Chaffee Hall's hall council at Boise State University began no different than the ones I'd seen in the past at the start of the year. It didn't take long, however, for me to see the energy and capability that made this year's group of first year students stand out. And then there's this month, which blew me out of the water. Between their commitment to the people in their meetings, the programs they're putting on, and the work they're focusing on doing just to make others feel appreciated, I'm living an advisor's dream.

Let's begin with general meetings. At this point in this year, I walk into their meetings and see the president with her color-coded agenda already pulled up on the screen. New members are introduced to the group to make them feel like there's never a chance missed to jump right in. Discussions about "the empty chair" are happening, which encourage them to think about perspectives and voices missing from their space when they plan programs. Speaking of which, they've regularly got several different programs planned that accommodate different interests, schedules, and balance the need for introvert and extrovert friendly activities. They've spent time getting to know what's happening in each others' lives, and they've had dialogues when things didn't go so smoothly during the last event. This is all from students who had no idea what any of this was a mere six weeks prior.

Now, let me tell you about their programs. A campus wide game of Humans vs. Zombies brought students together for some sock-throwing, spooky fun. To spice things up, the Chaffee Hall Council put together a special event where those who had become zombies could obtain antidotes cleverly hidden around campus. They gifted the winner a bookstore gift card and helped get some more participation in the game outside of the main goal. They teamed up with another community to put on "Gettin' Corny", a corn themed fall festival. With all things corn related came the opportunity for the hall council members to explore teamwork, budgeting for large scale events, and food from a different culture. Some of the members took the time learn what Elote was about so they could share an Elote bar with residents while educating students on what it was. Over Parent and Family weekend, they did face-painting before the football game but also had photos that residents had submitted on the wall so families and friends could get a glimpse into the year.

Service is really important to this team. They made breast cancer awareness ribbons to give out. They worked to gather supplies for "Blessing Bags" in partnership with a local student teacher and her classroom. When Boise State hosted an RA-centered conference, our hall council members were volunteering among the RAs.

Hall councils are a pretty common way for students to jump into campus involvement, but this group of students cannonballed Sandlot-style into their own unique leadership experience in a way that makes me, our community, and hopefully themselves so very proud.

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