Kristen: Living Space

One of the major differences between living in Riley Court and living in a traditional residence hall is the use of space. I realized today that I spend much more time in the lobby and the kitchen than I do in my own room (disregarding sleep time). The lobby and kitchen are places where you come into contact with many people--those within "Ubuntu," and those in our extended community, such as other college friends and even the staff members who share our kitchen. I like to think it's a much more welcoming space this way: when you walk into our third floor lobby, you will often find a few of us sitting around, working studiously on homework or relaxing in front of the television.

Kathy Dickson brought up an interesting point though, at our meal on Sunday. She asked us what we were doing for fun--all of us, together. Well, there's not much that we're intentional about doing all together. Sure, we have our Sunday meals--which are great, don't get me wrong. But we don't make an effort to make sure that everyone is involved in group activities. It's easy to see that most people some of the time are involved in these kinds of activities, but those of us who may not be available during the time the Bachelor is on TV, for example, may miss out on some community time. So I wonder, how can we be more intentional about including everyone--or at least offering the option for inclusion--in more of what we do? What kinds of activities can we promote that provide group bonding while also always extending the reach of our efforts beyond the 14 of us?