By: Savannah Halle
Lindsay Fortier, who is majoring in Secondary Education and Spanish, and Leah Widlarz, who majors in Mathematics and Secondary Education, have put their Resident Assistant days in Bergstrom behind them, and started on a new quest for their final year at SNC; hosting Party.0. Though they both miss their old residents, fellow RA coworkers and faculty dearly, they wanted a change for their final year on campus, and also a challenge to put their learned skills to the test. Similar to being an RA, both of these tasks include large event planning for a mass of people. Whether it be for a resident floor or the entire student body, the end goal of planning events for Party.0 is creating a safe and welcoming environment for the students at St. Norbert!
To plan Party.0 requires a lot of teamwork and communication, as things get chaotic and busy rapidly. Lindsey states that for her and her roommates, their tasks can vary from brainstorming for themes and organizing resources, to collaborating with their supervisor, Erin Bongers, to lastly decorating and gathering food and prizes for all of the attendees! The day of the party, especially, is usually stacked with tasks from early morning to late night. Though there is plenty of coordination from all ends, no task this big goes without a little struggle. Not only is it generally just a lot of work, but Leah also mentions that one of the most difficult parts is remembering all of the little details and tasks when putting everything together, like having zip ties or duct tape for decorations. Especially for their first event, she said that there was a lot of ground to cover, so it was a challenge to keep track of every little detail or item that they needed; it’s easy to forget things when there is so much happening all at once.
Though much of their experience through residential assisting has put them in a great place for Party.0, it’s not the only factor. Leah thanks the Honors Program for fostering such a tight-knit community on campus. It has taught her the importance of creating a sense of belonging. That desire to create a sense of belonging has helped motivate them to keep that ideal at the forefront of their planning. Lindsey would like to acknowledge the Honors Program for growing her time management skills. Because of this, she is able to balance Party.0 along with her studies.
Though this process can at times be a lot, the work comes with a very high reward. Leah and Lindsey are both so incredibly grateful to still be a part of something of this scale on campus that creates such a positive impact and promotes community. The girls and their roommates are all incredibly excited to continue to welcome and connect with new and old students on campus at these parties! They urge you to come and enjoy the free food and games, and encourage you to come and meet new faces! Keep an eye out for future events on social media or MySNC!
