Looking Forward

Hi Everyone!

This week, I have participated in a lot of activities that require looking forward to next year, including ALANAA Brothers and Sisters training, Orientation Team training, and a Town Hall meeting.

This past Saturday, the ALANAA Brothers and Sisters had its first training for the upperclassmen Mentors. For those of you who don’t know, the ALANAA Brothers and Sisters Leadership Program is a fall Orientation Program for first year students of color, international students, and students who identify as diversity allies. The program provides these first year students with the resources to shape and strengthen their experiences here and to empower their voice at the college. As upperclassmen Mentors, we will have training this semester, move in early in the fall to train more, and then be assigned a “little” brother or sister for the First Year Intercultural Experience Program, which takes place two days before the regular fall Orientation Program. Our first training consisted mostly of getting to know the other mentors and their experiences, and reviewing readings and videos on issues of race, diversity, and inclusion. For part of the afternoon, 8 out of the 24 of us split into an “advanced” group, where we were learning more about how to actually facilitate discussions on diversity rather than just participate in them. It was a really productive day, and I am super excited about our second day of training tomorrow! I always enjoy participating in ALANAA training because it brings up a lot of meaningful issues on campus, and allows me to learn about other peoples’ experiences.

On Sunday, I had training for the Freshmen Orientation Program. The Peer Mentors on the Orientation Team have several trainings this semester and about five days of training and preparation right before freshmen orientation in June. On Sunday, we discussed the ideal qualities of a Peer Mentor and also learned about how our personalities would affect the way we work with our partners. It was great to see everyone again; this was the first time we were all together since the retreat a few weeks ago! It is also really exciting to start talking about orientation in real terms; as a third year Peer Mentor, I know what to expect, so I can’t WAIT! (June isn’t that far away right?)

Finally, this past Tuesday, the Student Government Association sponsored a Town Hall Meeting that I was able to attend. The President of the College, Father Cregan, was there, as well as several other administrators from offices like Intercultural Affairs, Student Affairs, Academic Services, Dining Services, and Health Services. The great thing about this meeting was that it was all about the students getting their voices heard; the administrators we there to listen, not to speak. There were three main topics that the SGA Executive Board Members introduced, and for each topic students simply needed to raise their hands for the microphone and speak their minds. We were able to discuss access to student services (like library or cafeteria hours, or health services), inclusion and diversity, and academic resources for smaller majors and minors (such as classes, internships, and career help). There was also time at the end of the meeting for students to address issues that weren’t covered already (such as environmental practices on campus). Overall, the meeting was extremely productive. It was a great opportunity for the administration to keep in touch with what Stonehill students are saying and thinking around campus, and I think that they really appreciated that chance. All of these events had me thinking about next year: the programs I am involved with, how I will be spending my time, and what I would like to accomplish. I can’t believe next year will be my last!