Activities keeping students busy, happy, safe

“Paint and Cookies” was a popular recent outdoor activity with students.

The College’s Student Life team has been doing whatever it takes to provide Saint Michael’s students with safe fun during the pandemic through an increasingly popular, re-imagined approach to activities and socializing.

“It’s really been a hit and is reshaping weekend culture on campus — not to mention what a great job our students are doing in general,” says Kerri Leach, assistant dean of students /director of student activities. “Campus clubs, student government leaders and Residence Life staff have been collaborating on events for the last few weeks — all outside and following COVID guidelines.”

Student Life in general has been creative with figuring out ways to rethink the late-night grilling in the “new reality,” according to Leach and Vice President for Student Affairs Dawn Ellinwood. After initially forming a Resident Director/Resident Assistant Committee to offer food and a socially appropriate events, organizers’ efforts soon evolved into weekend collaborations with the Student Government Association (SGA) and campus clubs on things to do. Leach highlighted some of the most popular and successful:

• “Paint and Cookies” — The SGA’s programming group put on an outdoor painting event with more than 30 students. (See photo above right).
• A Diversity Coalition outdoor painting social event also was very well-attended.
• Residence Life/Turtle Underground Club held an outdoor open mic night event with food; more than 50 people stopped by and participated at some point.
• Another very popular activity was the Res Life Outdoor Movie and Pizza event, with over 150 students stopping by for pizza and checking out the movie.
• Wednesday night of this week was Green-up Club 0utdoor movie screening — the movie was about the outdoors, and was shown outdoors.
• With Gaming Club and SGA, Student Life was hosting an outdoor large screen Friday night video game tournament with food and prizes.
• The Club Fair event on Wednesday, September 30, will involve 30 clubs participating in a large-scale socially distanced tabling event that stretches from the chapel to the library steps. Turtle Underground bands will play and Res Life will continue with an open mic and food event into the late afternoon.
• Residence Life also has programs in all areas of campus for residents of those areas.

Jeff Vincent, director of residential life and community standards, said that in addition to weekend programming efforts, the Resident Assistant staff has “Wellness Wednesdays,” offering smaller programs in each area with the theme of self-care.