Talking Stick - September/October 2018 - 60

SNAPSHOT

KYLE HOVEST
"As housing professionals, we should be most focused on
the area of inclusion and social justice now more than ever."
What's the biggest issue for the students on your campus right now?
I think mental health concerns, suicide, and the stigma surrounding mental health are
huge issues for students on my campus, let alone the entire world. Even since I was an
undergraduate student five years ago or so, I feel like the need for care relating to mental
health concerns has increased dramatically, and we are seeing a variety of different
concerns and issues in this area. While my campus has an abundance of fantastic
resources for students, there is no one formula of how a student manages these concerns
and one set way that someone feels comfortable seeking help.
I'd also say our current societal context and political situation has been a big
issue for students on my campus, specifically those who may have marginalized or
underrepresented identities. We are at a very challenging time in our nation's history,
which provides a variety of struggles and challenges to different student populations. As
housing professionals, we should be most focused on the area of inclusion and social
justice now more than ever.

What are your favorite campus traditions?
I have two. Campus-wise, I'd say any home football game is just an amazing tradition. I
swear, the air feels different outside on home games. There is a buzz of energy and spirit
around campus, and it just makes me happy to see other people so jazzed about Buckeye
football. While I don't make it to a ton of games, I've loved every game I've attended, and
I think it is amazing to see this community, let alone the entire state, unite around our
campus's team.
Residence hall-wise, the hall I worked in for 2017-18 has a tradition called "Light
Up Siebert," where we coordinate all the lights to create a Block O insignia, one of the
trademark logos of Ohio State. The students get really excited about it and run outside in
the evening to see all the lights lit up in the shape of the Block O. My supervisor will laugh
because I didn't like the tradition at first when I transitioned to the community, but seeing
the joy it brought to students and the community that came together to enjoy it definitely
sold the experience to me.

What is your favorite move-in story?
My first year as a hall director at Ohio State, I didn't really know what to expect with
move-in at an institution with one of the largest on-campus populations in the nation.
During that day, I was told that the president of the institution was coming to visit our
residence hall. My staff of RAs banded together and created a choreographed dance/step
with a cheer to greet him when he arrived. He was definitely not sure what he had walked
into when he came to visit our residence hall, but he took the time to thank my staff and
enjoyed the energy that they had brought to the day. The staff loved having the opportunity
to do this, and it definitely made me happy to see how dedicated they were to bringing
spirit and energy to move-in.

What do you think will be the most significant change in student housing in the
next five years?
We are beginning to see generations shift from Millennials to Generation Z and I think
student housing should explore new ways to enhance technological use in the residence hall
as well as continue to assess how we are best connecting to this new generation of students.
KYLE HOVEST is the residence hall director for Siebert Hall at
The Ohio State University in Columbus.

TALKING STICK

Talking Stick - September/October 2018

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