Lack of participation in residence hall activities

By Young Min Jung
yjung3@cougars.ccis.edu

Columbia College’s residence halls can house a maximum of 326 students. Banks Hall houses 108 students, Miller Hall 154 students and Hughes Hall 64 students. Each hall regularly holds parties or activities. But how many students who live in the residence halls actually participate in these events?

The resident assistants plan and implement hall activities. According to Jen Mantler, a resident assistant in Banks Hall, the participation rate for activities ranges from 7 percent to 27 percent, far fewer than half the students who live in Banks Hall. When residence hall parties are planned, resident assistants attach information on the each floor’s wall two weeks prior to the event. Despite this, student participation rates are low.

Mantler said participation may be affected because students have different views of what college is about. Because they are so different, they may not feel it is necessary to be friends. Also, many people may feel the dorms are too restricted.

Rukaiyah Baraz Aliyu, a business major, lives in Banks Hall. She said she has attended just one hall event because she doesn’t have enough time to go and she has a lot of things to do. “If there are more interesting things or more stuff to do and more music, a party will be good,” she said.

To increase participation rates at residence hall activities, discussions between students and resident assistants should take place to plan these events. Developing more interesting activities also will help to attract students. Most of all, students have to pay attention to the residence hall events that will be held and try to participate in them.