual PS 3 because he heard the voucher was for a better hard drive (60 gig instead of a 20 gig). Another student paid 2 student $200 each to wait in line for him so he could get the PS 3s without missing class or sleep. Finally a man came in on Thursday evening, right before the release and saw that he would not be able to get one of the first systems and he gave one of our students $1,000 cash for their spot in line.

The other six PS 3 systems are expected to be sold on line and should continue to fetch a nice chunk of change for the students that put in the Wal-Mart all-nighter. What an interesting society we live in.

Current PS3 Ebay listings

PS3 Shooting

Sen. John Edwards is a line jumper

PS3 Theft



Craig Weston running into flagpole

Post-Confrontation

Question: "How are we helping students by ignoring or minimizing our responsibilities to ourselves, the institution, but mostly to the students choosing to violate a campus policy?"

Answer: "We aren't!" But relationships do not begin and end with confrontation.

We all know by now that one of the toughest parts of being an RA or even a ResLife Professional is when we need to confront someone about their behavior and their choices. We tend to want to avoid the confrontation or second-guess our opinions, actions or reactions, when we are simply doing our job by enforcing what is already known (most of the time). Most of us like the nicer side of Student Development: the relationships, the activities, the food and the fun.

An even bigger problem is when we put all of our time and effort into addressing problems and then focus on catching them again.

When a student makes a mistake it is important for correction to take place, but even more important is showing them that they are still important and that you still care.

A couple of good examples from MVNU:

A. The Maplewood and Elmwood staff have been intentional to reach out to any of their residents that are on social probation. They engage them in discussion, invite them to spend time with the staff and they make sure they understand they are important.

B. Lee Yowell tries to meet with many of the students who have received major discipline schedules from his office. Although this is done in a formal setting, he tries to make it more relaxed and informal by asking about the student's opinion of the process, adding humor, and asks questions about how things are going since the discipline occurred.

Here are some ideas for dealing with someone after any time of confrontation (large or small):
1. Respect their privacy; don't make them feel awkward in front of other people.
2. Don't bring up the issue very often; move on to new subjects.
3. Smile and say hi to them by name when passing each other.
4. Genuinely care about them and show them that.
5. If ever possible, invite them to participate in activities. Build a relationship beyond discipline.
6. Invite them to a meal.
7. Pray with them.
8. Even if they give you dirty looks or the silent treatment, don't give up on them, just work harder on the relationship and pray even harder.

Residence Life Programming Ideas

Fall Semester Program Ideas

SEPTEMBER

Adult Literacy Awareness Month
Jazz Month
Library Card Sign-Up Month
National Chicken Month
National Piano Month
National School Success Month
Self-Improvement Month
National Cholesterol Education and Awareness Month Classical Music Month
International Visitor’s Month
National Honey Month
National Courtesy Month
National Rice Month
Women of Achievement Month
National Alcohol and Drug Treatment Month

Student Issues

New year adjustment
Getting to know your roommate/apartment-mates
Strong start on academics
Finances
Community service projects
Time management
Social involvement
Familiarization with Mount Vernon
Hall council involvement
Long-distance relationships
Fire safety
MVNU policies and procedures
Exploring your personal beliefs

OCTOBER

American Magazine Month
Computer Learning Month
Crime Prevention Month
Ending Hunger Month
Fire Prevention Month
Hunger Awareness Month
Lupus Awareness Month
National AIDS Awareness Month
National Car Care Month
National Education Month
National Popcorn Poppin’ Month
Polish-American Heritage Month
National Seafood Month
Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month
Auto Battery Safety Month
Consumer Information Month
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Healthy Lung Month
International Book Fair Month
Vegetarian Awareness Month
Lock in Safety Month
National Breast Cancer Month
National Dessert Month
National Pasta Month
National Pizza Month
National Pork Month
National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Student Issues

Alcohol issues
Roommate conflict/privacy
Health & fitness
Personal safety
Time conflicts between academics & social
Relationships – dating, non-dating, student withdrawal – adjustment
Friendships
Judicial process
Graduate school selection, preparation, and admissions
Disenchantment with school academics – midterms
Study skills
Homesickness (homecoming)
Job panic for mid-year grads
Group identity issues
Financial stress
Involvement opportunities
Fall Parties

NOVEMBER

Good Nutrition Month
National Diabetes Month
National Epilepsy Awareness Month
Religion & Philosophy Books Month
Latino American Month
Peanut Butter Lover’s Month
Native American Heritage Month
International Creative Child & Adult Month

Student Issues

Finals/grades
Changing relationships
Friends from home
Significant others
Dealing with parents
Time management conflicts
Roommate problems – short tempers
Winter Break depression
Results of procrastination
Social apathy
Problems related to alcohol

Spring Semester Program Ideas

JANUARY

Crime Stoppers Month
Soup Month
Volunteer Blood Donor Month
National Eye Care Month
Hot Tea Month
Oatmeal Month

Student Issues

Academic Revival
Post-holiday depression
Roommate relationships
Leadership
Para-professional recruitment
Family loss / stress
Welcoming of new residents
Weight gain
Money problems

February

African American History Month
Canned Food Month
World Understanding Month
Creative Romance Month
National Blah-Buster Month
Humpback Whales Awareness Month
International Boost Your Self-Esteem Month
American History Month
American Heart Month
Black History Month
National Snack Food Month
National Weddings Month

Student Issues

Dad’s Weekend
Summer job hunting
Graduation planning
Cleanliness in common areas
Living arrangements for fall
Tutoring services
Race issues
Dating
Alcohol and relationships
Dealing with noise
Where to study

MARCH

American Red Cross Month
National Frozen Food Month
National Peanut Month Irish-American Heritage Month
National Nutrition Month
National Women’s History

Student Issues

Safe spring break
Travel tips
Goal-setting
Choosing a major
Impending crises for seniors
What was/is my education worth?
Did I choose the wrong major?
Job interview preparation
Resume writing
Resume building
Summer job hunting
Earning money for spring break

APRIL

Keep America Beautiful Month
Listening Awareness Month
Multicultural Communication Month
National Recycling Month
Actors Appreciation Month
Alcohol Awareness Month
National Anxiety Month
National Humor Month
National Poetry Month
Stress Awareness Month

Student Issues

Outdoor resources
Bike trail
Hiking
Modesting issues (warmer weather)
Financial strain affecting social life
Time management
Major selection
Illness due to weather changes
Senioritis

MAY

Better Sleep Month
Electrical Safety Month
Mental Health Month
National Barbecue Month
National Hamburger Month
National Egg Month
National High Blood Pressure Month
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month
Revise Your Work Schedule Month
National Sasquatch Month
National Asparagus Month
National Bike Month
National Mime Month
National Physical Fitness
National Photo Month
Sports Month
National Strawberry Month
Personal History Awareness
Cinco De Mayo (Mexico) Month
National Salad Month

Student Issues

Year end check out procedures
Finals pressure
Going home for the summer
Spring health and fitness
Finishing strong with academics
Senior/Summer job panic

JUNE

Fresh Fruits & Vegetables Month
Fireworks Safety Month
National Accordion Awareness Month
National Drive Safe Month
National Pest Control Month
Black Music Month
Tony Award Month
June Dairy Month
Youth Suicide Prevention Month
Zoo & Aquarium Month

The information used on this page was found at http://www.oneonta.edu/development/reslife/pages/prog_social.asp

Doppleganger

We had FNL at MVNU this past week and here is one of the videos made by some of the students.



Good job guys!

RA Caption Contest

"Its amazing we actually caught someone cleaning the bathroom."













"Is this an 'A', 'B', or 'C' Fire Extinguisher?"















1. "If I showed this to my roommate, I wonder if the Director of ResLife would count this as an Educational Program."

2. Cypress' annual preparation for TWIRP Week.






















"How am I supposed to find my future wife if I can't get on my Facebook?"






















Next year's RA Retreat plans.



















The state school version of the "Straw Game".

Summer 2006 Update

RAs,

I know that many of you are excited about returning to campus, but I wanted to let you know about some of the updates taking place on campus.

Cedar: The two large trees (Pod trees) have been removed and make that area look so much nicer.

Birch & Rosewood: New trash cans have been added for the grills. These cans are not for trash, but for discarding charcoal remains.

Galloway: Lobby is being painted

Pioneer: Old furniture has been removed from the study rooms

Maplewood & Elmwood: Some apartments are receiving new windows

PSU: A new outdoor patio is being put in outside the 586

Galloway and Pioneer: Carpet is being added to Galloway 1E and Pioneer 2N

Thorne Library: New expansion being added to lower south-east corner of the building (Depicted below).

Enjoy the rest of your time with your friends and family. We look forward to having you return on the Friday the 25th of August. Please contact your RD if you have any questions about arriving back at MVNU.

Ryan

The Kellers are here.

Hello everyone, I hope that you are enjoying the summer. Things are going well on campus, we have had 3 orientations and have found housing for over 300 first time freshmen with more to come, and there is a large group of transfer student also assigned. Travis and Sarah Keller have completed the first leg of their move and are planning to be completely moved in next week.

Just to let the RAs know what the next month holds for us: the RDs and I will be hitting the ground running starting August 3rd, we will be attending a conference at Grace College in Indiana and following that up with Residence Life Planning until the 16th of August. Your RDs will be in contact with you, but they will be pretty busy during that time, so leave messages if you want to get in touch with them.

Also RAs, you should plan on returning to MVNU on Friday August 25th (unless your RD specifies an earlier time) because we will be going camping at the MVNU Wood on August 26-27. We will be sleeping in tents, so come prepared with sleeping bags and clothes that can get dirty. So get some rest before you come back to school, because we are going to have a lot of fun, but it will be very busy as well.

Have a great week!

Ryan Schmitz

Blast & Summer Orientations

I hope that your summer vacation is going well. This week we will be hosting hundreds of teenagers from across Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia on campus for Blast. I don't know if I have ever been on campus for Blast before, so this will be an adventure.

After Blast we will have our first Summer Orientation. I wanted to invite any 2006-07 RAs that are available to pay us a visit to come and join us on the following dates for any or all of the Orientations:

Friday & Saturday June 23-24 (Biggest Orientation)
Thursday & Friday June 29-30
Friday & Saturday July 7-8

We will be meeting many new students and their families and we want you to feel free to befriend them and answer any questions they might have. Please email me if you are interested (we can house you if you bring your own bedding).

Remember Sonya Burrell in prayer as she serves in Africa this summer, she left today.

Let us know of any interesting experiences you have over the break. Take care we can't wait for your return!

- Ryan

Two Thumbs Up For Blogging

The long anticipated summer break is finally here and I want to use this blog to let you know about any news you are missing while you are away for the summer. We will also let you know what to expect next year, any news about our staff and provide you with ideas that will start you thinking about next year.

Continue to check the blog through the summer and please reply to often and if you have any ideas for posts let me know and I'll add you as a contributor.


Please start praying the MVNU staff as we prepare for the new freshman class. The Summer orientations are scheduled for June 23-24, June 29-30 and July 7-8.

Student Development as a Career

Are you struggling with what to do after you graduate? Are you wondering what you are qualified for when we tell you “its time to leave MVNU”? Well one field that I never knew about until I was a sophomore in college was to work in College Student Development.

The field is not quite as narrow as it might seem: RD and a Director of ResLife. There are actually quite a few areas out there that you may want to look at:

Campus Recreation & Intramurals
Judicial Affairs
Greek Life
Chaplain
Campus Safety
Community Life
Director of Housing
Outdoor Education
Student Health Services
Diversity
Career Development
Events Coordinator
Leadership Development
International Student
Coordinator for First Year Education
Counseling

This is just one segment of Higher Education. Working is Higher Education is both fun and rewarding. It is a ministry, a positive work setting, plenty of variety, there is a lot of room for advancement, and it can be a very stable working environment compared with most other fields. If you would like to learn more about this field, please talk with any of our MVNU Student Development staff and ask us for more information or what you can do to get started.

Here are a few of the websites to look for positions in Higher Education (Some will be links on this site permanently):

http://www.cccu.org/career/ns_career.asp - Various jobs at Christian schools

http://www.acsdhome.org/placement.htm - Student Development jobs at Christian schools
- ACSD Conference in Indiana at the beginning of June where a lot of schools will do their hiring

http://www.higheredjobs.com/ - Various jobs at mostly secular schools (public and private)

http://www.residentassistant.com/jobs/index.htm - A few Student Development jobs at secular schools

http://jobslink.naspa.org/search.cfm - More Student Development jobs at secular schools

http://placement.myacpa.org/ongoing/admin/employers.cfm?cfid=568951&cftoken=91402598 - More Student Development jobs at secular schools

http://www.nacac.com/classifieds2.cfm?catid=2 - Admissions positions

http://www.naccap.org/membership/careers/ - Christian school admissions positions

http://nirsa.jobcontrolcenter.com/search/results/ - Recreation and Intramurals jobs
http://www.acuho.ohio-state.edu/jobs/ - More secular school housing related jobs

So incase you haven't heard yet, I'm changing offices. This is taking a little bit longer than expected because I have to determine what to keep and what to throw away. On top of that I am finding all sorts of funny old documents from years gone by. My favorite so far is the 1974-75 Student Handbook. If you think the rules at MVNU in 2006 are tough, here are a few examples of policies from that era:



Residence
The Following students shall not be allowed to reside in the College dormitories, without special permission from the Director of Student Services (Development):
a. students who are married
b. students thirty-years of age or older
c. student who have been married

Dress Standards
Sunbathing is allowed only in the designated areas fenced in behind each dormitory. Shoes must be worn at all times outside of dormitories

Shorts, other than those approved for athletic participation, are not acceptable for wear at any time while enrolled at MVNC.

Women: Pantsuits and dress slacks are not to be worn to church services. However, since chapel is a part of the regular college-day activities, they are acceptable there, except when one is scheduled to be a platform participant in the service.

Men: Blue jeans, overalls, and other attire contributing to a sloppy appearance are not considered in good taste for classroom and cafeteria wear.

Weekends
All campus students are required to remain on campus for the weekends when special religious emphasis are planned.

All freshmen are required to stay on campus for the first five (5) weekends of the Fall Term.

Students will be allowed to go home with a friend or friends, unless forbidden by parents at the beginning of the year. Female students will not be allowed to go home with male students (or vise versa) without parental approval.

Marriage
Students who become married during the school year must have a letter of permission from parents or guardians of both individuals and the approval of the college president.

Lounges
A deskworker or other supervisory person will be authorized to maintain the proper atmosphere by prohibiting the following:
-boisterous activity
-moving furniture without permission
-putting feet on furniture
-reclining on the couches or floors
-using "playing cards"
-inappropriate social deportment (I think this mean "making out")

Looking for a place to pray, the handbook suggests the following:
the dorm prayer rooms, or down by the creek (aren't you glad we have the chapel now?)

Chapel
Each student is expected to attend every chapel service; there are no excused absences. Each student will be allowed up to eight (8) absences each (semester) and (2) in the January (term), for reasons of illness and emergency.

In 1974 there was a disciplinary action called "Campusing" or a "Campusment", which looks like:
1. During "campusment" period, you are not allowed to leave the campus at any time without special permission from the Director of Student Services (Development). This does not, of course, include church services and prayer meeting; you will be allowed to attend church off campus during regularly scheduled church service times, after checking out with the Head Resident Counselor (RD).
Doctor's appointments made prior to the imposition of the campus may be kept, after informing the Head Resident Counselor (RD).
On-campus curricular assignments and responsibilities have priority over the specific requirements of the "campus" and will be allowed, after clearing it with the Head Resident Counselor (RD). This must not be mis-used, or it will become "an increased offense". Off-campus curricular involvement must have the expressed permission of the Director of Student Services (Development).
Work on campus will be allowed, except for the hours you are to be in your room. Work off campus will be forfeited, unless special arrangements are made with the Office of Student Services and the Head Resident Counselor (RD).

2. You must spend the period from 8:00 p.m. each (evening) to 7:30 a.m. the following morning in your room Monday through Thursday, except for stated prayer meeting times; also, from 9:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. During this time, you must either be in your room with the door closed, or in your wing bathroom. Dorm lobbies and halls are off-limits. Unnecessary noise will be considered "an increased offense". You will be allowed to receive telephone calls during this time only from off-campus callers.

3. During the time of you "campus", you are excluded from all extra-curricular activities of the college. This includes intramural and inter-collegiate athletics, student government functions, faculty committee assignments, and any official representation of the college.

4. During the time of your "campus", your behavior must be circumspect and beyond suspicion. Further infractions, even minor ones, will be dealt with in increasingly stringent ways.

I don't thing that we will be adding this to any discipline contracts any time soon, but it is interesting to the changes over the last 30 years, it was equally interesting to see what stayed the same. I don't know what things at MVNU will look like in 2036, but it is funny to think that they may someday look back at our current policies and chuckle.

RA Retreat Pictures, January 2006

How can I help with RA Recruitement?

We are in the process of recruiting our RA staff for the 2006-07 school year and I thought that we could utilize our current staff to recruit next year's staff. Here are a few of my thoughts:

1. Encourage those students that you know who would make a great RA to apply.

2. Discourage the students that you know would not make good RAs from applying.

3. Talk about your experiences as an RA with student who might be interested in applying.

4. Announce the information meeting (February 2nd at 7pm in the Cafe) and the application deadline to your residents (Make a sign).

5. Say to a person specifically: "I think that you would make a good RA in ________ living area".

6. Have one of your residents help you to plan a program, so they can see what that would be like, plus you can get some help.

7. Work with other RAs and your RD to work together to recruit specifc students.

8. Be a great RA and reach out to students in your area. This is the best way that I know to get other people interested in becoming an RA. People want to emulate they people that have influenced their lives for the better.

We count on you to help us build up our future staff, another way you can help us is by being honest on the recommendation forms that the people applying to become RAs will be asking you to fill out. Thanks again for all of your help.

Programming Using Cable TV

When MVNU decided to wire Cable TV into each of your apartments and dorm rooms, there were concerns voiced about how it may weaken community. Here is a list of some ideas you can use the Cable to help build community. Please add your own ideas in the comment section.

1. Have a weekly gathering for a popular TV show (like LOST, The Office, The Bachelor, 24, The Apprentice, Survivor etc.) in your room, if it gets too big meet in the lobby.

2. Be aware of any Classic TV Marathons that maybe scheduled, then plan an all-nighter in the lobby or your room.

3. Have a get together during an Award show and have your residents dress up in fancy clothes just like the celebrities. Add a red carpet and interviews for true authenticity (Courtesy of J. Buch)

4. Record a movie that was originally rated R that has been censored for TV and show it to your residents. Follow that up with a discussion. Some ideas are discuss the content in Rated R movies, censorship, Hollywood's impact on culture, or discuss a moral dilemma from the film. Talk to your RD before you do this to make sure they are aware of your plans.

5. Have an educational program where you watch a Major Political event (State of the Union, Senate hearings, C-SPAN) or Election Results. Have a professor present to discuss the impact of the results and to take questions from your residents.

6. Promote an Athletic event that is being televised as an educational program for student who would like to learn more about a sport and not sound silly asking questions. Have some “experts” on hand to answer questions.

7. For the upcoming Winter Olympics (Feb. 10-26 on NBC, MSNBC and CNBC) keep a medal count Poster on a bulletin board or in your lobby. Find information online about the rules and history of the events and post them up in your areas. Promote the big events like Figure Skating, Hockey, and of course Curling.

Welcome to the MVNU Residence Life Blog

Our staff would like to provide this blog as a resource to our entire staff for ideas, encouragement, and to inform everyone about things that have happened and things to come. Please be constructive when commenting and be respectful to each other. Remember this is a public website and we all represent MVNU. Please direct any questions or concerns to Ryan Schmitz via email.