Submitted by Zach Greenlee, Resident Advisor, Central Missouri State University
Here is one of my best ideas for an easy icebreaking introduction for your residents and you.
One of your first central bulletin boards should have a picture up of you being goofy and entertaining, and if you have a floor partner, they should be included also. You then come up with and post interesting facts and side information about yourself that would be entertaining and revealing, such as:
• favorite custard flavor
• favorite (reality) television show
• favorite 007 vixen name
• favorite cartoon that you can vaguely remember from before you were 5
• depending on if this is a debate in your region, Is it Pop or Soda? Or Coke?, etc.
The reason this can be fun is because you open up conversations between people that all of a sudden remember watching things like David the Gnome. People find out basic similarities that allow then to relate to each other (favorite custard flavor). Your residents find out who share their interests in television watching…then you can encourage the group of people to watch the latest season of their favorite reality TV show, etc.
For a related door tag, include the name and room number but add a similar questionnaire to your bulletin board that residents fill out themselves and read about each other. Be as creative and fun as you can possibly be.