What is your routine for the first few hours of your day?
The first thing I do when I get into my office is clean my glasses. I then plan out my day while checking my emails for any fires that need to be addressed immediately before working towards the dream goal of inbox zero. I then get to work on any project or big task that I am currently working on unless it is a day with a weekly morning meeting scheduled such as our Dean On-Call debrief or First-Year Experience course weekly instructor debrief.
What is the last thing you read, watched, or listened to that changed your perspective?
We often have political speakers on campus, and I try to make a point to listen to speakers with opposing viewpoints. Sitting through those and hearing the questions our students ask and learning what is important to them really grounds me and gives me perspective in my work.
What is one piece of advice you wish you had received earlier in your career?
Just because another institution does something a certain way does not mean it will work for us or that it is the right way for us. As professionals, we must make informed decisions to do what works and what is best for the institution, students, and culture we are trying to develop. Innovation is key – and innovation, by definition, is not going to be what everyone else is doing.
What is your favorite campus dining hall meal?
Crab legs. It’s a once-per-year rare occurrence, but I will be there.
What is something that someone has done for you lately for which you were most grateful?
Going out of their way to make a personal phone call out of nowhere to check in on me when I knew they were busy.
What tool does every campus housing pro need to know how to use, and when was the last time you used one?
Snapchat. When I take photos for documentation, such as damage billing, I love using Snapchat to take the photo because I can write text directly on the photo to describe what it is and where it is so I can quickly download the image to save it and move on with whatever I am doing.
What was your favorite class when you were a student?
The History of Love, Sex, and Gender in Latin America. I was a history major, took the class as a senior. My professor structured it like a graduate-level course. The content was interesting, and the professor was engaging. We covered Latin America pre-colonization all the way to modern day, and the topics were so relevant to modern life. I’ve been out of undergrad for years now, and I still talk about that class.
What hobby would you pursue if time and money were no object?
Reading more hard-copy fiction books so I can have a giant library of my own to fill. Books are expensive, and it is hard for me to find time to read for pleasure when I am constantly reading and writing for my dissertation.
What is your favorite tradition from any campus where you have worked?
I love working at Washington & Lee University! Since it was founded in 1749, everywhere you look there’s history, which usually leads to an odd ghost story or two. However, the tradition that has me the most excited right now is that it is currently Mock Convention season. Every four years since 1908, the students participate in an exercise of joining different state delegations to predict the presidential candidate of the party not currently in office. Almost all our students participate, amazing speakers come to campus, we have a gala, and to date they are highly accurate with their predictions. We’ll see how they do this year, but it is awesome seeing how passionate they are about it and trying to get it right.
What song do you count on to hype you up to start the day or help you celebrate at the end of a long one?
“High Hopes” by Panic! at the Disco. It never gets old. When they announced they were no longer together, I had students drop by and give their condolences.
Hannah Phillips is the assistant director of residence life at Washington & Lee University. Do you want to see yourself or a colleague included in the Snapshot column? Complete the questions on this form or share the link with someone who you think we should get to know better.
