The ResLife team had a very busy spring term organising events and excursions for students.
Welcome back!
In February, they organised the ResLife Rodeo, which was a hit amongst students with almost 400 attendees. The event featured a variety of games, free food, and a bull-riding competition. The winner of the bull-riding competition managed to stay on for an impressive 1 minute and 36 seconds and won a £50 gift card! Kent Sport also demonstrated their new Virtual Headsets and a photo booth was set up to capture amusing pictures. There was a variety of delicious food available, including Kerala Curry, burgers, candy floss, doughnuts, and popcorn. The feedback from students was positive, so the team plans to organize this event again in the autumn.
Other popular events included plushy making, pizza and cookie baking, olive oil and chocolate truffle tasting, and Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and Easter crafts. ResLife also partnered with Kent COG to recycle food tins from Dolce Vita and turn them into sustainable plant pots. Students then collected plants from the Community Oasis Garden to plant in their new pots.
In addition to arts and crafts events, the ResLife team organised more excursions and tours than ever before. Students visited Wildwood and Howletts, as well as local towns like Dover and Whitstable. They also spent a day at an Alpaca Farm, feeding the cuddly animals. ResLife took students on outings to the local bowling center, laser tag, and indoor climbing. It was an exciting term filled with fun activities!
Alpaca photo
Recently, ResLife purchased three new Virtual Reality headsets, which came with a wide range of games and experiences. The headsets were well-received by students and staff alike, with Beatsaber being one of the most popular games. The ResLife Sports Cup also took place, featuring activities like Dodge Ball, Archery, and Beatsaber. Students participated to represent their college and earn points. There’s only one term left before the Cup is awarded at the end of the year!
What’s coming up for term 3?
Looking ahead, we know that many students will have exams this term. Therefore, we’re looking for ways to give you some downtime between studying. That’s why we will be running our study hubs again this term, every Tuesday evening in Sibson. Last term, our study hubs proved popular with students. They provided a quiet place to study and focus, or just have some time out to listen to some calming music and enjoy a bit of mindfulness colouring. Students also had the opportunity to chat with their fellow students and the ResLife ambassadors in a relaxed environment. On Wednesdays, you can join our mindfulness coloring sessions in DG-01 in the Templeman Library or visit the virtual world in Nexus (DG-02) to have a go on our Virtual Reality headsets.
If you missed out last time, don’t worry, we’re planning more trips to the Alpaca Farm, as well as some nature walks in Blean Woods and a trip to Chilham for a delicious Afternoon Tea. If you are feeling energetic, we also have a coach trip to the Ninja Warrior UK on 18 May 24. If you’d rather have a relaxing afternoon, then you can join us for a 1920’s 1920s-themed Afternoon Tea and music on the Templeman Lawn on 24 June 24.
As if that’s not enough, we’re pleased to announce the creation of the ResLife Garden in Keynes Courtyard, with continued developments taking place through the next term, including the addition of bird boxes, bug and bee hotels, a wildflower and herb garden, and much more. If you have green fingers (or even if you don’t) and would like to get involved, please email us.
For the film fanatics out there and the romantics, you’ll be pleased to hear that we’re working in conjunction with the Gulbenkian to host three free cinema nights in May and June for any students living in campus accommodation. We’ll be showing Thor-Ragnarok, Wonka, and Legally Blond. We know everyone has Netflix these days, but sometimes it’s nice to watch a movie on the big screen with friends, so we hope you’ll all come along. And don’t forget, the final event of the ResLife Sports Cup will take place this term with the Big Quiz on 23 May 24 in Woody’s. To keep that brainpower engaged, students will be treated to food as they battle it out in a test of knowledge! We’ll also see which accommodation has what it takes to win the first-ever ResLife Sports Cup trophy!
Check out our events online and if any have caught your attention, please remember to sign up on your Home at Halls App, and we look forward to seeing you soon!