It's Holiday Time in the Residence Halls!

Happy Holidays! The students and staff in Student Housing and Residence Life have been hard at work to ensure that everyone in our community is able to enjoy the holidays. The holiday season kicked off with a Thanksgiving meal hosted by the staff at the 13th Street Residence Hall on Thursday, November 25th. Since many of our students cannot be with their families or may have never celebrated Thanksgiving, the goal was to provide an opportunity for residential and international students to experience a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. In collaboration with Chartwells, the 13th Street Dining hall staff served dinner to 42 students, double the number in attendance last year. Between 12 and 15 off-campus International students attended the event, which was co-sponsored by International Student Services. Students came individually and in groups to dine together on Thanksgiving Day.

In addition to many holiday gatherings and celebrations within the residence halls, the students and staff at the William Street Residence Hall collaborated with the local organization, Women In Need (WIN), to sponsor a children's holiday party in their East Harlem Center. Women In Need is an organization that provides New York City’s homeless women and their families with safe, clean housing and support and skills to become self-reliant.

William Street residents connected with over 15 children at W.I.N participating in holiday cookie decorating and arts & crafts including making reindeer, angels and snowmen to celebrate the holidays. As part of the "Help the Homeless" initiative at William Street, residents chose W.I.N. as one of the receiving organizations of the efforts of the initiative and hope to continue to volunteer their time throughout the year to support and work with the women and children involved in this organization.

The William Street Community is Making a Difference

In the heart of the financial district, a New School community is reaching out to those in need. The residents of the William Street residence hall have set a goal to raise one dollar, one can of food and one volunteer hour per student resident in aid of the homeless. As part of this initiative, Residential Advisors Iskander Ahmed and Charlie Leibel held a black tie auction on November 21, 2010, to provide residents with the opportunity to volunteer at organizations that provide help to the homeless. A festive atmosphere and fun prizes - often with a practical component, such as lessons in photoshop use - encouraged students to commit to volunteering their time. The event raised $122 in cash contributions and a further 24 volunteer hours. This brought the community very close to its monetary target of raising $400, and as the program continues, the possibility that the community might even exceed its target has been raised.

In addition to rallying material aid, the ‘Help for the Homeless’ program has had the intangible, but perhaps even more enduring effect of increasing awareness amongst the William St community about the situation of some of New York’s most vulnerable residents. The New School is an institution which takes pride in its long tradition of thinking about and promoting social justice, and at William St, students have shown themselves to be worthy inheritors of that social justice tradition.

Submitted by Simone Gubler- Major in Philosophy at The New School for Social Research

Your Personal Brand

One of the newest terms used in the job search business is “personal brand.” If you could design your own personal brand…what would it be?

Employers are looking for high-quality talent who know how to “sell” themselves in a positive and productive manner. The winter break is a great time for you to start thinking about what your current leadership brand is? What skills have you developed in your past and current leadership positions? How can you market them now and in the future?

Not sure where to begin? There are many ways to create your personal brand. Here are a few tips:

• Know your passion. What makes you get out of bed every morning? What makes you smile in your school and work environment?
• Develop your goals and dreams. You have to know where you want to go even if you don’t know how you will get there yet. Dream Big!
• Be honest with yourself. Assess your strengths and areas for opportunities.
• Discover what is unique about you. Determine what you stand for and what makes you different.
• Be visible. Go above and beyond simply because you love what you are doing.
• Attitude is everything...make sure yours is a positive one.
• Ask others for feedback. Ask your peers, mentors, supervisors, family, friends, professors, etc.
• Get a wide range of feedback so you know what areas you need to focus on for personal and professional development.

Now that you have some ideas, create a 30-second introduction of who you are and what you’re all about. Think, “Me, in a Nutshell.”

If you only had a brief moment to make an impact on someone who could

have an impact on your future...

* What would you say?

* What impression would you want to leave?

* What story would you want to tell?

For more information on Personal Branding keep an eye on The New School Events Calendar for workshops and guests speakers who are presenting on the topic.

This information gathered from www.paper-clip.com.

October Program of the Month: Ask-A-Shrink

On Wednesday, October 6th, 13th Street RAs Zach Fried and Malia Okusi hosted their "Ask-a-Shrink" program in the 13th Street Lounge. In an effort to raise awareness around National Mental Illness Week, Dr. Jerry Finkelstein, Director of Counseling Services at The New School, came to the residence hall to answer questions and discuss issues pertaining to mental health, depression, and the college transition. More than a dozen residents had the opportunity to discuss these issues, as well as ask specific questions anonymously, with Dr. Finkelstein. Residents also learned about different methods of measuring depression and self evaluation methods, and everyone enjoyed the dark chocolate that was on hand to help stimulate serotonin levels.

Transferable skills.... Grads - listen up!

You probably have heard the term “transferable skills” many times throughout your college and/or professional career. But do you know what that term really means, and more importantly, what your own transferable skills are? Transferable skills are those skills you have honed in one experience that can be adapted to a different experience. Leadership experiences are full of opportunities for transferable skill development. And, in today’s job market, identifying your transferable skills can be very valuable.

As you prepare to apply for fall leadership positions, internships, summer jobs or your first "real" job...don't dismiss your transferable skills! So, how do you go about determining what your current transferable skills are? Consider these steps:

1. Dissect past experiences: Review past job descriptions and responsibilities. And, don’t forget any hobbies, service or involvement opportunities you have had.

2. Take notes: Identify and write down key skills that you gained from past experiences. Create an extensive list, don’t keep it small.

3. Identify desired positions/experiences: Whether you are looking for a job or seeking a new leadership position on campus, you need to determine what your ultimate goals are, and how and where you want to contribute your skills and time.

4. Change language: Once you have identified your skills and your desired “next step” you can create your list of transferable skills that successfully market you for the role you are seeking (i.e. fundraising experience = sales experience OR hall programming = event planning).

5. Visit your Career Services Office: You have a valuable resource on campus that can assist you in translating your transferable skills on to a resume, cover letter and an interview. In addition, many Career Services Offices can help you match your transferable skills with potential career options. Take advantage of these services!

When was the last time you reviewed and revised your resume? Reflect on your past experiences and see if you can come up with some new ways to showcase your transferable skills. And, while you are at it, keep these “basics” in mind…

• Avoid slang – don’t make potential employers guess what you are talking about.

• Consolidate your experiences - you aren’t writing a memoir, you are compiling a resume. Try to limit your resume to one to two pages with the highlights of your experiences.

• Go beyond the paid positions - include any volunteer experiences or hobbies that provided you with specific marketable skills.

• Second set of eyes - ask a mentor, supervisor or friend to review your resume for clarification, typos and to ensure you didn’t forget to include anything.