Adrian Allen, residence life events planning committee member, serves student residents Jamaican cuisine as part of the multicultural Thanksgiving event held on Oct. 13 at the Cullen residence activity centre. Photo by Jody-Ann Smikle.
Lethbridge Polytechnic provides a home away from home for students who have travelled near and far to attend the southern Alberta institution.
According to Kendell Barnes, resident assistant, events are frequently held to engage all students to support a community-style living.
“We try to do around two events every month. Let’s say if one month events are based around Halloween, the other month will just be more inclusive,” said Barnes.
A sense of belonging is encouraged by the close-knit residence life staff through their interactions and frequent events for students living on campus. From seasonal celebrations to cultural gatherings, residence life is forging connections through inclusion and with fun ways to try to enhance campus life. Not only providing accommodation, they also host events designed to help students settle in and form life-long friendships.
Whether they are a younger or mature student or even a family living on campus, there are events that everyone may attend. Food-filled gatherings and interactive events like the annual welcome/move-in barbecue, bingo night, outdoor movie night, creative painting night and taco in a bag event are some of the most successful they have hosted. Residence life hired a food truck to provide cold beverages and snow cones to relieve the heat on move-in day in late August for residents.
An events planning committee was created this fall to allow residents to collaborate with the nine resident assistants to plan on and off-campus events. The committee was established based on feedback shared by residents with the goal to have events reflect the diverse student population.
Makayla Verot, residence life coordinator, says the turnout for events has increased significantly with over 100 residents participating throughout the year.
“It’s quite nice to see that everybody’s actually talking and mingling. I’ve seen people who I wouldn’t expect to be talking to each other,” said Verot.
This October features several events to kick off fall. An event dubbed, Multicultural Thanksgiving was held on Oct.13.
Students were treated to Jamaican cuisine with dishes like ackee and saltfish. It was a great opportunity for residents to share food, stories and music. International students integrated their food from their home countries into the traditional Canadian Thanksgiving celebration.
The Cullen residence activity centre buzzed with chatter and laughter against the backdrop of various country flags to complement the warm, welcoming atmosphere inside despite the cold weather outside.
A few days later, residents were treated to a day trip to the Lethbridge Corn Maze. The excursion allowed students to explore the local community while making memories outside campus walls.
They conclude October with two Halloween-themed events. Spooktacular Halloween on Oct. 30 was a night filled with treats, entertainment and haunted fun.
Resident assistants delivered candy door-to-door for a reverse trick or treat event on Oct. 31. Residence life staff ensures that living on campus is not only convenient but also provides an opportunity to build unforgettable experiences at the polytechnic.
