The last thing anyone expects to be handed before reading the Life Together Covenant is a red Solo cup and a plastic shot glass. Yet, this is what each resident of Second South English received.
Ella Chapman, a junior Christian ministry and English literature double major and the Personnel Assistant of 2SE, began reading the LTC, prompting her wingmates to take a shot of Hawaiian Punch every time she spoke the word “community.” The need to ration one’s cup of unnaturally colored chemicals quickly became apparent.
Chapman’s methods may be unconventional, but they are effective.
TU students often treat the LTC as frivolous, she said, but students should set aside their minor gripes. The LTC is more than a rulebook: it is meant to unite Taylor’s campus under a shared agreement of conduct, she said.
Encouraging her wing to engage reading the LTC in a memorable way was Chapman’s solution to people viewing it as only a chore.
“I don’t think I’m going to forget it anytime soon,” Janna Hopper, a senior English creative writing major and resident of 2SE, said.
Chapman may not be able to reach and unite everyone, but she is intentional about forging a strong community within her wing.
Love, care and intentionality are hallmarks of Chapman’s leadership, Audrey Mills, a sophomore biblical literature major and DA of 2SE, said. During the first week of classes, Chapman left personalized notes of encouragement and treats in every member of the wing’s room.
As DA, Mills has had the opportunity to also see Chapman’s creativity and the careful reasoning behind every decision she makes.
“She wants us to be a community of sisters, and that’s shown in every single thing that she does,” Mills said.
Like real sisters, the women of 2SE exhibit a wide variety of personalities and interests.
This creates opportunities for people to invest in one another’s interests, Chapman said.
“It can be really boring if everybody has the exact same interests,” she said.
Although she acknowledges the difficulties of catering to everyone’s individual preferences, Chapman also relishes being able to encourage her wing-mates to try new things outside of their comfort zones.
Planning events tailored to different 2SE residents allows everyone to unite and invest in those interests, she said. Even if some people are not interested in a particular activity, they can still have fun engaging with their wing community, Chapman said, and this is why she encourages everyone to participate.
“While there’s a lot of opportunity to do things, you never feel forced or super pressured,” Hopper said, “so, it’s always up to what you think and what you want to do, which I think is great for such a bunch of different personalities.”
Besides uniting 2SE across personalities, Chapman has also sought to integrate wing members from different years, she said. Typical mentorship relationships are present, yet 2SE upperclassmen seek for the learning to go both ways, she said.
Further, Chapman does not want to be viewed as the “big bad PA.” Rather, she wants wing members to feel loved and welcomed, she said.
Through it all, Chapman has maintained her focus on God and has a mind for viewing everyone as made in His image, Mills said.
“We have a great community: We laugh together and we have fun, but we also continue growing our (spiritual) roots,” Chapman said. “I think that it’s really valuable for communities to have something that they’re all striving for.”
