RA Selection Day

The process of choosing RAs is a far more thorough process at LCC than the process at the school where I previously worked.  We actually spend an entire day going over the applicant pool - reviewing notes and discussing each candidate.  At the end of the day we have figured out who to hire and which staff they will be on.  It's an intense day, though I found it to be interesting and ended with a great deal of satisfaction about our choices.  We spent this day at my flat - enjoying a good amount of food and fellowship during the process!

Here are a couple photos of the RDs from that day... 

 Becky working in my kitchen.

Alex & Veslava relaxing at the table while we finish lunch prep.

The scarf ladies!

This year I turned 40!  Some of my dear LCC friends chipped in and took me on a weekend birthday trip to Milan, Italy!  I will post several posts about that weekend later (probably once I get back to the states and have more time).  Until then, here is a photo of the three of us who went posing with Marlene - who wanted to go, but couldn't get away - wearing scarves that we purchased in Milan! 

Me, Marlene, Kim, and Deborah

Parade of Stars!

One of our annual campus events that highlights our international flavor at LCC is the Parade of Stars.  It's a talent/knowledge contest.  Teams are made up of students from the various countries represented on our campus.  There is a theme assigned - this year it was fairytales and legends.  The contest has 3 parts to it.  The first part is where the group prepares a piece of art to represent the theme from their country.  This art is displayed in the gallery space on campus and everyone on campus can vote for the piece they like the most.  The evening of the actual event the other 2 parts occur.  These parts include a talent/skit portion and  a international knowledge quiz.  I loved this event!  It was another piece that highlights one of our best features at LCC - our internationalness!

Here are some photos - mainly of the skits that occured. 

One of my favorite scenes at LCC - the flags of our students being proudly waved!

Skit by students from Belarus

Skit by students from Kazakhstan.

Skit by students from Latvia

Skit by students from Lithuania

Video of some dancing and part of the skit by the Ukranian students.

Team USA!

3rd place...Belarus!

2nd place...Kazakhstan

The winners...LATVIA!!!!

All the performers on stage.

Community Life celebrates March birthdays!

On the last Thursday of March my Community Life team "kidnapped" our bi weekly meeting and took Veslava and I out to celebrate our birthdays.  (Mine was on the 27th and hers on the 28th.)  It was a fun morning!  I love my team - and not just because they bought me flowers!  :)

 Me with my flowers from my team.

  

me & Becky

me, Becky, & Gabija

Community Life

Alex, Veslava, Olena, me, Becky, & Gabija

Group Interviews

Part of the RA hiring process at LCC includes an evening of group activities.  We break the applicant pool into 4 groups and have them complete various tasks together.  At the end of each activity we process what they learned from the activity and how that might apply to the role of an RA.  It gives us additional insight beyond their application, references, and interview as to how they work with other people.  My task began with them breaking into two separate groups.  One group would verbally describe an object that the other group would replicate based on their instructions from a selection of materials.  It was fun and enlightening.

The object that was being replicated. 

One group assessing and describing the object.

Another group working on recreating it from the materials on their table.

The original item along with the finsihed products of the various groups.  :)

FYS get together

In the fall I taught a section of First Year seminar.  I am workign at keeping the relationship with those students ongoing.  I invited the group over on a Tuesday evening for dinner and games.  We had soft tacos and GBC for dinner.  After dinner we played a game where you put a name on a post it on your forhead and then have to ask yes or no answerable questions until you guess what the word it.  Most often the word is a name of someone famous.  Only about half of the group came, but those who did had a fun time.  Here are some photos...

 Gathered aroudn the table with a big pan of GBC in the middle!  :)

Ira was my student assistant for the class. 

They put her own name on her post it! 

Sasha and Romanus with their post its on their foreheads. 

Super mouse and Cinderella

 Alex with his post it - Frank Sinatra

Julija was Lady Gaga

Baby Greta's dedication at ICF

Andrew and Kim dedicated Greta at church on Sunday, March 20th.  Jane Holsag, the chair of our theology department led the dedication.  Here are a few photos from the serrvice.

 Kim holding Isak, Andrew holding Ieva, and Jane holding Greta.

 Jane & Greta

A closer shot of Greta 

 Ieva holding the flowers after church - so pretty!

After church the Staves came over to my place for dinner.  Here is Greta propped up on my couch pillows.  She's such a cutie!  :)

Mug n Muffin

The Residence Life women put on an event a couple times a year called Mug n Muffin.  All female students are invited to this Saturday morning event.  Faculty/staff women bake muffin and the students bring their own mug for coffee/tea.  (Hence the name mug n muffin).  The RDs assemble a panel of women from our community to discuss their life experience around a specific topic.  In March the topic was body image.  Marlene Wall (our interim president), Leah Neibor (an English prof), and Olena Rusu (the CMAP and Orientation Director) all shared their stories.  After they shared, then the students had time to ask questions and share their own stories.  It was a morning full of heartfelt sharing and encouragement. 

Becky (an RD) introducing the panel 

The Neumann Chapel was packed! 

A group shot at the end of the event! 

The New Hall!

We are in the process of building a new residence hall on campus that will open for students and faculty/staff to live in at the start of the 2011-2012 school year.  The Student Life team took a tour of the building in March.  It's still under construction, so we had to use a lot of imagination to picture what it will actually look like.  As the Director of Community Life I am on the building committee.  I've spent many hours this year discussing the plans, color schemes, amenities, etc.  After all that time talking about the space it was exciting to see even the bare bones outline of the building! 

Inside one of the faculty apartments

Walking through the floor landing 

 Inside a student room

 Inside another sudent room...check out the unfinished flooring

A view of the pond from the 5th floor kitchen...still frozen over! 

The view of the neighborhood to the east of campus 

 Looking out the RD apartment window over to Neumann Hall.

Lithuania!

As I've mentioned, we celebrate each country's Independence Day with a flag raising and a party in the evening.  Since we have the day off work/school on Lithuania's ID, we celebrate it later in March.  It was a cold day with a beautiful blue sky...a great backdrop for some photos of the brightly colored Lithuanian flag! 

Getting ready to raise the flag.

The Lithuanian flag flying strong & proud in the sky above!

Just a note that on the days when are not celebrating an Independence Day, the only flags that fly are the three maroon & white LCC flags.  You can see two of them flanking the Lithuanian flag in the photo above.

Kepeju 11

This semester the building I live in is full of Americans!  Del & Betty live downstairs.  They are Fullbright Scholars at Klaipeda University.  I live on the same floor as Dariusz, Brooke, and baby Levi.  He teaches in the theology department at LCC.  And upstairs is where Kristine lives.  She teaches in the social sciences department at LCC.  Del & Betty had us all over for lunch one Sunday afternoon.  Here a photo of the clan (minus me - I was taking the photo.)

seated - Betty, Del, & Kristine

standing - Dariusz, Brooke, & baby Levi

Touring the Lithuanian countryside!

A group of us spent the Friday of spring break exploring the Lithuania countryside!  Robin checked out the LCC van and we drove around from small village to small village.  We drove past, but didn't go back to an area where there is an old abandoned Russian missle silo...kind of a creepy reminder of where we live and what their history is linked to.

Maxine, Betsy, and John in front of a statue in Plunge. 

Inside the Catholic church in Plunge - so ornate and beautiful! 

A bed & breakfast that the family of some of our student's runs. 

Beautiful steel candle holders and art. 

Steel crosses - I want one find one of those to bring home with me when I eventually move back to the states.  I think they are gorgeous! 

My exploring companions for the day - Maxine, Robin, Shari, John, and Betsy. 

John took this one of us ladies!  :)