On Thursday April 9, from 5:00-8:00 p.m., students at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL) participated in a variety of activities including Stryker’s Egg Hunt, Pavement Picasso, a volleyball tournament, Bags tournament, Battle Boats, Tug of War and Tie Dying bandanas as a part of Dorm Wars. Dorm Wars is a competition held twice a year on the UWL campus, once in the fall when students first arrive, and then again in the spring.
Dorm Wars is a campus event where students are encouraged to come participate in a variety of activities around campus, with different events being held depending on the time of year. When interviewing Elli Coulter, a resident assistant (RA) in Hutchison Hall, she stated that, “Dorm Wars is an easy way to get to know a lot of people…it can get you to explore parts of campus you may not have known about beforehand.” Having the opportunity to meet people, expand your knowledge of campus and make valuable memories often helps make the adjustment to college smoother for new students.
Another benefit to getting involved is that Dorm Wars also had volunteer opportunities for students that would look great on job or club applications. It promotes a sense of togetherness for the volunteers and staffing community who contribute to the event. Becoming a volunteer for an event also helps break the barriers of knowing a person, it gives students a sense of familiarity to one another when they are working in the same environment for the same or similar reasons. Coulter shared about her experience with volunteer work, saying, “It is a great way to connect with other RA’s or new students…gives you a way to grow bonds with people during your time working.”
Dorm Wars promotes healthy competition between the 10 dorm buildings on campus. Each of the dorms competes for a prize through participating in the list of activities provided, with students earning a certain number of points for their dorm depending on the dorm’s collective performance during the event. After all the points are added up, the dorm that had the most points over the course of all the events wins Dorm Wars. This spring, the prize was a golden duck.
Isabella Moening, another volunteer from this spring’s Dorm Wars, was interviewed regarding her experiences with on-campus events and said, “I met all the people I am currently friends with, and even my roommates for next year, through Dorm Wars.”
Attending on-campus events is a great way to meet the people around you and who you will be spending your time around even if you do not always see them. Participating in these on-campus events is not only important to incoming first-years, but to transfer students and long-time students as well. Continued participation from all students will help to enhance the reach of these events and make them better known to newer students.
