Blog

“Bro, do you even lift?”

Many of you have probably heard this question. Some of you might think it sounds ridiculous. You might even ask yourself, “Who actually says that?” Before I go any further, let me say that this is not about working out. I have nothing against working out. It is just that working out is one of the common bonds and a typical point of emphasis among “Bros”, and THAT is exactly what this post is about. This brief post is about the Bro: what a Bro is and what we can do about the growing Bro problem.

You are probably familiar with the term, but in case you need a more thorough definition, let’s look at what Wikipedia says a Bro is:

A male youth subculture of “conventional guys’ guys” who spend time partying in ways similar to each other. Although the popular image of bro lifestyle is associated with sports apparel and fraternities, it lacks a consistent definition. Some aspects vary regionally such as in California where it overlaps with surf culture.[1] Oxford Dictionaries have noted that bros frequently self-identify with neologisms containing the word “bro” as a prefix or suffix. Analyses into the subculture have identified swimmer Ryan Lochte and television character Barney Stinson as recognizable adherents.

The bro has been a longtime fixture of pop culture. Some say it started with the movie Animal House, others say ESPN was the advent, but I say you can trace the roots of Bro-dom all the way back to King Henry the VIII.

“Why such a fuss with Bros? What’s the big deal?” The big deal is that Bros are slowly taking over the world! Ok, maybe they are not taking over the world, but they are certainly outnumbering gentlemen at a very fast pace. “Gentleman? You mean like the international smash hit by South Korean recording star Psy?” No, definitely not that kind of gentleman. I am talking about the exact opposite kind of gentleman: that drab, boring, archaic term associated with men of good character. Gentlemen, not boys, not “guys” or “bros”, but gentlemen, are the type of people that have others in mind. Gentlemen are considerate, and humble when they speak AND when they act.

So come on Liberty, lets band together and boycott the word Bro, and I don’t mean boycott in the way Elton John Boycotted Dolce & Gabbana. I mean let’s actually stop using the word bro. Instead, let’s start by referring to each other by our actual names more often. If Liberty as a community could transform from a Neanderthal statement such as “Bro, do you even lift?” to something like “Hey Brian! It is really good to see you at the gym today!” then Liberty would be a much better place. Although it seems like a small change, it would be a baby step in the right direction!

On Saturday 2/28, we proudly hosted Jon Foreman for a sold-out concert in the LaHaye Event Space. On a cold Virginia night, this proud San Diego native sang, laughed, and shared with a really excited crowd. Jon is not a stranger to Liberty University, having played here with his band Switchfoot several times over the past few years.

During this concert, he pulled material from various parts of his career. We heard some Switchfoot favorites such as ‘Dare You to Move’ and ‘Only Hope’. He also performed some of his older solo material such as ‘Your Love is Strong’ and ‘Southbound Train’. One of the main highlights of the night was hearing Jon play some new tunes that aren’t even released yet. These included the songs ‘Terminal’ and ‘The Patron Saint of Rock & Roll’. He explained that he has new material being released later this year. The crowd latched on, singing along, shouting suggestions, and having a great time.

The instrumentation was very bare – just Jon on acoustic, and a cellist (the very talented Keith Tutti). This stripped down set sounded surprisingly full – full of textures and layers. Jon’s fantastic vocal range, along with Keith’s creativity on the cello gave the whole evening a really unique sound. They came out for an encore, and the crowd was clearly happy. Jon told everyone that he was having a great time, even veering from his intended set list. “It feels like off-roading in a train” he told the crowd.

We still have some more great concerts this semester. Be sure to get your tickets soon for Propaganda on April 2 and Colony House on April 20. As always, keep up to date with concert info by following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

It’s finally here! Coffeehouse season might be our favorite time of year around the office…besides Christmas, of course. We’ve been planning for months, but now decorations are starting to take shape and tryouts are in full swing. It’s hard to believe we’re just under a month away from the big show. Our staff has been working incredibly hard to make this one of the best shows to-date. I don’t want to give anything away, but you’ll have some awesome photo opportunities on the concourse (be sure to bring your Polaroid camera). We’ve already seen some photos and videos of groups practicing and prepping for their auditions and it’s looking like 90’s Coffeehouse will be full of great talent.

Tickets for the show are on sale now for just $3. They tend to go quickly, so don’t wait too long.

Also, don’t forget that we’ve been throwing it back the entire month of February with the #SASlimeChallenge. There’s just a few days remaining to win some great prizes.

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
I shan’t. Summer is so muggy, and there are too many gnats.
Did you decide on what you want for Valentine’s dinner yet?
What? Olive Garden? Seriously, bae?

– Shakespeare, possibly, if he lived around here today and was stupid instead of a genius

Ask 100 people to describe Valentine’s Day. You’ll probably hear terms such as “romantic”, “pressure”, or “overdraft protection”. But now more than ever, people say something like, “Who cares about Valentine’s Day! It’s not even a real holiday!” Sure it isn’t. Just keep your heads buried in the reject sand on Loser Beach, you single ostriches that no one would date anyway. Of course, it’s not surprising to hear such a negative attitude toward Valentine’s Day. Romance and sentimentality are most uncool right now, plus lots of people are mean jerks. And since mean jerks don’t have anything better to do, they’ve joined forces against the one day every year that guarantees everyone a shot at finding true love. “But,” you say, “I kind of like Valentine’s day AND true love! How can I combat these forces?” You combat them by getting your wallets out and spending money on Valentine’s Day, that’s how! Now, we know that many of you baby lovebirds can’t stray too far from the Liberty nest, which means your only option is Wards Road. However, this is no “gimme”. Valentine’s Day can make even familiar territory like Wards Road intimidating. Luckily, you don’t have to go at it unprepared. Let our Wards Road Guide to Valentine’s Day guide you on Wards Road for Valentine’s Day. Here are some key tactics:

• Clarify Your Objective – Sure, you’ve been on Wards Road plenty of times, but do you really think you can make weighty, Valentine’s Day decisions on the fly and under pressure? What will you do before dinner? Are you going somewhere afterwards? Is that really another vape shop? If you don’t plan ahead, questions like these will only distract and confuse you, and your Wards Road Valentine’s Day could end up being the two of you leafing through the bargain DVD bin at Walmart. Know your options and have a plan of attack.
• Shock & Awe – Don’t just go stand in line at Logan’s Roadhouse and shell peanuts for an hour. Make the start of your Day memorable. Go to PetSmart and look at puppies. Visit Pier 1 Imports to see, um, some wicker things? Is that what they sell? Or get a jump on St. Patrick’s Day and buy some ceramic leprechauns or something at Hallmark. Very memorable. Shopping a bit will also help calm your love nerves and buy you some very precious walking-together time. Think of it more like Shop & “Aww!” THEN you can go to Logan’s and shell peanuts for an hour.
• Pre-Shock & Pre-Awe – If you’re ahead of the game and want to try a surprise attack, go to FedEx Kinko’s or The UPS Store and overnight mail your Valentine something special BEFORE Valentine’s Day. Talk about expedited shipping. What could be faster than delivery from Wards Road to Liberty’s campus? Plus, everyone loves getting real mail. Think how much more special it will feel to get to sign for some unexpected Valentine’s mail. First, his/her signature, then his/her heart.
• The Primary Offensive: Dinner – Critically important: know your date’s dietary restrictions ahead of time. The where, when, and what of dinner all ride on this knowledge. What fast/diet/cleanse is he/she currently on? Would Daniel have fasted from delicious dinner rolls? Juice cleansing is stupid, right? What are we doing waiting two hours for unlimited salad and breadsticks anyway? Also remember: the popular places are even more popular on Valentine’s Day, so don’t consider it a failure if you end up at Ruby Tuesday for their salad bar. Their food is as mediocre as anyone else’s, you probably won’t wait as long to sit down, plus their salad bar has cubed ham.
• End Game: Coffee/Dessert – If you’ve gotten to the end of your meal and “coffee or dessert” is still an option, congratulations. We recommend going to a second location for these treats, really rub it in the faces of the anti-Valentine’s crowd. Then just sit back, sip slowly on that coffee, and assess whether or not the person shoveling that molten lava cake into his/her mouth is worth date #2.

This is just a primer, of course, so don’t expect to be a savvy veteran after one try. You can only gain experience by getting out there and earning those battle scars. The war on Valentine’s Day is real, at least as real as the war on Christmas, which means Pat Benatar was double right about love being a battlefield. So be bold. Be brave. And don’t be afraid to go all out, because they can take our Russell Stover’s chocolates, but they’ll never take our Valentine’s Day! (Actually, they can’t take the chocolates either. They were $3 and we’re not made of money.)

Student Activities loves music. Each semester we strive to bring you great concerts and music events. This semester is unprecedented in the amount of concerts we’ll have on campus. With five concerts in the LaHaye Event Space and two in the Vines Center, there is plenty of great music coming your way. I hope you find something that you enjoy, or try out something new at several of these concerts. Music arouses strong passions from people who love it as well as from those who don’t. Anytime that music touches on spiritual themes or ideas, those passions tend to become even stronger.

With such a diverse calendar, we often get questions about the different types of genres represented. You’ll see hip-hop, rock, singer/songwriter and more represented by these various concerts. However, a regular question comes up regardless of the genre: “Is this ‘Christian’ music?” That is a tough question to answer, and I don’t want to speak for any particular artist on how they categorize their music. However, I do believe this is a conversation worth having, and I would welcome you to have this conversation with us. Some define ‘Christian’ music purely as that which belongs to Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). The term CCM then becomes both an industry and a genre. Others view ‘Christian’ music as that which can be used for worship services, or private worship.

In his recent book Ordinary: Sustainable Faith in a Radical, Restless World Michael Horton recounts an interview with Jon Foreman (who is performing here in February). In this interview, Jon is asked to define Christian music. He answers-

“To be honest, this question grieves me because I feel that it represents a much bigger issue than simply a couple SF [Switchfoot] tunes. In true Socratic form, let me ask you a few questions: Does Lewis or Tolkien mention Christ in any of their fictional series? Are Bach’s sonatas Christian? What is more Christ-like, feeding the poor, making furniture, cleaning bathrooms, or painting a sunset? There is a schism between the sacred and the secular in all of our modern minds.”

Jon turns the question back on the listener and asks them to take a step back and answer more fundamental issues. This provides us with a good approach, as this is a large, ongoing issue. The categories here are not simple, and it takes nuance to appreciate some of the subtleties.

I do not have clear cut answers, and a blog does not provide the space or format to hash this out completely. However, I want our events and our office to be a space for the conversation. I would encourage you to take part by attending the shows, talking to our staff, and interacting with us on social media.

I’ll see you at the next show.

Like the buds of awakening trees, or the first steps of the newborn fawn, “Hollywood”’s spring movie season will soon be here, dropping its crap all over our cars and wobbling clumsily around the woods. Yes, that endless factory of creativity and dreams has pinpointed the exact entertainment spending habits of 18 to 35 year old males gone to great lengths to bring to life the stories that speak to the hearts of each and every one of us, and the fruits of those labors will soon be at a theater near you. And since you can’t go into the spring movie season blind, we’re here to give you a “heads up”. Actual spring is from March to June, but it’s another matter entirely when you’re talking about a movie calendar. So, equinoxes and solstices be darned, by “spring” we mean the more traditional understanding of February-ish to the end of May, also known as “real spring, the way God intended”. Let’s take a look, shall we?**

**Looking, of course, at Liberty Way appropriate movies. Yes, Hot Tub Time Machine 2 will be out soon, but that’s not exactly on our radar here.

February/March

• Jupiter Ascending (Feb. 6) kicks(?) things off(?) kind of(??) and is a movie that people will probably pay money to see. WARNING – You already know ahead of time that Channing Tatum is in here, and so is Mila Kunis, and she plays a character named “Jupiter Jones”. You deserve everything you get if you go see this. There’s no way Sean Bean survives this movie.
• Hey kids! Smash those piggy banks open or demand your allowance a little early this time because February has the Sean the Sheep Movie (Feb. 6) and The Sponge Bob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (Feb. 6).
• Most of you have probably said at some point in your life, “I like James Bond, but couldn’t they make something like that, you know, for tweens?” SAY IT NO MORE, because Kingsman: The Secret Service (Feb. 13) heard your cries and is here to cradle you. Rest easy, tweens.
• Cinderella (Mar. 13) returns to theaters, this time as a live-action movie. Fake Fact: the movie was rated PG just because the MPAA was so unsettled by Helena Bonham Carter singing Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo.
• More tweens! Divergent returns with the next movie in the series, this time called Insurgent (Mar. 20). What It’s Probably About – Two insurgents converge and fervently search for the detergent merchant of abstergents, an attempted disgorgement of the current regents of the resurgent Divergent contingent. For you, to see it should be pretty urgent.

April/May

• Now we get to the good stuff, unlike those 2nd and 3rd tier movies from February and March! Right off the April bat is Furious 7 (Apr. 3). Stick that in your tail pipe and rev it, February and March! Wait, that’s “the good stuff”? That can’t be it. Certainly there’s something better than this.
• Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (Apr. 17)? What!?? No, that can’t be it either.
• Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1). AHH, now that’s much better. A movie the whole industry can rely on, Joss Whedon brings The Avengers back with, um, a vengeance. This time, there are a lot more Terminator-looking robots, plus what looks like some super-powerful infighting between mythical Thor, super-mutant Hulk, and super-robot Iron Man. Looks like yet another job for the dexterity and pistols of Black Widow!
• Honorable Mentions: McFarland, USA (Feb. 20), Home (Mar. 27), Tomorrowland (May 22) and San Andreas (May 29)
• Dishonorable Mention: Pitch Perfect 2 (May 15)

There you have it, a brief look at this spring’s movies. Just remember: this whole year of movies, including the summer “blockbusters”, is just a light appetizer on the way to the main course: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Plan accordingly, and as always, happy viewing!

2016 is nearly here, but that doesn’t mean we’ve already moved on from 2015. In fact, we want to dwell in the past for just a bit longer as we recap all of the excitement from the fall semester. From Fall Welcome Week and Block Party all the way through Christmas Coffeehouse, the events of the fall 2015 semester will be tough to top. Let’s remember some of the highlights together, shall we?

Concerts/Performers

One of our goals here at Student Activities is to bring in excellent musicians and performers every semester, and this fall exceeded all of our expectations in that regard. Our concert lineup was one of the most stylistically diverse we’ve ever had, a great mix of established names and rising stars. Our largest-attended Block Party yet (8,000+) set the tone for the semester as it featured Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors and Johnnyswim. (We loved the music, but we might love it just a little more that it didn’t rain that day.) CFAW concerts this fall were about as big as it gets in CCM, as Tenth Avenue North and Sidewalk Prophets led the way for our concert in September, and Andy Mineo, JGivens, and Propaganda nearly (more like actually) brought the house down in the TRBC auditorium in November. Additionally, we added some great flavor to our calendar with our LaHaye Event Space shows, featuring Thrice lead singer Dustin Kensrue in September, The REDvolution tour featuring Red, Tedashii, Capital Kings, and Wolves at the Gate in October, and The Oh Hellos in November. Then to top it all off, we ended the school year with another mind-blowing performance from Justin Flom.

Movie Nights

Our Movie Nights for the fall semester featured some of the most popular movies of the year, but it was our Documentary Film Night in September that stands out as one of our favorite movie nights of the year. It featured the powerful, beautiful film The Drop Box and was the first time we integrated academics into one of our events (via the Psychology Department). The event counted as an approved activity, allowing Psych students to get course credit to attend the film. We also established a partnership with the Liberty Godparent Home and Family Life Services Adoption Agency for the event. Nearly 400 students were there, making it one of our best attended Documentary Film Nights to date.

Outdoor Rec/Trips

Our Outdoor Events expanded to include a wider variety of available trips, from our camping and hiking trips, to whitewater rafting and rock climbing trips, and even a beach camping trip in Virginia Beach. Our Liberty Mountain Trail Series for fall 2015 had 31 people complete all 3 races (Deep Hollow, Valley View, Reindeer Run), the highest total of series finishers in LMTS history. But of all our Outdoor Recreation additions or accomplishments, the Mike Donahue plaque and trail dedication was one of the proudest moments in our department’s history. In addition to his sacrifice in his military service, Major Donahue contributed to the life of the university through ROTC, the running community in Lynchburg, and to the trail races here in our department. We are proud to be able to contribute to his memory and legacy through his memorial on the mountain.

Christmas Coffeehouse

Our last event of the year is always our favorite. This year’s Christmas Coffeehouse was not just the biggest Christmas Coffeehouse we’ve ever had, it was by far the biggest Coffeehouse of any kind we’ve ever had. Over 8,200 tickets were sold for the show, which was subtitled Fa La La La La. Every show, we hear students talk about how talented the Liberty student body is, and we could not agree more. We’re not sure how we’ll top this one for the spring, but we’re sure going to try.

The fall semester had nearly 70 events and recreational activities for you, and the spring will be just about as busy. Be sure to find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all the latest information about everything that’s going on. Have a great Christmas break, and we’ll see you at our events in 2016!

Even though you may still feel like you’re on break, the New Year is here… classes have begun, and you may be wondering how to make this your best year yet.

As the supervisors at Student Activities, we want to help. Resolutions are great, but we all know we need a tiny push to actually follow through with them. Lucky for you, we have been hard at work planning the upcoming semester. We have the perfect events to encourage you in your seemingly impossible quest to keep your resolutions.

You may be thinking, “This year I’m really going to focus on school!” Well, we’re here to provide you with study breaks! On February 6, you can finally beat your roommate in Settlers of Catan at our exciting and competitive Game Night!

People think the dollar theater is a good deal, but if you’re trying to save a few bucks check out our free movie nights throughout the semester and our Lord of The Rings marathon at the end of January.

Doesn’t it seem like those Christmas cookies stay with you past the holidays? We have just the events for you! Not only do we have trail races and challenges scheduled at least once a month (the Arctic 5k, Liberty Mt. 5k, Adventure Challenge, and the Charity Run), we will continue to offer clinics and hiking trips throughout the semester to help you get outside and get fit.

For those of you that seek a bit of adventure in your life (or the opportunity for some extreme Instagramming), we have trips such as horseback riding, Wintergreen skiing, whitewater rafting, bouldering, and even a day-long jaunt to Washington D.C. These trips are offered at incredibly low rates, but act soon because registration always seems to fill up faster than you can say “Student Activities is the best.”

So you say you want to be the next American Idol? Why not start at Open Mic? We will be having Open Mic Nights bi-weekly throughout the semester, and we think it’s time you let us hear that beautiful voice you have been hiding in your dorm room. You can also take the next step for your band this year by participating in our monthly Campus Artist Series. Speaking of performing in front of a crowd, Coffeehouse will be on March 21st this semester! This means that tryouts start in late February, which is right around the corner. It is never too early to start planning your act or maybe even gathering creative ideas for your video submission.

And if all of those things aren’t enough, on top of all of it, we are going to have one of our busiest concert semesters ever. We already announced three of those shows – Tim Timmons (Jan. 26), Trip Lee (Feb. 5), and Kirk Franklin (Feb. 13). Would you believe that we still have 5 more concerts to announce? You better believe it. Whether it’s the Vines Center or the LaHaye Event Space, Student Activities has concerts for everyone.

So there’s an overview of our semester. Go on, try and think of an excuse to not be able to accomplish your resolutions this year.

You can check out all of our upcoming events on our calendar!

And that’s a wrap! Wow, another Coffeehouse in the books. Christmas Coffeehouse always provides such a great way to end the semester, and this one was no exception. With a record crowd, the Vines Center had even more Christmas energy than normal. The theme this year, Christmas Coffeehouse: At the Movies, allowed for a lot of creativity. From bands to videos to dance acts (check out some here and here), this show had it all. Dylan Stine, our emcee for the last couple of shows, returned again to host and facilitate the game. For two straight hours, we all got to enjoy a great night of music and laughs.

Here are some of the Coffeehouse stats:

• 7,926 tickets sold
• 13 musical acts
• 3 dance acts
• 7 videos
• 1 host
• 4 game contestants
• 26 Student Activities event staff
• 84 CSER volunteers
• 867 posts on Twitter containing the hashtag #SACoffeehouse
• 225 posts on Instagram containing the hashtag #SACoffeehouse
• 1,798 boxes wrapped*
• 8 actual cups of coffee sold*
• 14,983 donuts consumed*
• 152 suspects apprehended sneaking in backstage*
• 22,347 Christmas lights replaced*
• over 3,600 instances of someone screaming ‘Santa!!!’ in their best Buddy the Elf voice*

Thank you to everyone who participated in Coffeehouse. We really appreciate everyone who tried out, the acts who put so much time into rehearsal, and everyone who bought a ticket to come support the show. This is one of our favorite campus traditions. I am very proud of the whole Student Activities team who care a great deal about making Coffeehouse better every time, working hard for months leading up to this event. From tryouts, to decorations, and including the actual event itself, these folks pour themselves into producing a solid show.

If you want to see some pictures and comments from the night, search the hashtag #SACoffeehouse on Twitter or Instagram. Keep checking back with us for information on our spring Coffeehouse. For now, enjoy your break and Merry Christmas!

*fake statistic

Josh Yeoman and I, 2 of the Associate Directors of Student Activities, oversee 5 event supervisors and 21 student workers combined. We decided there would be no better way to summarize our semester than to have our event supervisors do the honors. All 5 of them (Ben, Drew, Kari, Mariah, and Ross) work 25+ hours a week in planning, promoting, executing and analyzing our events. Sounds like a lot, right? It is! We wouldn’t be able to function without them, and the events you love couldn’t happen without them either.

We asked several questions regarding the semester, because, of anyone, they’re in the perfect position to weigh in – they’re students, they’re staff, they’re dedicated, and they care about getting the job right with our mission in the forefront. Here’s what they had to say:

What was your favorite event of the semester and why?

D: I really liked Art Expo. It was a completely different event from anything we do – it was what we were going for: classy. The decorations and having everyone dressed up all played a part.

K: I’m deciding between Fall Festival and concerts in the LaHaye Event Space. I loved attending John Mark McMillan – it’s great having a more intimate atmosphere for concerts; it makes a huge different. Fall Festival is great because everyone has fun and brings their friends!!

M: Mountain Bike Rides. I loved seeing the students who didn’t even know how to ride a mountain bike come out. It was awesome to see people coming back week after week!

In what ways did we accomplish our departmental mission?

D: One moment that sticks out to me was at a CFAW table in November in front of the Hancock Welcome Center. I met a few guys from different states and one of them didn’t know anyone that was going to be there. Through a game of corn hole, and the help of one of our staff (Cherish), they all met! After the game, the guys went and hung out together. It was really cool to get to see that.

M: For the outdoor events, we brought people together who have never done many of the outdoor events we offer. I got to experience this community we’ve built from the start that we’ve never had before.

R: For Back to School Bash, there were a couple instances where you see participants doing a certain activity or game; I got to meet people and help them form teams for games they’ve never played with people they’ve never met. It’s so fulfilling to see 50 people playing Catch Phrase by the end of the night and really seeing our staff foster relationships in practice. There are a lot of times we may not see that happen at a specific event, but later on we’ll see those people still hanging out with others they’ve been introduced to at our events.

What are you most looking forward to in the spring semester?

R: First things first, I’m hopeful to go into next semester with more experience under our belt. I’m hopeful that we will continue to give students the opportunities to express what artists they want here and to see people who may not be large enough for a Vines Center show, but to fill the LaHaye Event Space. Second, I’m excited to see new events that we haven’t done. I love the surprise factor for students or for us as employees – just planning, executing and promoting our entire events calendar.

K: I think Ross left nothing for the rest of us… I second what he said!

B: I am excited to introduce more learning experiences into our outdoor events.

What is something that most people don’t realize about Student Activities that you’d like them to know?

B: We want people to come to our events; we’re not here just to punch a time card! We care about the students. All we ask is that you come with a good attitude and we’ll take care of the rest.

K: Our planning is as detailed as possible, down to what candy we buy or what flavor cotton candy we get. We care about the people that are there. We’re excited about who we foresee coming, so in turn, we buy the best of what we get for them.

M: We’re as excited about the event as you are and how they turn out is important to us. For the Camping Trip, there was a lot of behind the scenes stuff, but it was cool during the event to see how all of that planning played out on the trip.

Considering each of you are in this role for the first time, how do your responsibilities line up with what you expected?

B: The job has been pretty much what I expected. I was talking to a friend who plays sports. Her college career has been completely focused on the sport she plays, whereas my job has been my college life. I thought it was interesting to see that I can compare myself to someone who is so dedicated to something like an athletics team and that I feel that way about this job.

D: When I came into this position, I had no clue how much extra work there was going to be. I had built in my mind that I’d hang out for office hours, we’d go to events, and then we’d make sure it worked smoothly. It’s much more than a “supervisor” position – I’m a supervisor and a planner.

R: I’ll say this: being with SA for 2.5 years prior to my Supervisor position, I had assumed I’d know what was coming. Once I stepped my foot into this role, it was a lot more than I expected. I would say that it completely humbled me in a way I haven’t been before – through it all, I come in and learn something different about myself and SA each day. I apply those learning experiences to being in the office, at events and in my life, but I’m passionate about the mission and that makes me willing to get SA to where they want to be. Will we ever get there? Hopefully one day!

The 2014-2015 school year is off to a great start and we’re looking forward to another exciting semester of events!