Experience of a Lifetime

Working as an Activities Coordinator for the Residence Hall Association (RHA) here at OSU is a blast.  My seven fellow officers and I get many cool opportunities, from working with student leaders in many other organizations, to putting on large programs such as Casino Night or the Winter Formal.  When I think of the work that I have been part of this year in building community, in defining why we are “residence halls” and not “dorms,” I get very passionate and excited.

When I was asked to blog about my experience with RHA, as a program planner, I thought I would take the opportunity to convey my feelings about planning this year’s RHA/After Dark Casino Night program.  When I first started to imagine what I wanted Casino Night to look like this year, I started thinking BIG.  Earlier in the year, I had been baffled by the large attendance to our RHA/Hall Council Winter Formal program (almost 750 attendees).  I wanted to go bigger.  My aim for Casino Night is 1,000 attendees, bigger than any previous RHA program I was aware of.

In order to put on a large program like this, I knew I needed a lot of volunteers and programming resources.  Because of RHA’s great partnerships, I was able to get OSU After-Dark on board, which consists of Dixon Rec, Late Night, and the Student Events and Activities Council.  Together we delegated the MANY tasks and responsibilities between our organizations.  Responsibilities include securing resources for food, movies, bingo, Wii, casino games, prizes, check in booth, raffle, karaoke, lining up live performances by Outspoken, Divine, and a Hypnotist, getting our 80 volunteers, ordering t-shirts, Pepsi donations, decorations, the wedding chapel, and renting tables and chairs, not to mention all the tiny details I could take a whole paragraph to list.

A lot of work went into this program and it is a phenomenal experience to get to bring it all together, but it can be pretty nerve-wracking having to trust so many people to the quality execution of their duties.  Keeping up with all the assignments and making sure everyone knew what they needed to know had me feeling like a chicken with my head cut off, especially since much planning was happening during reading week, finals and spring break.  I had to push myself to stay on top of everything and to trust my fellow planners and volunteers.  Writing this piece over spring break leaves me wondering how the program will turn out and what all of my and so many other’s work will amount to.  In the end, my philosophy on programs is that it doesn’t matter how many people attend, as long as they get something out of it.

So come out to Casino Night this Friday, April 2 from 9pm-1am at Dixon Rec Center for this epic RHA event!

Cheers!

Nik Bowen

OSU RHA Activities Coordinator

www.oregonstate.edu/dept/rha