Office Tour: Tim Burton Programming Board

School is simply crazy this semester! Constantly keeping busy with presentation preparations and readings so I apologize for the lack of blogging. One of these days I really am going to get the hang of updating regularly!

This semester I had our RA staff vote on the programming board theme. Battling against TGIF (Full House, Boy Meets World, Step by Step) and Recess (the cartoon), Tim Burton ultimately came up triumphant.

Our RAs make "passive activities," informative/interactive bulletin boards, for their residents each month. This semester I decided that I would jump on that train and create something the RAs could participate in as well - Tim Burton themed of course!

Enter sign crafted to be similar to the Tim Burton Museum of Modern Art entrance. In the past the programming board (the fun and creative way we keep track of RAs' programming progress) is on the wall where it says enter, but keeping in line with our theme semester, I decided to put the programming board in the closet - like its own little world.

These are the envelopes on our encouragement board (fill your bucket concept.) If anyone is curious, the font is Alice in Wonderland. 

I didn't want to pick one particular movie of Burton's so I made up my own little world and just tried to stylize it in a Burton manner. House of Doors was the name I came up with. I might write a story to go with it closer to the end of the semester to elaborate the idea - keep your eyes out for that if it happens!

Voila! The House of Doors. There is a door for every RA and Pro-Staff member. 

Think The Others + Tim Burton, and that is kind of what House of Doors is meant to be like. A large emphasis on doors, keys, old manors, and the late 1800s/early 1900s. 

Instead of making an actual board, the "board" itself is this book. Each RA has their own page and their progress is kept at the bottom of each page. Creating the book was probably my favorite part - I gave every RA an old-timey job that fits their major or personality, and some of their names got Burtonized (made kind of kooky!)

This is an overall view. The reveal was really fun because we turned off all the office lights and played Tim Burton's Corpse Bride theme song to enter the room! One of the funnest projects I've worked on in some time. 

Until next time, xoxo.

OU Memes: Humor and our University

My Facebook feed has been almost completely taken over by the recently-created OU Memes. Some of them are rather funny: situational things about elevators, swiping cards onto hallways, locations on campus, but I couldn't bring myself to 'like' the page because there are also a large number of demeaning memes.

I am probably losing you right? Because it's "all in good fun" and "it's supposed to be funny" and I shouldn't "be so uptight"? I used to think and say things like that, that people took things "too seriously." The problem is that those dismissive statements are used to discredit someone's feelings - this joke is SO good, and so "true," that it is worth making (and passing on), even if it does hurt someone's feelings. Just because it doesn't hurt/effect you, or maybe your family, or maybe your friends, doesn't mean it can't hurt someone. If someone voices their opinion that something is offensive, why are we so quick to write them off? We may think they are the only one that feels that way, so they don't matter - but 1) everyone matters, 2) that person may be one of many who feel that way, but they're the only one willing to voice their opinion (and after seeing all the backlash they get, it becomes very clear why speaking out isn't a risk some are willing to take.)

I am not writing this to be in any way condescending to those who do enjoy OU memes, but rather to analyze the humor behind them. I am not trying to police the page, or those who like it, but I just ask and hope that fellow students question the worth of a joke that feeds division amongst its students before posting it or passing it along. Making a whole population of people (women, non-Greeks, specific houses, etc) the butt of the joke is alienating and supports ideas of superiority and inferiority on campus - we already have enough of that outside of the University, is it worth it to contribute to it here at OU, a place where all Sooners call home?

Sunday Snapshot: Floor Themes

I am apparently really bad at updating. A lot worse than I ever imagined I would be.
But, as much as it shouldn't be an excuse, I've been really busy...
ResLife is busy as always, graduate classes are in full swing,
it is most definitely spring semester on our college campus.

I thought I would sneak this quick update in to share some of the floor themes the resident advisers are doing in our residence hall (and this post mildly supports my excuse of 'see?! ResLife stuff! I told you!')

Sour Patch Kids! Love the peekaboo guy character!

A completely decked out Harry Potter floor, complete with acceptance letters and chronological retelling of the books.

Even Hank Hill (and Boomhauer) have a home in our residence hall!

Super legit Indiana Jones on the Harrison Ford themed floor.

One RA chose cats and the other chose dogs! #cuddliestfloorever

Rapunzel has an appropriate home on the 12th-floor themed Tangled! Pascal is my favorite!

KEVIN. So cute. 

This is truly only a sneak peek of all the amazingness that is my RAs' decorations - other floor themes include The Emperor's New Groove, Oh! The Places You'll Go, Star Wars, Toy Story, 7th Heaven... and even more. I work with some outstanding, dedicated, and talented students and I am so thankful for all of them!