Programming/Activities
Each Resident Assistant (RA) is also responsible for sponsoring programs either within the house, with other houses, or within the entire hall. These programs are of two different types, and serve a multitude of purposes. The first type of program is a social program, such as going to the beach, watching a movie as a hall, participating in athletic events, etc. These programs are important to not only help residents build friendships within their hall, but they also help residents develop important social skills, find study partners, and often to get a much needed break from their studies.
The second type of program that the Residence Life staff sponsors are educational programs. These can include presentations and discussions on important social issues, alcohol use/abuse, effective methods of stress relief, and many more areas of interest. These programs are intended to help residents become more aware of not only the world around them, but of themselves as well.
Intramural sports also play a large part in the house structure of the residence halls. Many houses participate in soccer, softball, basketball, broomball, hockey and other sports through house teams. This is an important avenue of stress relief for many students.
Finally, there are many of the University sponsored special events throughout the year that houses can participate in. The first major event is Keweenaw Day, or K-Day, where students are released from class at noon and gather at McLain State Park for games, athletic events, live music, and more. The next major event that houses can participate in is Homecoming, where houses can enter teams in different competitions such as pyramid building. During the spring term, MTU's Winter Carnival occurs, probably the biggest campus event of the year. The festivities last over 4 days, and halls can participate in snow statue building, a broom ball tournament, a human dog sled race, and much more.