GSP RA discusses Fourth of July, films and fellowship
by Katherine Yared

DJ Mikey turns the music down as the lights come up in the warehouse. The team of resident advisors announce to a mass of sweaty, protesting scholars that the Fourth of July dance will, in fact, continue, as soon as the fireworks display is over. As realization that the party will carry on dawns, the crowd amicably shuffles through the door and into the misty parking lot to watch Danville’s skyward celebration of American independence. At the end of the night, students report back to their respective dormitories to sign in with their RAs and to discuss the day’s events before turning in for the night. Thus ends the first week of the 2009 Governor’s Scholars Program at Centre College.

For the scholars, that is. Being a resident advisor means staying awake late into the night to ensure the cooperation and safety of the community. Luckily, it also means sleeping in. This summer marks my second year of working as an RA with Centre’s GSP, after having been a scholar at the campus in 2005. Surveying new construction projects sweeping the familiar campus, I am reminded of sunny weekdays and inevitably rainy weekends spent with bright high school juniors from around the Bluegrass State. Playing sports like ultimate frisbee and wallyball, attending convocations by such accomplished speakers as Tori Murden McClure, eating soft-serve ice cream for dessert every night: these traditions have continued since my class graduated from the program four years ago.

This summer, in addition to attending a focus area course, a general studies course, and a discussion-based seminar, scholars also participate in other activities.

A diverse selection of films introduced by faculty and staff members completes the five-week film series. Documentaries such as Cane Toads: An Unnatural History (1988), classics like Casablanca (1942), and Oscar-winning Bollywood adventures like Slumdog Millionaire (2008) make up a small sampling of the films seen and discussed by interested scholars. As a resident advisor, I help introduce the pictures to scholars and facilitate post-viewing discussions about themes, technical aspects, critical reception, and personal opinion of the films viewed.

Another popular outlet for scholars’ creativity and leadership: creating clubs. The list of sponsored clubs at Centre displays a range of interests, from hiking and soccer to sign-language and the word game bananagrams. Personally, I sponsor the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Yoga club on campus. The creation of clubs continues as the summer progresses.

A final notable moment on campus occurs just after the sun sets: making rounds. In the evenings, RAs are charged with the duty of walking around the campus night perimeter and surveying scholarly activities. This is one of the most interesting times of the day for me, as I may be invited to play cards, to sing along to a guitar jam session on the stoop of Nevin Hall, or more seriously, to comfort a homesick scholar. At this time of the day, the community has completed its mandatory activities and is free to relax, hang out, and cultivate those relationships between members that are intrinsic to the success of the program.

—www.centre.edu—

Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/