Collins-Week 3-Office of Student Life at MUW

Reflection Questions:

1. What have I been involved in this week?
2. What am I learning about myself as a person/professional?
3. What am I learning about Student Activities?

Reflection:

This week I spent time on the campus of MUW. I was thankful for having enough time to actually spend in the office. We didn't have a whole lot going on in Student Activities this week, and I found myself setting up shop in the student worker's office. I didn't really like this because I did not feel connected with anyone. Surrounded by post-it notes, sorority paraphernalia, and event posters, I found myself becoming bored with my tasks and craving personal interaction. After an entire morning of sitting in that office alone, I vowed to not spend my time like that. I had no direct contact with anyone, and was glued to my task of contacting artisans for the Craft Sale during Welcome Week. 

Student Programming Board Members that my supervisor advises during the school year

While I was not in the office, Katie spent time preparing bags for the Recruitments Counselors. I am learning from her that at a small college, professionals take on various roles and responsibilities. At a large campus, professionals can allocate various tasks to student workers or graduate assistants, but when you only have one student worker at your beck and call, sometimes you have to do things yourself if you want them to be done in a timely manner. I am going to make it a point to let Katie know that I am on campus to help her and learn from her. It is my belief that she has gotten so used to doing things on her own that she is not yet used to having an extra set of hands to help her. I have learned this past week that it is paramount that if I want to gain experience I have to go out and find it. I have been so used to sitting in my office as a graduate assistant and having tasks assigned to me without going to find them that I have become somewhat complacent with that routine.

The cute bags that Katie ordered for Recruitment. Notice that the t-shirt design/Disney theme is used throughout.

Binder containing information for recruitment 2012!

With this mindset intact, I spent the next day out of the office. I walked around campus and finally decided that I needed to familiarize myself with MUW. I walked across the street to Eudora Welty Hall, home of the Admissions Office, and asked for a campus tour. To my delight, my colleague and classmate, Megan Thomas, was available to tour me. We hopped into a golf cart and began the fun journey. Even though I have spent numerous hours on the MUW website, it was a totally different experience to see and learn about the history first-hand. Because I am a blog fanatic, I documented the entire experience via my iPhone 4S camera. I won't take up too much space, but will highlight a few of my favorite spots on the MUW campus. Enjoy!

The famous clock tower. This building was an infirmary during the Civil War and legend has it that a woman nursed a wounded soldier back to health. She fell in love with him, but he left her never to return again. The rumor is that she hung herself in the clock tower and still haunts the building to this day. CREEPY.

The Kissing Rock. About 12 feet inside the gate to campus is the point where men had to end their dates since the campus was not co-ed. This rock is a monument to the many "good night kisses" that were left on the cheeks of the women at the W. SO SWEET.

My personal favorite tradition: the original front gate.  The superstition behind the gate is that if a woman walks through the gate backward they will avoid becoming an "old maid", but if they walk through it normally, they are doomed to a life alone. Naturally, I avoided the curse and walked through backwards.

I really enjoyed my campus tour. It was a beautiful day to explore, and Megan did a fantastic job teaching me about the history and traditions embedded into the MUW culture. She also gave me great insight into social clubs. I appreciated her time and information, and was happy to get out of the office for the morning. This week was a challenge for me. I have never worked with Student Activities before. I knew that it would be an interesting experience since it is the summertime. Students are scarce and there are no real events going on besides Orientation. Summer is not exactly primetime for student affairs professionals aside from planning for the next year. That is exactly what I have been made aware of this week as I have been on campus. I have to adapt to the time of year. I am on campus to help plan for the next year, and I should remain porous during this experience. I need to learn to ask questions about the planning process and expose myself to the "behind the scenes" work done by professionals in our field.

Hope everyone has a great week!

-Brooke Collins