Collins-Final Week at the Office of Student Life at MUW

Activities:

1. Got insight into a student worker position in the Office of Student Life.
2. Prepped for Welcome Week--t-shirts, program, schedule of events, floor plans, reached out to artisans.
3. Observed office dynamics on the brink of administrative change.

Reflection:

Whoa! What a ride this Practicum experience has been. I cannot believe this is the final blog post already. I feel like I have just become comfortable with my roles in the Office of Student Life. I have gained rapport with the staff, student workers, volunteers, and administrators. I have assisted during the planning period for Welcome Week 2012 and have loved every minute of it. I have to admit that when I first started at the W it took me a little while to become comfortable in the new environment. I didn't have a clue as to what I was supposed to be doing, nor did I have the confidence to step out of my office and shake the hands of the other office personnel. It was only after I began to travel to the campus everyday that I started building those relationships. The relationships with not only my supervisor, but with the students and the staff are what made my time at the W so worthwhile. I feel so accepted and  comfortable here, and that is not a statement that I would've made a month ago. Again, what a ride this Practicum experience has been!!

This week was a semi-busy week for us in Student Activities. The Welcome Week t-shirts came in and had to be rolled based on size. A mundane task, but one that has to be accomplished nonetheless. This activity was a lot more fun since there were four of us handling it at once: Sherita and Rebecca, the student workers, and Beth and I, the interns. Beth and I were glad to help since we are both in cruise control with our internships now. We have been volunteering more and more to help assist with tasks that ANYONE in the office would like to have accomplished. I haven't had the privilege of working with Beth all summer, but last week our schedules aligned so we were able to partner up and gain experience with each other's internships. FUN FUN FUN!

Supply Closet

  My Welcome Week t-shirt folding station 

Student WW T-shirt (back)

Student WW T-shirt (front)

Staff WW T-shirt (Back)

My little helper, Beth.

One of the finished products!

We also were assigned by Flapp to wrap gifts for some of the students he mentors. I was proud of my achievements. The bows were my added touch. Cute, huh? That's Sherita modeling our hard work.

Flapp's gifts came in ample amounts of bubble wrap, so Beth and I enjoyed transforming the bubble wrap into costumes. The staff loved our creativity.

Office royalty. Sometimes everybody needs a good laugh.

Solo shot. If student affairs doesn't work out, maybe bubble wrap modeling will.

Rebecca and I truly bonded this week. During our down time one afternoon, we decided to clean out the copy room. We organized the paper, supplies, folders, coffee filters, and shelves. One lesson I have learned this past month is that just when you think there's nothing to do, something can always be found that needs to be done. I've enjoyed experiencing that lesson. Just because there's nothing that is pressing in Student Activities doesn't mean that Career Services or Housing and Residence Life don't have something that you could assist with. A lot of my professional growth has come during my "down time" with Student Activities. The staff has been very willing to have me assist with tasks of all kinds, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Rebecca organizing the paper trays on a lazy afternoon.

Friday was Dr. Phillip "Flapp" Cockrell's last day as the Director of the Office of Student Life at MUW. A reception was held in his honor that afternoon. Although I have only been around this man for a few months, it has become apparent just how adored he is by anyone and everyone that comes in contact with him. From the students he mentors to the staff that he oversees to the administration that he answers to, Flapp has truly made a difference at MUW, and I can tell you that none of the staff is ready to see him go. The emotions are running high right now as the office goes into the unknown. Flapp left some very big shoes to fill, and everyone knows that. Can you imagine working in an office where you are like a family and one day the "daddy" is gone forever? Well that is exactly what is happening within that office. Flapp created an environment of openness, creativity, collaboration, and confidence. The staff is anxious to see who will be hired and if that person will adapt to the culture already created or if there will be a total overhaul. 

Flapp is pictured to the left. Dr. Miles, the new VP of Student Affairs has her back to the camera, but she was busy thanking Flapp for his years of service. Dr. Miles has only been VP for six months, so that will affect this administrative change as well.

I snapped this picture at the very beginning of the reception before the bulk of the crowd got there, but just imagine that 30 other people are in this small space awaiting a chance to thank Flapp for his service to MUW.

In conclusion to an amazing summer, I would like to say that everything that I have heard from previous student affairs students has proven to be true. Yes, I did get all of my hours even though I thought I never would. Yes, I did step out of my comfort zone. Yes, it paid off. Yes, I wish I could start it all over. Yes, I would recommend this office and campus to anyone, and yes, it is possible to fall in love with an entirely different type of campus or culture than your alma mater. Mississippi State was all I had ever known, and although I was not entirely convinced that I would have the same types of experiences just down the road in Columbus as some of my classmates have had at LSU, USC, or UA, I have been proven wrong and I am so glad that I have. Opportunities for experience and professional development are anywhere and everywhere. It is when we take that first step out of the comfort zone that learning and growth will occur. I am so glad that I was pushed to take that first step away from MSU. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my graduate career.

Thanks for reading!

Brooke Collins