Students wrap up their semester this week, but faculty and staff still have one more to go before we call it a year. Want to add some whimsy to that typically quiet week? Look no further than the faculty and staff Spirit Week!
Started roughly 8 years ago, Spirit Week has held different iterations. It was originally started by the Student Life team started when they were still located in DeWitt and the Bultman Student Center was just a dream. Katie DeKoster, currently the Director of Family Engagement and previously the Assistant Director of Student Life, has been a part of the tradition for years.
“That week when we’re all here without students is just asking for an injection of extra fun!” said Katie. “We used to ‘advertise’ by hanging signs with the Spirit Week schedule around DeWitt. Once the Bultman Student Center (BSC) existed, we tried to spread the fun across both buildings. Now we’ve included the details in Hope Daily because we wanted to include all the faculty and staff across campus who would like to be involved.”
In its many forms, Spirit Week has included potlucks, trivia competitions, dress-up days and always a book swap. Some of this year’s highlights include “Dress like a College Student” Day, Bring Your Own Bowl Cereal bar, communal coffee hour at Biggby, and (you guessed it) a book swap.
“Hope staff members work incredibly hard to serve our students, and it’s fun to have something slightly silly to look forward to at the end of the semester,” commented Katie.
Katie credits her colleagues in Alumni and Family Engagement for collaboratively coming up with this year’s daily options and activities. Thanks Katie and all at Alumni and Family Engagement for bringing fun, belonging, and connection to our final work week of 2024!
