RA Initiation

April 1st (April Fool's Day) is when we decided to announce who the new RAs will be for the 2008-2009 school year. When I arrived at GC back in 2001 we started a new tradition of initiating the new RAs a few days or weeks after they were announced via formal invitation from the Residence Life office. Two years ago we adjusted the tradition by making the announcement via the initiation process. It really heightens the element of surprise and adds to the fun of the morning.

Julie & Jenna smile pretty in their jammies!

The current RAs learn who the new hires are around 4:30 AM. They are then sent out to collect the new hires form their beds dressed in pajamas and shoes of some sort. We corralled them in the laundry room where they were blindfolded and squirted with water if they spoke to anyone. They were then divided into 4 groups and sent to various locations on campus to perform special tasks - playing a ball throwing game, dressing up in crazy clothes for photos, searching in the depths of our storage room in the dark, and participating in races outside in the drizzle. The last stop was to take them up to an empty apartment in the student apartment building where we all shared in an early morning meal of breakfast burritos, fruit salad, and donuts. It was quite an early morning, but LOTS of fun!

Josh and Jon looking perky and alert much too early in the AM!