While committees plan the bulk of the student-led events for I-House, some are carried out by faculty, staff, and RAs for the students to enjoy! These types of events highlight just some of the opportunities that come from the network of Housing and OIE officials that work with I-House. Not only that, but they demonstrate a few of the ways that students in the I-House come together to form a tightly-knit community, both within themselves and with the rest of the campus.
I-House students regularly hold combined events with the Global Leadership LLC located right next door and the TECHsplore visiting student program! These groups of students participate in select events throughout the semester and go on excursions geared towards building community, exchanging culture, and making new friends at Georgia Tech. Community events in the past have included Atlanta United FC matches, White Water Rafting, Atlanta Civil Rights Bike Tour, visiting the Georgia Aquarium, and kayaking at Sweetwater Creek.
At the beginning of each semester, I-House students embark on a retreat in order to get to know each other and build their connections through some kind of team element. In the past, these retreats have included escape rooms and zip lines at the GT Leadership Challenge Course. Regardless of the location, students come out of these retreats feeling closer and better able to take on both the hard and the easy times the semester ahead will bring!
Coffee Hours are regularly occurring discussions led by the Residential Assistants (RAs) and our faculty director. They are meant to be a time of the week set aside for casual discussions, relaxation, and light food and drink. The discussion is often guided to topics such as philosophy, intercultural communication, and occasionally, themes provided by GT Housing. What are some steps that we can take towards achieving intellectual wellness, and what does this mean to you? How can we combine our career aspirations and our hobbies? What are some commons ways to classify cultures, and how can understanding these classifications help smoothen cross-cultural interactions? These are just a few of the questions we've come together to try and answer at coffee hours, and doing so creates a space meant for expression and acceptance of ideas. Not to mention, they often coincide with larger holiday celebrations and include plenty of bonding activities!
At the end of every semester, members of I-House come together to celebrate all of the good times from the past few months. The theme of the banquet varies from semester to semester, but it's largely student designed and has ranged from a night at the Oscars to a spring gala. Students usually have the chance to talk over catering and take advantage of the many photo shoot opportunities before moving on to the awards presentation.
As a member of a larger housing community including two other dorms, Matheson and Perry, members of I-House are able to participate in monthly events hosted by the residential housing association (RHA). These provide away of getting to know other students around campus outside of I-House, and in the past have included t-shirt tie-dyeing and an hour of de-stressing with bubble wrap and snacks. Members of I-House can also participate in the hall-council meetings, where they can request funding for purchases and events for the IMP (I-House, Matheson, and Perry) housing community!