Diversity

Diversity is an important part of our campus community, and recognizing and appreciating it is essential for the inclusion of all people. Diversity programming heightens awareness about differing cultures, ethnicities, competencies, learning styles, priorities, experiences, gender identities, faiths, disabilities, financial backgrounds, educational foundations, sexual orientations, and learning/living styles. This area of programming should focus on what life is like for people unlike ourselves. Programs should foster understanding and respect rather than alienation.

Program Ideas:
* Cultural holiday celebrations
* Cultural dinners
* GLBTA Panel & discussion on your floor
* Nation of the month bulletin board with facts & info
* Spanish soap operas in the lounge
* Feature a night of music from another culture
* Going to Cabaret as a floor
* Multicultural people bingo with your floor or building
* Diversity panel discussion on your floor
* Post foreign newspaper clippings (especially editorials) along with their English translations on a bulletin board to get a non-American perspective on world affairs.
* Highlight examples of successful people who came from various and unexpected backgrounds – posters & bios etc.
* Religious panel and discussion
* Decorate your lounge with different religious icons - label and describe them for discussion starting
* Organize a “day in the life” session where residents can experience what it is like to be disabled in some way.
* Trying new foods, dancing, story telling, movies,
* Women’s issues panel or group discussion
* Men’s issues panel or group discussion
* The History of Appleton
* Showing Transamerica and facilitating a discussion on transgender concerns
* Islamic prayer demonstration (or visit mosque)
* Life as an immigrant worker
* The Appetites of Women: Social Norms and Pressures for Females
* Interactive Travelogue (students who have studied abroad share their experiences)
* Hunger Dinner
* Clean Plate Club
* Understanding homelessness

Physical Health

Programs in this area should focus on steps that students could take to positively impact their health. Programming on physical health should provide information specific to men and women’s health, and may also target personal fitness and activity, as well as proper nutrition in the campus context. Health programs should empower students to take an active role in their daily healthcare management.

Program Ideas:
* Prevention for Common Male Ailments/Diseases
* Prevention for Common Female Ailments/Diseases
* HPV: What is it? Why should I care? What can I do?
* Health Newsletter/Bathroom Hanger – Common health issues (may be seasonal)
* Hall Walking/Running/Biking/Yoga/Aerobics/Kickboxing/Core Club
* Dining at Downer: It’s okay to put some green on your plate…
* Discussions/programs centered on sex, sexual decision making and abstinence
* Getting Tested-Understanding STIs
* E-Chug Evaluations
* Alcohol and drug education
* The importance of sleep
* 10 minute dance parties
* Healthy workouts for Men & Women: what’s the difference?
* Fitness competitions – most miles walked/run, most pushups, most consecutive weeks without missing a workout, most consecutive days without missing a meal at Downer, most consecutive days without eating fatty foods, etc.
* Fad diets bulletin board – why they work & why they don’t
* Healthy recipe sharing – bulletin board, postings in the kitchen, a floor/building book for the desk
* Host an organic dinner
* Host Dance Dance Revolution nights
* Challenge another floor or building to a volleyball game
* Sign up a floor for intramural team (work with hall intramural rep)
self examinations, vaccinations, holistic options (such as massage, aromatherapy, vitamins, etc.),
* Eating Disorders- the difference between disordered eating and an eating disorder
* Veggie/Vegan Dinner

Balance

Balance programming focuses on nurturing the whole individual by targeting mental, emotional, and spiritual health. Programs in this category strive to bring community members to a more functional and content state of being. This is important not only for the health of the individual, but also for the health of the community since it serves to help regulate emotions, bring peace, and encourage stability.

Program Ideas:
* Stress relief techniques
* Floor massage session
* Planning a balanced class schedule
* Potters club – grow plants with others
* Group Art sessions – create new & interesting things together!
* Bring in a counselor to talk about emotional management strategies
* Bring in a mini rock/zen garden in your lounge
(small wooden tray with sand, rocks, and very small rake…)
* Get stress balls from the health center & purchase some fiddly toys for the lounge so people can play with them while taking study breaks
* Bring in someone to teach knitting & form a knitting circle
* Host a late night study break by playing Twister
* Research the hobbies of favorite professors on campus and share them with a poster campaign.
* Conduct a W(h)ine and Cheese Party
* Have a group that meets regularly around your halls SAD lamp
* Destressing crafts
* Zen-ify Yourself
* Tai Chi and Me
* Finding your Inner Child- Game Night
* DE-stress NOT Distress (strategies for stress management; stress relief toys, etc.)
* Setting Goals and Prioritizing
* Morning Meditation
* Response Boards
* Passive Information (for specific students; resources available through Health/Counseling)
* Healthy Relationships
* Mirror Work and Body Tracing (body image/eating disorders)

Service

Service programming should help students focus outwardly on things that they can do for others to improve the community. This area of programming could also be known as the “do unto others” area of campus & community life. LU students need to recognize that they have something to offer those around them and understand it is their responsibility to share these attributes. As such, it is essential that it is made a priority to reach out to the community through service projects in order to learn, teach, and grow.

Program Ideas:
* Arrange and host a “Get to know your Volunteer center” party
* Get your floor involved in World Aids day! (December 1)
* Create opportunities to celebrate MLK day of service with your floor
* Pick a holiday and create a topical service project around that theme
* Organize a custodian’s “day off” where residents do the custodial work on their floor
* Penny war with donations going to a charity.
* Highlight the Volunteer Center Newsletter on your floor & sign up small groups from your floor to participate in service opportunities.
* Start a floor sick-tray program where people can sign up with you if they get sick. Arrange to bring them meals.
* Organize an “adopt a ____” team and adopt a part of campus – arrange with physical plant to post a small sign in that spot.
* Organize a trip to Pioneer Village (near Alex) (retirement home)
* Start a peer-tutoring circle on your floor.
* Get some people together to do something nice for another floor.
* Get residents together to create fun crafts & jewelry items as a group and then wrap them & give them as gifts to other people in your building & on campus.
* Tutoring opportunities
* Volunteer at any of the local wetlands or environmental org. in Appleton
* Contact the Volunteer Center and have them help you!
* Start a hall beautification program
* Create a blood drive or donation program
* YMCA volunteering
* Hospital volunteering
* Partnering with Red Cross for safety kits
* Habitat for Humanity
* Mentoring

Community Engagement

Community living & engagement programming should educate students about the rewards of community living as well as the obligations that come with it. Programs in this area should empower students to take on a greater role in their floor, building, campus, city, or world and educate them about issues that they will face as a result of living with others in a community setting. Furthermore, this means we should take steps to care for, respect, and protect our communities through sustainability, beautification, education, and social justice projects.

Program Ideas:
* Organize a “get out the vote” drive for LUCC elections
* Create a “get in the mix” campaign to involve residents in Hall Council.
* Help the community (possibly through HC) develop a way to deal with dirty dishes in the lounge.
* Respect campaigns
* Get 100% of those eligible on your floor to get registered to vote – throw an ice cream party if you succeed
* Organize an election central in the lounge with food and beverages to watch the results of the election
* Become aware of local issues and post of hold a discussion
* Cut out articles from newspapers and ask for feedback from residents
* Create bulletin boards about current world affairs, current human rights campaigns
* Post the results of local/national elections on your floor
* Educate residents about a particular topic and then host a political dinner discussion @ downer with your floor
* Read minutes from LUCC meetings & use them to create discussion starters on your floor
* Go above & beyond to encourage your floor to participate and attend Hall Council programs
* Sustainability Olympics
* Dumpster Dive
* Hall Mural Painting
* Hall/Campus/Community Clean-Up
* Public Service Campaigns
* Learning about Election Issues (bulletin board?)
* Globalization and Foreign Affairs
* Coordinate or highlight efforts with Amnesty International (Human Rights Org.)