50 Shades of Green

Last night was the End of the Year Banquet for the RA staff. It is one of my favorite nights of the year. I love the warmth in the room and the laughter. Our staff has much laughter and can be a real riot when we are together.

 

I was initially apprehensive about the evening, you know those knuckleheads that sometimes ruin the fun for everyone? They are eager for things to get started, for them to end, and for them to get the heck out of there. But last night, those naysayers were silenced by a good time. The RHDs got into it and they had fun and overall, despite my emotional outbursts, things went great.

We had five seniors who made it to the Banquet and I got this great photo of them! Look how cute they are and how excited they are for their Ripon throws!

Every year I write some sort of poetry for the Student Assistant Hall Directors and this year was no exception. They are the first three students pictured to the right here. Adam, Darcie and Molly are their names and being SAHDs is their game!

I titled their poem 50 Shades of Green. The poem is sort of a riddle about the programming sheets that RAs have to fill out for each program they plan.  

50 Shades of Green
For years they have been part of your day.
Sometimes they were sitting on a desk,

sometimes in the trash.
Impossible to avoid like a bad skin rash.

At times they were in your backpack,

surely increasing the weight of that sack

The dread as another several days had passed

since you had turned one in last.
A public display of your thoughts and ideas,

whether proposed or approved.
Comments written to behoove.
Then one day these pages of prose
Became one of your larger foes.

The SAHD position came with an

apartment furnished,

but also a brow that would always look sternish.

Your task was now to hold the pen

responsible for evaluation and then

comments for others to read

(at least that is what you wanted to believe.)

Hours in the office were spent each day

to guide and advise and for others to hear you say,

"You can find that in Mapes" or

 "Let's check with our RHD"

or even "Are you kidding me?"

But now the day has come

where these pages no longer can make you glum.

But do not fret! Lest you forget

what they look, smell or feel like

You have some pieces here,

So no need for a Ripon hike.

But please, please visit us if you like!

The year never really feels close to finished until the Banquet. Now we can close the halls this weekend after sending our Seniors off in style on Sunday. Summertime is right around the corner!