CHARGE: End Of The Year Reflection

I first got hired to Residential Life as a CHARGE Assistant, almost three years ago. I worked with amazing ladies who always used to say "once a CHARGE, always a CHARGE." I didnt grasp the meaning of that statement till I came back as a CHARGE Peer Educator the past year after being a Resident Assistant for a year. Dont get me wrong, I loved being a RA; I met so many people through this almost 3 year course in Residential Life. But once I came back as a CPE, it felt like home. Even though everything was different this time, from protocols to coworkers to supervisor, it still felt like the place I belonged.

Being a CPE this past year, I was able to engage with my peers in a more personal level by hosting dialogues and programs. This past semester especially, I have hosted three dialogues and programs that was so important. My favorite was the dialogue that I hosted with CPE Kadeija, on Microaggression. It was a very raw dialogue where our peers expressed the amount of microaggressions they continue to face. It was successful not only because we were providing our audience with the educational information but the fact that everyone in the room was educating each other by sharing their stories.

Dialogue: Above Microaggression

The past semesters, I was also invited to collaborate in programs with the HM's of the University Apartment staff. This semester, I took part in their program of "Behind Closed Doors" where I hosted "Paint for Hope" portion of the program. The event was hosted in hopes of bringing awareness of domestic violence.

Last but not least, the last program that I hosted was " Pay what you get paid" bakesale. It is very different to host a bakesale as a program. But this bakesale in collaboration of CPE Vanessa and I was hosted to bring awareness of the large wage gap that continues to exists, based on gender and race.

Paint for Hope

This sale was hosted in Alumni Quad (thank you CPE Carmel). The bakesale started a lot of conversation about the wage gap; some for and against it. Some peers refused to pay us their $1 for a cupcake because they saw that other races and genders were paying much less. They were definitely shocked when we explained the reasoning behind the prices.

Pay what you get bakesale

To end the year off, CHARGE in collaboration with MSRC hosted our
banquet style event "We are
CHARGE." This event celebrated what CHARGE is and what we do! It was an amazing collaboration with lots of audience, performances and good food. I think this event truly reflected what our small but mighty group can accomplish!

End of the Year Program

Being a CPE is all about educating others through bringing awareness to issues that are much easier to avoid. I have truly enjoyed my time as a CPE! Though I will be graduating this upcoming week, I do believe that the CHARGE Peer Educator program is in great hands and I know it will achieve many more success in the future. I will miss my CPE's and our supervisor!

With much love,
CPE Faerie Akhter