Student volunteers spent their Rejuvenation Day helping with ground maintenance at a local cemetery (Courtesy of Kenji Nagayoshi, Photo Editor).
The Happy Campus and Community Coalition at Geneseo hosted an event on Wednesday Sept. 30 inviting students to connect with members of the Geneseo community. Envelopes and door hangers were given out so that students who reside off-campus could include their contact information to introduce themselves and form bonds with their neighbors. The purpose of this event was to help bring the community, both on and off-campus students, together.
“Student interns and I came up with this idea of doing door hanger cards that students could write their names on and their phone numbers and hang on the neighbor’s door,” Community and Campus Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator Rob Levy said. “[The cards basically say] hi, we’re your neighbors, all of our names are on here ... You can reach us if there [are] any issues [or] if you need help with anything. [We] hope to see you around.”
The Happy Campus and Community Coalition is a group of student interns and other community members who want to help Geneseo students in the community live more comfortably while on the college campus without having to turn to alcohol or drugs for enjoyment.
The coalition also intends to reach out to first-year students about alternative options to get involved in on-campus; especially options that don’t involve alcohol or other substances.
“We’re developing a program for first-year students to learn about alcohol and so forth, but we’re doing it in such way that they’re hearing from students about what it was like for them to come here,” Levy said. “How they made friends, what the parties were like, what other things they do for fun, relaxing or dealing with stress and sort of help the new students to adjust and feel more [at] home here.”
Aside from events hosted by Greek life organizations and athletic teams, Levy spoke about the many different clubs and organizations on campus that serve as stepping-stones for getting more involved in a way that does not affect safety or well-being.
“I would say get out and join a club, particularly an outside club, you know hiking, skiing [or] biking,” Levy said. “There [are] such beautiful places that you could go and get outside and meet some people, you know, even if it’s just a small group, it’s one way to feel at home here.”
This coalition event served as a starting place to establish bonds between students.
“I want them to learn that there’s a village where they’re welcomed. [A village] where they can meet people, you know, who live here. [A village] where off-campus students get to know their neighbors better and vice versa,” Levy said. “This Happy Campus and Community Coalition is an opportunity for students to get together with people in the community and look at all kinds of issues and do projects ... Things that are you know, fun and creative and relaxing.”