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Hi Readers! In this week's blog post we will be looking at Frost Week here at St. Jerome’s. Frost week in the first week back at school for the winter term, and it can be defined as a mini orientation week with fun winter and holiday-themed events. It is a great way for students who have been away on co-op or who were away for the winter holidays to be reintroduced to the St. Jerome’s community. The event is run by Frost Leaders and Frost Leader Advisors. Frost Advisors “manage a small team and work to provide a week of inclusive, social, and exciting programming for returning students.” Frost Leaders “work alongside a group of your peers to provide a week of unforgettable programming the first week back in the winter term.”
The events that were held this year include a Disney+ Tv Night, A cookie and gingerbread making night, a craft night, A Canadian Winterfest and of course the traditional SJU coffee house where SJU students showed off their talents to their fellow students.
We asked both the frost leaders and the frost leader advisors to share their favourite frost week memories and this is what they had to say
“This year I was fortunate enough to have applied and received the position of Frost Leader Advisor. Living in residence last year, and having been a Frost Leader as well, it gave me the confidence I needed to pursue this opportunity. This year, my fellow Advisors and I, have been given a group of smart, creative and excited students about St Jerome's who wanted to grow and see what the community is like, as they have experienced. Some of my favourite memories come from this week when I was in my first year, it gave me a sense of belonging, and made new friends that I knew would last a lifetime. I am so glad I had this marvelous experience as a Frost Leader and have become someone who can be depended on. This week has flown by and I cannot wait to see what the rest of these students do with their time here at St Jerome's.”
“Unfortunately, I was in Toronto as Frost Week was happening (as my co-op placement is there), but the lead-up to Frost Week, including all the planning and organizing, have equally memorable moments. On Frost Leader Training Day (Dec.5), I remember meeting with my sub-team for the first time. We had just done the reveals and my sub-team was gathering together. They were all so excited at the opportunity to plan and organize events. As we were generating ideas, they started realizing how intentionality comes into play when planning events. That was really cool to see because, in my own experience of having different leadership opportunities, I also realized how important it was to have intention behind events and how that concept of intentionality can be applied to lots of other things in one's own life. One of the girl's on my sub-team, Catherine, said to me, "I had never thought about it that way". That touched me because I can remember myself saying that exact same thing too when I first started out as an SAT. It was really cool to see them grow in these roles with intentionality, the 'why' question, rooted in the back of their minds throughout the whole process.”
“One of my greatest memories from Frost Week was a moment rather small, but so beautiful. My sub-team and I were facilitating the gingerbread competition and cookie decorating night which was a much greater hit than I expected -- at one point there were around 30 people in the living room looking to participate in the fun! For the gingerbread competition portion of the night, groups had to sign up and were given thirty minutes to make the BEST gingerbread house based on stability, creativity, and overall appearance. When groups were signing up, two pairs of friends who did not know each other decided to work together as a group of four. Although they didn't all know each other going into it, they collaborated so well and ended up placing in second. Beyond getting second place, the group of four took a group picture which is when the two girls who were international students asked the other two girls to do a certain pose with them that they often do back at home in Korea. In that moment, I got to truly witness the unity that student activities at St. Jerome's offers to the diverse members of our community. Sure it was exciting that they placed second and won prizes, but what was so much rewarding was the distinct and unexpected connection that was formed between these two pairs of friends. I think that at the end of the night, they walked away with much more than a gingerbread house and a prize.”
For further information on Frost Week and other student activities held on campus please feel free to contact Emily Litster the Spiritual and Student Development Advisor at St. Jerome’s University.
This post was made with the assistance of Emily Litster and the 2020 winter terms Frost leader advisors and frost leaders.
If you have any suggestions for content that you would love to read about on our blog, please send an email to outreach@sju.ca! We would love to know what our students are interested in reading and knowing more about.
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