Cristina Foglietta
Staff Writer
The residents of Post Hall were invited to make cards for the military and hospitalized children on Monday, December 3, at 8 p.m. In the program, called Cards for Humanities, the staff of Post Hall donated cards for the soldiers to A Million Thanks. “We are trying to spread the love to different people in need,” said Rebecca Fudge, a junior speech pathology major who is a resident assistant in Post Hall. The Post Hall staff, which includes the resident assistants and the residence hall director, was involved. Each residence hall was required by Residence Life to have one staff program a semester in which the RAs and the RHD are involved.
“We brainstormed and then we came up with this idea,” said Amanda Adragna, a junior speech pathology major who is also a Post Hall residence assistant. This is the first program of its kind that Post Hall has hosted. Both soldiers stationed overseas and hospitalized children cannot be home for the holidays so a card can give them a sense of comfort and joy. “We wanted to make cards out of the kindness of our hearts, we know that the troops are out there and there are children with cancer, said Mali Monges, a senior psychology major and resident assistant in Post Hall.
The staff at Post Hall encouraged everyone to make a card. “Anyone who wanted to come was invited. We set up in the lobby so people would see it when they passed by and could make a card if they wanted to,” said Fudge. All were welcomed, not just LIU students; family and friends of the students can help as well. “We appreciate every card; every card counts,” said R.A. Mikhail Brown, a senior music education major.
Another resident assistant in Post Hall, Veronica Hemmienger, a junior criminal justice major, knocked on her residents’ doors informing them of the program. “They are participating and being good sports,” said Hemmienger. One of her residents, Elizabeth Hartmarn, a freshman math major, attended. “She knocked on my door, so I came to the lobby to make a card,” said Hartmarn. She said she attended another program run by Hemmienger where they made bamboo plants. Every resident assistant has to have four programs each semester that they run on their own for their particular residents.
There were two tables in the lobby of Post Hall with various construction paper, markers, scissors and glue to make holiday cards. People could make a card for a soldier, a child or both and could make as many cards as they wanted. The staff of Post Hall supplied all of the materials to make the cards.
“All the R.A.s stopped me when I walked into Post,” said Jade Greco, a senior biology major. She said she walked into Post Hall and wanted to make a card for children with cancer. Greco said she always felt compassion toward children with cancer since she spoke with a nurse who worked with them who said that they are happy and grateful for what they have. Freshman musical theatre major Cody Petit, another Post Hall resident who made a card, said, “I’m making a Christmas card for anyone. This is my thing, I like arts and crafts.”
After two hours, the program was still going on. “We thought it would be a good turnout,” said Post Hall R.A. Nick Ciborowski, a senior broadcasting major. “We wanted to reach 70 cards, we’re almost there. We have over 50; we’re going to keep going (into the night) until we reach it,” said Ciborowski. Students from all different residence halls came to the program but most of them were from Post Hall. “It just shows how good Post Hall really is,” said Ciborowski.
Cards for Humanities went on from 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. 54 cards were made; 28 for the troops and 26 for children. “It was the best turn out I’ve seen in a long time. It was a proud moment to see how much our staff cares,” said resident hall director Dan Caccavale. He said he would definitely consider a program like this again in the future, maybe for Valentine’s Day for next semester or general thank you cards for the troops.
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