Fall 2019 Recap

September

We were introduced to our new advisors – Samia Cooperider and Bema Kyeadea-Amponsah, and it was a pleasure getting to know them! They have such wonderful and bubbly personalities that make it extremely enjoyable at each meeting.

At the beginning of a new school year, it was vital that we established strong connections and communication within our Council, especially with new org representatives. We wanted to foster a comfortable and open discussion environment and strongly encouraged org reps to share their experiences, whether it be positive or negative. By allowing open forum within the Council, orgs can seek advice on how to improve upon an area where they struggle, or offer advice themselves.

At our first meeting, we discussed the importance and tactics by which to engage members and retain membership. This was especially important during the beginning of the year, when orgs have many new members and aim to keep a majority of them. This forced us to analyze how we engage with members in person, outside of meetings, online, etc. Members discussed how their orgs use a “house” system, where social groups are created by the exec board in order to facilitate social interaction and a more intimate community within the org. Other orgs mentioned how they provided incentives, whether it be stickers or merchandise, to make members feel more included and excited about participating and staying in the organization.

At the next meeting, Hannah and Tori from the Office of Student Activities carried out a conflict resolution workshop, where they facilitated creative activities to force Council members to effectively communicate and listen to each other. It required strong problem-solving and critical thinking, which demonstrated members’ different approaches to resolution. At the end of the workshop, Council members were asked to reflect upon their own styles in resolving problems within their org and discussed the various methods in how they dissolved heated situations.

During a hot and humid weekend, Council members attended a high-ropes course at Stone Valley Recreation for retreat, where they were suspended 30 feet above the ground to use teamwork and trust in a high-stakes environment. It was an adrenaline rush, especially when members were forced to use only each other to cross the obstacles and tight ropes, without the dependence on the cables that held them up. There were many tumbles and falls, but it exercised the trust and interdependence required to work within groups.

In November, Council orgs took part in HUB Takeover, where Penn State students could learn about our various orgs and the great service that happens on campus! Engineers in Action, Circle K, and Music Service Club were able to recruit quite a few members who ended up joining their orgs mid-semester.

For our two November meetings, Council members presented from the perspective of their orgs on how they approach membership engagement, building a relationship with their advisor, managing finances, diversifying service, and more! It offered many new ideas that could be implemented into each of our orgs to improve and pushed for great conversation. Following, representatives from Centre Safe, Clearwater Conservancy, and Youth Service Bureau participated in our speaker panel, where we asked them how they first became involved in service and continued serving the community post-college. Members were able to see the transition from university life to post-grad life and understand how to continue service even beyond their organization.

For the bulk of the past month, Council exec members and advisors were planning a university-wide Thanksgiving Basket Food Drive, previously run by Students Engaging Students. During Council’s first year doing the drive, there were definitely ups and downs, trying to navigate the new project, but it was a rewarding feat nevertheless. With the community’s help, we were able to collect over 300 Thanksgiving Baskets, which benefitted Centre Safe, State College Area School District, AIDS Resource Alliance, Pregnancy Resource Center, Faith Centre, Youth Service Bureau, Salvation Army, Interfaith Human Services, Catholic Charities, Park Forest Day Nursery, Central PA Community Action, Bellefonte Middle and High School, Bellefonte School District, Housing Transitions, and State College Food Bank. We look forward to improving and expanding the project in the upcoming years!

News Article 1

News Article 2

News Article 3

Thanks for a great semester!
-Joy Zhao

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