Student Life Office: Always Ready to Help

By Surrayya Kapri


Design of the new Student Life Center

The number of student clubs at RVCC has increased since the enrollment has gone up.  To alleviate the problem, the Office of Student Life & Civic Engagement aka Student Activities is currently working on raising funds to build a new Student Life Center next to the gym.

Alaysha M. Walker is the Student Activities Coordinator as well the Acting Director for this office located on the second floor of the College Center.  She is assisted by her team consisting of Mary Wicklund, Department Assistant, and several student workers.

“The general perception among the student body is that the Student Activities Office just makes IDs,” said student worker, Kirrah Clark.

“The Student Activities Office assists many student organizations,” said Wicklund. They include:

• Student Government Association (SGA)
• First Year Experience (FYE) Department
• Phi Theta Kappa (PTK)
• International Honor Society ( the leadership seminars )
• Helping students to start clubs
• Planning events

One such event, the Welcome Back Student Picnic or RVCC Spirit Day at the beginning of every semester is very popular since there is free food.

“We arranged the picnic at the beginning of fall 2010 and ordered sodas, burgers, ice cream, chips and much more for over 1,000 people,” said Walker.

The popcorn for the picnic was donated by Hillsborough Cinema for just $10 “which is very generous of them,” said Wicklund.

Sometimes, events do not go as planned. The Shwayze Concert turned out to be disappointment.

“We sold over 500 tickets and approximately 150 people stayed when they learned that Shwayze himself would not be performing, so the college had to give out over 350 refunds,” said Walker.

Alaysha Walker( right) & Mary Wicklund (left) with student workers

The Student Activities Office also helps to schedule events. “We order the equipment needed, order food if the club tell us to do so, help arrange for tables and chairs needed through our liaison with the housekeeping department,” said Wicklund.

When there is a fundraiser arranged by one of the clubs, the Student Activities Office provides assistance by keeping the money safe.

“We deposit the money with the Finance office, keep track of the records until the clubs request the check at the end of the fundraiser or a bake sale,” said Wicklund.

Clubs also get assistance with flyers. “They send the drawing to Alaysha and she checks and approves them and has it printed in color or black and white,” said Wicklund.

The office will soon have a new director which is “essential to set policy,” according to Walker.

“Until then we follow the precedence set by the previous director,” said Walker.