Have you gotten into this whole Hunger Games craze yet? If not, maybe you should really consider it. While the whole idea of the Hunger Games can be a bit disturbing and gruesome, there is a bit more than one would think. That is for later in the blog, though...
One of my favorite books is "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. If you are not familiar with the book, it speaks about the importance of following childhood dreams and the power of being raw and real. Randy was a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and he past away due to pancreatic cancer. He wrote and provided his last lecture to inspire others around him, (spoiler alert) particularly his daughters and wife. In one of the chapters, Randy described the power of the "head fake." A head fake is essentially a front, a cover up, a sneak attack if you will.
For individuals outside of Housing and Residence Life at Virginia Tech, we have begun developing and utilizing a curriculum for student learning and the residence hall experience. While we may not be providing academic instruction within the residence halls, we are helping to personally develop and create socially just citizens by the time in which individuals graduate from our institution. Has it been easy? No... There has been a significant amount of tension, feedback, and resistance. I stepped into this professional to help others find themselves, to help students reach their goals and dreams. The curriculum has the potential to accomplish these things.
Some of you may be wondering how I was able to start with the Hunger Games, why I went into "The Last Lecture," and how I ended with our curriculum model. It's simply, actually. If we are to accomplish things nowadays, we may need to initiate a head fake somewhere down the road. If we want our students to learn, we may need to pull in topics in which they are familiar in order to reach our own end goals. The Hunger Games is a perfect tool. Last year, I happily co-presented on Harry Potter and True Colors. This was a widely-acclaimed presentation that was applicable for RAs in their endeavors to teach their residents. Now, I have made the transition to the Hunger Games. Are there significant moral quandaries within the series? Are there issues of leadership in the trilogy? Can our students relate to some piece or character within the three novels? I would be hard pressed to think that one would answer "no" to any of these three questions.
On Tuesday, I will happily reveal my 90-minute workshop on leadership and the Hunger Games. While some may not agree with my approach to leadership development and best practices in group dynamics, I do not waver from my stance. I think it is essential for us to understand popular culture and ways in which to reach out to the students in which we serve. Who knows? Maybe I will learn a thing or two during my own presentation.
For student staff members (and professionals) in HRL, come out to my workshop this upcoming Tuesday. It will be from 2:30 - 4:00 PM, and I would like to get some feedback. I promise that residence hall learning will be brought to a new level. Enjoy the bits and pieces from my presentation while you wait in anticipation. :)
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