Hall Councils Come Together to Exchange Ideas and Inspire

Sunday, December 4, all The New School Housing Hall Councils gathered at Loeb Hall for the Annual Fall Summit to discuss and exchange ideas. Each hall attended with representatives from their respective Hall Councils. Everyone was able to hear what each building had been doing this semester, discuss the qualities that make up a good hall council, exchange programming ideas and plan for next semester.

It was a very successful program that allowed the individual buildings to put names with faces and open up to collaboration for the spring semester.

The event was coordinated by Joelle Riffle, RA and Hall Council Adviser at Loeb Hall, with assistance from Allysha Fabe, also an RA and HC advisor at Loeb. The event was also attended by Loeb's Hall Director, Chasity Wilson and William Street's Graduate Hall Coordinator for William Street, David Howe.

For more pictures, visit the Loeb Hall Facebook Page 

Big Weekend Events rescheduled for 9/16 and 9/17

We weren't going to let Irene be the only one who had fun! The Scavenger Hunt and Classical Music Brunch have been rescheduled for this weekend!

Scavenger Hunt
Friday, September 16, 2011
8 pm start at Stuyvesant Park (318 East 15th Street)

Classical Music Brunch
Saturday, September 17, 2011
11 am to 1pm at Lang Cafe (65 West 11th Street)

Be sure to bring your New School ID with you to all events!

Civic Engagement Event on Sept. 13, 2011

International Student Services (ISS), Office of Student Development and Activities (OSDA) and The New School Civic Engagement Committee are sponsoring the 3rd Annual Volunteer and Civic Engagement Fair on Tuesday, September 13.


Civic engagement is an important part of being of being part of a community. As a part of The New School and New York City community, there are many opportunities for you to be involved and to make a difference.

If you would like more information on the event, please email issevents@newschool.edu or studev@newschool.edu. We hope to see you there!

The Moon is Brighter at 20th Street

Congratulations to Kristina Koelle and Morgane Moulherat, the 20th Street RAs who implemented the November Program of The Month - "Moon over Manhattan"! The event was co-sponsored by William Street RA, Jeff Barton, 20th Street Hall Council, The ActiveMinds student organization and New School staff members Eric Garrison and Mike Corbett.

Students who attended this event were provided with a relaxing environment where they learned techniques that focused on health and wellness and taking care of ones self during tough academic times such as mid-terms and finals. Active Minds, a peer health education group on campus, worked with the RAs to make "mar-TEA-ni's" (tea-based mocktails). Students also found a stress ball-making station set up for them and were invited to participate in a live Jazz session.

Having staff members at this event allowed opportunities for residents to speak with professionals at the University to learn more about campus resources and how residents can find support throughout the year when times get tough. Among the resources discussed were The University Writing Center, Student Health Services and Career Development.

Runners up for November's program of the month include:
Rock Band Night at 13th Street hosted by RA Mark Josephson and the 13th Street Hall Council; Flava of Loeb sponsored by the Loeb Hall staff; Poetry Slam at William Street sponsored by RA, Jeff Barton and resident Imani Sutton; and Dodgeball at Stuy Park hosted by RAs Markesha McCoy and Katie Saunders. Congratulations everyone!

October’s Program of the Month Proves: There’s No Place Like Home…on Halloween!

A round of applause goes out to October’s Program of the Month at Stuyvesant Park Residence, where each floor participated in a Halloween Decorating Contest. The result? An eclectic hodgepodge of spooky, silly, and spectacular hallway artwork!

And while each floor had an original budget for their decorating supplies, some thought outside the box and used recycled materials, making for a sensational yet sustainable outcome!

Pat Pellicano, the RA on the 6^th floor, knew just what to do with all of those leftover Trader Joe’s paper bags, which helped his floor tie for first place. Reversed, cut and pasted, the bags became the ground to the floor’s videogame fantasy ‘Mushroom Kingdom’ theme, which included eye-popping walls of tinfoil, yellow stars, and a sneaky Princess Peach inside the trash chute! Hey, the rules never indicated that the decorations had to be scary!

Also sharing the win was the first floor, who took their festivities to a theatrical level. RA Ariel Redmond watched her residents collaborate in a rousing rendition of the murder mystery, ‘Clue.’ The judges were escorted by a butler and maid into a dining room full of hors d'oeuvres, until a sudden scream stopped everyone in their tracks. A once lovely Miss Scarlet hung from the rafters, while a mysterious body was found sprawled out on the carpet. Passing down the hall, one saw how residents had utilized their bed frames and doorways as jail cells to contain any suspects in the crime. Red hands and questionable faces were everywhere among this floor’s creepy creativity!

But what made this program a success was not the array of cobwebs, fake blood, and plastic road-kill (gross!) alone. The true key to success? Teamwork. This was the first program of the year where an entire residence hall got involved, and it showed. RAs did their part in tying the event to the larger community of New York City, offering holiday safety tips for residents during their individual floor meetings. Hall Council stepped up to the creative challenge as well with floor liaisons helping delegate tasks, and healthily competitive attitudes from residents made it all happen!

Congrats to all for helping make Stuyvesant Park a funky, fun-filled community. You rock!

For a photo-recap of this program, check out the New School’s Stuyvesant Park fan page on Facebook (http://tiny.cc/1031SPR).

Special congratulations to RAs Nina Barry and Elaha Astanaha over at Loeb Hall, whose Art Therapy program placed them in second place for October’s Program of the Month!

Pre-International Education Week in the Residences!

Every year, one week in November is dedicated to the celebration of international education. International Student Services participates in this joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to promote programs that prepare Americans for the global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States.

This week gives international students a chance to share their ideas, food, and culture with American students, faculty, and staff. Throughout the week, there are special events including a cultural festival, trip to the United Nations, photo contest, and film festival.

International Education Week (IEW) is November 16-20, 2009!

Let's make it 2 weeks long!

Starting November 9, Student Housing and Residence Life at The New School and each of the Residences have put together programs with an international focus.

All students in Housing are welcome to any of the events listed. Are you planning on going in a group? Talk to your RA and get a party going!

If you are interest in the events planned to IEW week through International Student Services, or to volunteer visit www.newschool.edu/studentservices/international or email iew@newschool.edu

Getting Dirty never felt so good!!

Thanks to everyone who joined us last Friday to help clear brush at the Jackie Robinson Park in Harlem!

Join The New School through two great opportunities this Friday!

Volunteer in a New York City Park:
August 28, 2009 - 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
There are two great parks to choose from! All student who attend will receive lunch and a roundtrip metrocard to the site. Talk to your RA about where to sign up or check in at your residence hall office to learn more! See you there!

Jackie Robinson Park

Directions: Depart from Residence Hall at 9:00 a.m.

About the park: 16 acres of park with numerous garden locations, 3 athletic fields, large lawn areas, an outdoor Olympic swimming pool and full gym and indoor and outdoor athletic facilities.
Type of volunteer work: General gardening tasks. Planting perennials and shrubs, maintaining park paths and gates, and other miscellaneous beautification activities. Note: this project happens rain or shine, as rain does not impact planting. Please check weather forecast and be prepared with jacket, sweatshirt or poncho.

What volunteers should wear: Light colored, washable clothing that can get dirty. Long sleeves and pants are recommended. Also please wear sturdy, covered shoes. No flip flops or tank tops for safety reasons. It is also recommended to bring a hat, sunscreen and bug spray if needed by the individual volunteer.

Riverside Park

Depart from Residence Hall at 9:00 a.m.

About the Park: Stretching four miles from 72nd to 158th streets along the Hudson River, Riverside Park is widely regarded as Manhattan's most spectacular waterfront park. As one of only eight officially designated scenic landmarks in the City of New York, it has a long and storied history. Recreational facilities include a range of sports courts and fields, a skate park, a large portion of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway (for bicycles), and the 110-slip public marina at 79th street, an important part of New York State's Water Trail.

Type of volunteer work: Volunteers will be working to clear an overgrown slope in the park and do planting of flowers and shrubs.

What volunteers should wear: Light colored, washable clothing that can get dirty. Long sleeves and pants are recommended. Also please wear sturdy, covered shoes. No flip flops or tank tops for safety reasons. It is also recommended to bring a hat, sunscreen and bug spray if needed by the individual volunteer.

On Campus Sustainability Project
August 28, 2009 - 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Presentations begins at Wollman Hall, but we plan to walk, so wear comfortable shoes and clothes.

• 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. What is The New School doing? Recycling presentation in Wollman Hall.
• 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. What Else could we be Doing? - Meet New School employees, and examine office spaces for proper recycling procedure. Give your suggestions.
• 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Green Market and NYC sustainability Tour – See your local neighborhood and what they are doing for sustainability.