Arkansas Tech University has earned four regional honors from the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) as part of a monthly awards program recognizing excellence in the realm of student housing.
Freshman Shaylee Williams of Ozark was selected as NRHH regional student of the month in December 2016. Williams, who hopes to become a nurse, completed her first semester at Tech with a 4.0 grade point average and was accepted for membership in Zeta Tau Alpha.
She was nominated for the award by fellow ATU student Brooklyn Woodworth, who wrote in her nomination that Williams “is a dedicated, hard-working, driven individual, and that is evident to her professors, sisters, family, resident assistant and friends. She is always seen in the lobby of her dorm smiling and laughing with other residents. It has been a joy having her as a sorority sister, friend and resident.”
Freshman Tanner Stephens of Haltom City, Texas, was named NRHH regional first-year student of the month for December 2016. Stephens became active in residence hall government during his first semester on campus.
ATU student Wyatt Bowen nominated Stephens for the honor, writing that Stephens “got right to business by being elected hall government president. He then hosted events for residents to enjoy and get involved. He worked hard trying to get our hall government back into shape after losing some executives, but he has done an outstanding job. As everything started getting settled down after moving in and everything he got right to business. Tanner began planning events and trying to make hall council great, just like it was last year. This semester I saw Tanner face every issue that come up with a smile on his face and a positive attitude.”
NRHH selected the pool table in Brown Residence Hall as its regional spotlight of the month for December 2016.
Arkansas Tech student Brian Ingle of Lonoke submitted the nomination, in which he referred to the pool table as “Green” and wrote that it “has been a beacon of inclusiveness and communal prosperity. Unlike us humans, Green is exemplary in terms of prejudices, as it holds none. Green is fair, and kind, and honest. Green is reliable. Green has taught the residents at Brown Hall that what you put into something is what you get back. If you miss, it is because you misjudged. If you win, it doesn’t always mean you’re the best. Green does not suggest any course of action but instead teaches by way of self-enlightenment. Green is unchanging, always the same, and because of that is the player who must adapt in order to overcome the challenge.”
Arkansas Tech’s fourth NRHH regional award from the end of 2016 was for community service project of the month in November. That recognition was garnered by the “Living a Life, Leaving a Legacy” program that Arkansas Tech student Taylor Henson of Van Buren enacted in his residence hall.
The program used rocks, pebbles and sand as metaphors for the factors in our lives.
“The rocks represented the big things in our lives,” wrote Henson. “For example, our families, major career goals and possibly our education. Then the pebbles represented the smaller issues such as test or major projects, maybe even clubs and extra commitments. Finally we talked about the sand. The sand represented the small things in life that we do to pass time, but in reality they are small to the big picture. From here I explained that if we would have filled the jar with sand first there would have been no room left for the rocks. The same applies to our lives.
“If we get caught up in all of the little things we can quickly loose focus of what is really important to us,” continued Henson. “This then led to the concept of the dash. When you pass away the only thing there is to remember you is the small dash between the day you were born and the day you will die. What lasts is the impact that you leave on the lives of others.”
