Clash and Celebration - February 2024

 Hello to all parents, guardians, families, friends, and students of 1504! 

With the month of February now finished, it is time for another installment of the 1504 hall blog, looking at the past Clash of the Halls celebration and other developments around campus and in our hall, as well as an important announcement at the end of the post from RC Cynthia. 

Clash of the Halls

1504, ready for Clash Pep Rally!

For many of our students, one of the most iconic periods of the IMSA year is the annual Clash of the Halls competition. In this week-long event, all 7 IMSA residence halls compete in a series of events designed to bring out a wide array of individual student talents and hall camaraderie in a battle to determine who will be the next Clash champions.

Unfortunately, 1504 struggled to maintain its momentum with the various Clash events this year. due to initial setbacks and rule enforcements early on, especially when it came to Hall Decorations. From there, the 1504 students had to make some hard sacrifices on which events to really focus on with their remaining time and resources. 

As such, for many 1504 students, the main participation in this year's Clash came during its culminating event: the Pep Rally. The biggest part of Pep Rally is when every hall gets to demonstrate its dance routine, known in the IMSA community as its "Drill." Leaning into its grey theme of "Dystopia," 1504's Drill routine began with every student donning an identical full-face mask before giving their all in an energetic dance routine. Every year, the Clash Drill is one of 1504's biggest prides, and this year's was no exception, even as Clash overall did not quite go in the hall's favor this year with a final placement of 7th out of all 7 halls.

Still, even if this year's Clash was not 1504's best, it is still worth highlighting and celebrating the sense of camaraderie that goes into it every year, and thanks to many of the parents and guardians for our hall, we were able to do just that! On the night of Tuesday, February 27, during our designated Residence Life programming time slot, 1504 was able to host a post-Clash pizza party, complete with an array of grey-packaged snacks and drinks, in line with our hall's Clash theme. With the stormy weather and tornado warning earlier that same evening, our students were already under instructions to remain in the hall, so the party was really fortunate timing!

Our thanks goes out to the wonderful Mrs. Lidia Granger for helping arrange our pizza orders and to the following parents/guardians for contributing:

Amy Krolow

Rohini Mehta

Piyush Swain 

Nayana Shelar 

Guirong Zhang

Joseph Fernandes

Vivien Ho

David Granger

Catie Wicks

Amy Thiery

Courtney Tang

M. David Larkin

Chhavi Saxena

Toni Ellingson

Beth Osmund

Castillo family

Trips and Daily Living

Outside of large-scale events such as Clash and besides the humdrum of academic and extracurricular rigor that shapes much of our students' lives and schedules, the 04 RCs continue to do everything in our power to make everyday living at IMSA as vibrant and engaging as possible. Whether that be by offering a listening ear and some snacks in our RC Office or by using the weekends to give our students opportunities to get off campus for a bit, we are determined to continue offering our time and services for our students. 

For example, the past month of February saw RC Kylie offer another weekend trip to Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights, allowing our students the chance to spend a few hours exploring the Japanese market and food court, having a nice meal and stocking up on study snacks. In a similar vein, both RC Ethan RC Cynthia celebrated some of the bigger days in February (the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day, respectively) by putting out snacks for all of our students right in the office. 

As this semester goes on and the academic rigor increases, we want to remind the 1504 community that your RC team is always here to support in any way that we can!

 RC Cynthia Smith

Hey 1504!

I wanted to take a moment to inform you that I have taken another career opportunity and I will be leaving my position as an RC during Spring Break. This has been in the works for a while and happened very unexpectedly, yet I am grateful for the opportunity. It has been an incredible experience working alongside all of you, especially my fellow RCs. I value the time that I have spent here and I have learned so much; from being taught how to play chess and poker to learning how to juggle 96 young people, I feel invincible lol. B-Wing, thank you for allowing me to lead you as your RC and even helping me when I had no idea of what I was doing, I appreciate you!

As I move on to new opportunities, please know that I will carry with me the lessons learned and the memories of our time together. 1504, though I am sad about missing your prom, graduations and future achievements, I wish you much success and joy in all of your endeavors.

Peace!!

Cynthia Smith

RC: 1504 B-Wing

That's all from the 1504 RCs for now! Please remember that Spring Break is coming up at the end of March, with the halls closing at 1pm on Saturday, March 23. Start planning for your student's departure and reach out to us with any questions at 04staff@imsa.edu.

The Great Second Semester Snow-In - January 2024

Hello to all parents, guardians, families, friends, and students of 1504! 

Happy New Year and Happy 2nd Semester!

fluffy snow drifts down onto the campus

As we ushered in the new year, the chilly weather served as a cozy backdrop to the beginning of our academic journey for the second semester. The first weeks were filled with Intersession classes, providing new opportunities of educational exploration with the students' unique coursework. Despite the frosty temperatures, our collective spirit warmed the campus as they navigated through their classwork, bundled up in cozy blankets, and sipped on comforting apple cider.

 During the snow-ins, the main building hosted games, movies, open gym, and of course snacks! Intersession courses went well and were a great way to ease into the semester. 

C wing students enjoying a 2K tournament during a cold intercession evening

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In the midst of our academic pursuits, these recent weeks have unfolded as a whirlwind of activity, particularly with the enthusiastic preparation of our students for the upcoming Clash of the Halls event! 

This annual extravaganza is not just a competition but a spirited celebration, where our Titans seize the opportunity to engage in friendly rivalry with other halls. The event unfolds through a series of thrilling competitions, including Movie Night, Game Show, Talent Show, and Pep Rally, each brimming with creativity and camaraderie. 

As participants showcase their talents and teamwork, each event accrues points, creating an exhilarating atmosphere as the competition unfolds. The cumulative points earned by each hall will determine the ultimate victor, the hall that reigns supreme in this clash of skills and school spirit. 

For the current Clash season, Hall 1504 has chosen gray as its color, embracing the theme of "Dystopia" with an air of anticipation and creativity. The excitement is palpable as the members of 1504 eagerly look forward to representing their hall in this thrilling and vibrant competition, ready to leave an indelible mark on Clash of the Halls 2024!

Clash of the Halls 2024 Schedule

1504 RCs and hall parents (led by Mrs. Lidia Granger) are looking for donations for our post-Clash party. Please email her at lidiaagranger@gmail.com or the 1504 staff at 04staff@imsa.edu if you would like to donate food/snacks. 

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As we look to next academic year, students are attending housing informational meetings to begin the housing placement process, below is the housing timeline for such preparations. Please remind your students to attend the meetings pertaining to them, and to reflect on what their housing preferences are.

Housing Timeline as of 1/31/2024

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We wrapped up our January with a Dodgeball night hosted by RSLs Ayan and Jake. The students played music and engaged in some friendly rivalry. They played several variations of dodgeball, with different rules and teams to keep the competition engaging and entertaining. 

1504 Dodgeball Night 1/30/2024

Don’t forget! Halls will close February 17th at 1:00 PM and will re-open February 21st at 3:00 PM for the President’s Day extended weekend. Please ensure that you and your students make appropriate arrangements. Contact the 1504 staff with any questions or concerns.

Wing Wars and Winter - November 2023

 Hello to all parents, guardians, families, friends, and students of 1504!

We hope that you all had a relaxing November Break, spent with your students, families, and friends doing the things that matter to you most. To those that celebrate Thanksgiving, we hope that it was a time of merry company and wholesome food. With Thanksgiving past, we are now full steam ahead towards the December holidays and the end of our first semester! Winter is already in the air and on the ground, and in just a few short weeks, we will be saying some temporary goodbyes as we depart for Winter Break and the coming new year.

Before we close things out for the holidays, let's take some time to reflect on the past month of November, the programs we have been engaging through, and begin our preparations for the end of the semester in the hall. 

Wing Wars

At the very beginning of the month of November, the 1504 students participated in an annual first semester tradition known as Wing Wars. For the week of Wing Wars, the four wings of 1504 engaged in a series of competitions designed to see which wing would reign supreme and take home this year's Wing Wars Champions title (along with the promise of a pizza party).

From October 29 to November 2, our students competed for the glory of their wings in challenges including mural painting based on each wing's elemental theme, a dodgeball tournament, and Kahoot online quizzes. Throughout the week were also the hall's Key Game (an elimination-style game based on catching your assigned target without their room key) and competitions for each wing to complete the afternoon Rolling Check as soon as possible.

Everything came to a dramatic conclusion in 04's most hallowed Wing Wars event - the Iron Chef Cooking Competition. On the night of, representatives from all four wings took to their kitchen spaces with their pre-selected ingredients and the special sabotage ingredient of pomegranate and got to work preparing meals for the panel of RC judges. 04 A-wing took a casual approach of serving steak tacos, food-truck style with a very creative pomegranate and lime drizzle. Meanwhile, 04 B-wing served plates of mac and cheese prepared in a pomegranate reduction. Continuing with the homely, comfortable trend, 04 C-wing served homemade chicken and waffles, using a special pomegranate-based syrup. Finally, 04 D-wing attempted to sway the judges with a complete meal of burgers, stuffed peppers, and potato wedges along with a pomegranate juice. 

This year's Wing Wars was a hard-fought struggle on all sides, with tensions rising and excitement almost boiling over, but ultimately it fostered a great sense of teamwork and camaraderie in each wing, as well as a healthy sense of sportsmanship throughout. At the end of it all, 04 C-wing took home the prized distinction of being this year's Wing Wars winner, with 04 A-wing in second place, 04 B-wing in third place, and 04 D-wing in fourth place.

November Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs

Throughout the month of November, two consecutive installments of our Tuesday night Res Life programming were dedicated to educational programs specifically geared towards fostering our students' senses of being inclusive leaders. In addition to imbuing within our students a passion for the STEM fields, IMSA also prides itself upon the efforts we undertake to instill within our students an appreciation for our the cultures, experiences, and traditions of all people. This appreciation also comes with the understanding that we as a society and even as an academy can still do much better when it comes to being truly culturally competent. There is always more to learn, and there is always more that can be done to make all people feel welcome.

To serve that end, some of the major campus-wide events this month included the annual diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) trainings that many of our students took. For example, on November 7, all of IMSA's senior class underwent a training session centered around the topics of gender and sexuality, beginning with an educational lecture by guest speaker Nat Duran from Constellation Collective, who went into much of the base-level vocabulary and concepts related to gender and sexuality. The program then held a screening of the MTV documentary "The T Word," presented by Laverne Cox, following the stories of several transgender individuals and the many challenges they face for their identities. Finally, the Senior DEI training concluded with small group debrief discussions about the material covered and how we as an IMSA community can do better at supporting all individuals on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.

Similarly, all IMSA juniors underwent a DEI Training on November 14, this time concerning the topics of race, incarceration, and disempowerment of minority communities in America. IMSA juniors viewed the documentary, "13th" by Ava DuVernay, and engaged in a related discussion with peers. The film traces a 150 year-old history of race, incarceration, and disempowerment of minority communities in America.  By the end of the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights Movement, the United States saw an end to legal segregation and the introduction of the Voting Rights Act.  What followed, however, was a more surreptitious form of racial control: open violence and discrimination were replaced by the racially-coded rhetoric of “law and order” and the “war on crime.”

These mandatory trainings for our students are just two examples of the various ways the IMSA community has sought to educate itself on the pressing cultural issues of our day and age, all the while fostering greater appreciation for our many differences and how they can make us a more unified community. This work will hopefully continue into our everyday interactions throughout our hall and campus as we strive to be better leaders and more inclusive citizens in every aspect of our lives. 

Winter Break

Link to Winter Break Presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F0-aoob7o61e67jFh2aV0zzb2E6RXyJK/view?usp=sharing

Although we have just returned from November Break, Winter Break is fast upon us, so we must begin our preparations now for it. The halls close at 5:00 pm on Thursday, December 21st, and reopen on Sunday, January 7th at 3:00 pm. (There will be a $25 fee for every 5 minutes a student is here after 5:00 pm on Thursday, December 21st, so please plan accordingly!)

The Winter Break presentation linked above is a resource that helps break down the expectations leading to winter break check-outs. Each required date/time for cleaning, room inspections, and packing is to ensure the student is entirely ready to go when they begin the departure process. Please review the slides thoroughly, as we want to ensure everyone has time to ask follow-up questions, submit permissions, and meet the expectations before leaving for Winter Break.

To list some of the most important parts, however:

• Students with Final Exams must complete their checkouts from the hall within 24 hours of their last Final Exam.
• The only exception to the 24 hr. policy is for students that are signed up for the Downstate Buses and students with other siblings at IMSA. 
• Students who DO NOT have Final Exams will need to be checked out of the halls by 9:30 pm on  Monday, December 18th.  
• All students must sign up for a sign-out slot with their RC! Sign-up sheets will be posted in each wing by the first floor entrance/bulletin board by Monday, December 11
• All students must pass a room inspection conducted by an RC before departing campus. Room Inspection guidelines are the same as all prior breaks.
• All students must complete their Wing Clean assignment and have it checked by an RC before departing campus. Wing Clean assignments will be posted in each wing by the first floor entrance/ bulletin board by Monday, December 11
• Parents or guardians must give permission (by emailing 04staff@imsa.edu for the following reasons:
• If the student is taking the ATC shuttle.
• If the student is carpooling with another IMSA family (Please provide the family name!).
• If the student is signing out with grandparents, siblings, family friends, etc.  (Please provide the name of the individual!)

More information about everything related to Winter Break (Downstate Bus, ATC Shuttles, other sign-out information) can be found in the presentation linked above, so please give it a thorough read!

Otherwise, that's all from us for now! Reach out to us at 04staff@imsa.edu with any questions or suggestions!

Haunted Halls - October 2023

 Hello to all parents, guardians, families, friends, and students of 1504!

October marked a very exciting time in our hall, with large events happening almost every week, keeping things fun and engaging not just for our 1504 students, but for the entire campus as the 04 Hall Commons became the place to be many nights this past month. Between cultural organizations hosting their dinner nights in 1504 to our annual Halloween Party (as well as some notes about the upcoming November Break), this blog post will get you all up-to-date on the latest happenings in 1504!

Cultural Organization Nights: Dosas and Dumplings

On October 19, 1504 hosted Dosa Night for our Indian Student Association (ISA) on campus. The purpose of Dosa Night is to spread awareness and educate students about Indian culture. The celebration consisted of music and the students cooking Dosas of different flavors for all of campus to try. The celebration was a success with a line out the door! This was just one of many events that occur around campus to celebrate our different cultures. For example, later in the month, on October 26, our hall also hosted the Asian Students in America (ASIA) organization's Dumplings Night. Same idea - the students used our hall commons as a space to cook a variety of dumpling types and serve them to the entire student body with music playing and good spirits vibing. 

1504's central location on campus makes it a prime spot for events geared towards the entire campus, and we are happy to continue hosting such events in our space. Many students often say that their experiences with student organizations is what really makes their IMSA experience special, and our cultural organizations in particular do amazing work spreading recognition and appreciation of their home cultures and cuisines, so allowing them to host their events in our hall commons is just one of many ways that we try to continue the education of our students in the residence halls.

1504 Halloween Party: A Hall(-oween) Tradition

In another installment of a 1504 tradition, our hall hosted its annual Halloween Party on the night of Sunday, October 29. For the evening, the 1504 hall commons was done up in our spookiest decorations, and we provided all of our students with an impressive display of snacks, candies, and refreshments - all provided by you, the parents and guardians of 1504!

We RCs have to take this opportunity to express our utmost gratitude for all of the donations we received in preparation for our Halloween Party. This event would not have been possible if not for the support we received from all of you, and we deeply appreciate all the donations you made! Special thanks must also go out to Lidia Granger and Chhavi Saxena for organizing a mass pizza and cupcake order for the party, to Beth Osmund for once again providing made-to-order caramel apples, and to Rebeca Garcia for her on-site assistance with setup and distribution! We would also like to give thanks to the following individuals for their contributions to this event:

• Piyush Swain
• Nimesh Bakshi
• Amy Thiery
• Diana Sorescu
• Veerendra Pesala
• Giribabu Polu
• Nageswara Dulam
• Bilikis Yussuf
• Freddy Igbinosa
• Jami Wong
• Rohini Mehta
• Chhavi Saxena
• Justin Davis

This year's Halloween Party was a massive success thanks to you all, and for yet another evening, our hall was the social center of the entire IMSA campus. The candy and snack supplies lasted us well into the night, and everyone who came by was able to take their fill. Once again, our sincerest gratitude to everyone who donated or helped out for this event!

November Fall Break: 11/18 - 11/26

Link to Fall Break Presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D_HA9w1l7mLsFA8WxVI9-AJa0pfgaDGu/view?usp=sharing

As you are hopefully aware, in a few weeks, the Academy will be closing once again for our November Fall Break. The halls close at 1:00 pm on Saturday, November 18th, and reopen on Sunday, November 26th at 3:00 pm. (There will be a $25 fee for every 5 minutes a student is here after 1:00 pm on Saturday, November 18th, so please plan accordingly!)

In an effort to make sure all of our students are ready for November Fall Break, we have created a presentation containing all of the relevant information for signing out for break. This presentation is linked above, and we very strongly implore everyone  give it a thorough read. Please review the slides thoroughly, as we want to ensure everyone has time to ask follow-up questions, submit permissions, and meet the expectations before leaving for fall break.

To list some of the most important parts, however:

• All students must sign up for a sign-out slot with their RC! Sign-up sheets will be posted in each wing by the first floor entrance/bulletin board by Friday, 11/10.
• All students must pass a room inspection conducted by an RC before departing campus. Room Inspection guidelines will be posted to each student room door by Monday, 11/13.
• All students must complete their Wing Clean assignment and have it checked by an RC before departing campus. Wing Clean assignments will be posted in each wing by the first floor entrance/ bulletin board by Monday, 11/13.
• Parents or guardians must give permission (by emailing 04staff@imsa.edu for the following reasons:
• If the student is taking the ATC shuttle.
• If the student is carpooling with another IMSA family (Please provide the family name!).
• If the student is signing out with grandparents, siblings, family friends, etc.  (Please provide the name of the individual!)

More information about everything related to November Fall Break (Downstate Bus, ATC Shuttles, other sign-out information) can be found in the presentation linked above, so please give it a thorough read!

Otherwise, that's all from us for now! Reach out to us at 04staff@imsa.edu with any questions or suggestions!

Full Staff and Fall Plans - September 2023

Hello to all parents, guardians, families, friends, and students of 1504!

Hard to believe that Fall Break is almost here, meaning that the first quarter of this academic year is already almost over! In addition to all of the necessary information for our students to be ready for Fall Break, this blog post will also look ahead to some of the exciting events and programs that our hall has planned for the months ahead, as well as some of the exciting things our wing communities got up to during the month of September. Finally, we are so excited to officially announce that a fourth RC, Griffin Kenna, has joined the 1504 hall staff, and his introduction can be found near the end of this post! 

Fall Break Information

As you are hopefully aware, in just about a week, the Academy will be closing for our Fall Break. The halls close at 1:00 pm on Saturday, October 7th, and reopen on Sunday, October 15th at 3:00 pm. (There will be a $25 fee for every 5 minutes a student is here after 1:00 pm on Saturday, October 7th, so please plan accordingly!)

In an effort to make sure all of our students are ready for Fall Break, we have created a presentation containing all of the relevant information for signing out for break. This presentation can be viewed at this link (click here), and we very strongly implore everyone receiving this email to give it a thorough read. Please review the slides thoroughly, as we want to ensure everyone has time to ask follow-up questions, submit permissions, and meet the expectations before leaving for fall break.

To list some of the most important parts, however:

• All students must sign up for a sign-out slot with their RC!
• Sign-up sheets will be posted in each wing by the first floor entrance/bulletin board by Friday, 9/29.
• All students must pass a room inspection conducted by an RC before departing campus.
• Room Inspection guidelines will be posted to each student room door by Monday, 10/2.
• All students must complete their Wing Clean assignment and have it checked by an RC before departing campus.
• Wing Clean assignments will be posted in each wing by the first floor entrance/ bulletin board by Monday, 10/2
• Parents or guardians must give permission (by emailing 04staff@imsa.edu) for the following reasons:
• If the student is taking the ATC shuttle.
• If the student is carpooling with another IMSA family (Please provide the family name!).
• If the student is signing out with grandparents, siblings, family friends, etc.  (Please provide the name of the individual!)
• More information about everything related to Fall Break (Downstate Bus, ATC Shuttles, other sign-out information) can be found in this presentation (click here), so please give it a thorough read!
  
  

1504 Annual Halloween Party: Donations Appreciated!

For those of you who were with us last year, you may recall when 1504 hosted its annual Halloween Party! On that day, our hall decorated the Hall Commons with a bevvy of spooky decorations and provided a plethora of free candy for all 1504 students! The event was a great success, considered by some in 1504 to even be the highlight of the school year.

The 1504 RCs are hoping to bring this tradition to our hall once again, but we need your help! Throughout the month of October, especially when you return your students from Fall Break, please consider donating some of the following items: 

• Candy! (individually-wrapped, ideally)
• Snacks and drinks (once again, individually-wrapped)
• Halloween decorations

Every little bit helps! If you wish to have a more involved role in 1504's Halloween Party (tentatively scheduled for Sunday, October 29), reach out to us at 04staff@imsa.edu. Past examples of parents/guardians getting involved included coordinating pizza deliveries, preparing homemade treats (such as caramel apples), and assisting with decorating! We're more than happy to take any help we can get on the 29th!

A-wing: Meet RC Griffin!

"Hi 1504! My name is Griffin Kenna and I am the RC for A wing.  This is my first year at IMSA, and I am very excited to work with the students and see them grow.  After graduating Columbia College in 2017, I worked in a variety of fields including brand marketing and co-running a media and production studio, but my core passion is music.  I am a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, and audio engineer with credits on 100+ projects from local Chicago artists and bands.

While my main priority at IMSA is student safety, I’m here to listen, encourage and problem solve with the students to help them succeed and make the most out of their time here."

B-wing

"Hi 04! RC Cynthia here.

Earlier this month we went on our first wing trip to Sugar Grove Family Fun Center. Though we had only a few students to attend, we had a good time go-karting and mini golfing! I look forward to our next wing trip and for more students to join. Any trip suggestions would be greatly appreciated! 

The month of September was dedicated to our Sophomore 1:1 interviews. The purpose of the interviews was to get to know more about the students, check-in with how well they are adjusting, and to ensure that they are well-informed about the resources available to them. The interviews went well and I have enjoyed getting to know all of the students. At the end of September, we celebrated our August and September Birthdays with our 1st monthly Birthday Celebration. I had each student complete a survey to let me know which treats they would like to have during their celebration; this way we could include everyone’s preferences. I love Birthdays and have committed to celebrating them monthly and I look forward to future celebrations. 

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments or concerns. I am here as a resource and to help maintain the well-being of our students. Happy Fall Break!"

C-wing + D-wing

"Hello, 04! RCs Kylie and Ethan combining our sections for this post:

Like RC Cynthia did for her B-wing students, our main occupation during the month of September was conducting our sophomore 1-1 meetings, getting to better understand our sophomores and how they are doing adjusting to their new lives as IMSA students. Overall, everyone seems to have gotten this year off to a solid start, and we reiterate that the RCs are here to support them in any way that we can! 

Near the beginning of the month, over the Labor Day weekend, we also honored a student request to take a trip to the nearby Five Below store to give our students a chance to do some quality discount shopping. This is a good time to remind you all that RCs are more than willing to take our students on off-campus trips anywhere they may desire! Whether it be nearby stores, fun centers, malls, or other events, just talk to an RC about a trip idea you have, and we can make it happen!"

Otherwise, that's all from us for this month! Once again, please be sure to read the Fall Break information presentation in its entirety and reach out to us with any questions at 04staff@imsa.edu!

-The 1504 RCs (all four of us, now!)