Resident Assistant (RA) Annabelle Hipp hosted a program for Northern Vermont University – Lyndon residential students early Friday evening featuring free notebooks and educational COVID-19 pamphlets. RAs on campus are required to host one educational program per month, and Hipp saw the new contact tracing and recording temperature policies as inspiration. Her program was called “COVID-19 Notebook Design,” which allowed students to decorate their own notebook with stickers, paint pens, gems, and more, and then use those notebooks to record their temperatures and who’ve they come in contact with on a daily basis.
“I remember in school this was a fun activity that we would do before the start of the season,” Hipp said. “I thought [this] would be a good shot to be able to hand out free notebooks for people who couldn’t get their hands on one.”
17 students ended up attending Hipp’s program, which was her first of the semester. The event occurred during students’ normal dinner hour, also a time many reserve to hunker down and complete homework. Hipp admitted that many students passed her event by, by she was pleased with the overall turnout. For those that showed up, Hipp says that “they really came together and a lot of community building was [done].”
Organizing events and programs on campus has been very different than previous years. Hipp has been an RA for three semesters prior to the 2020-2021 academic school year and says that planning these types of events has much more to it. “You always have to be worried about how many people show up and how many people touch specific things because of all the COVID-19 rules and social distancing. It’s hard coming up with [program] ideas,” she said. Hipp also credited the Residence Hall Directors (RHDs) and Head Residents (HRs) for supporting her and other RAs in their efforts.
RA Hipp will be hosting a “Sweets & Treats” event on September 18 at 6:00 PM focusing on safe sexual intercourse. Students will be able to receive goodie bags with contraceptives, feminine products, and candies inside. “Remember, glove before you love,” Hipp said. Her October and November events have yet to be decided, but she says they will be themed around Halloween and de-stressing for finals.
Feature Photo by Alexandra Huff || Student Kaylie Millard looks through the sticker options as she designs her own notebook.