The Office of Student Activities recently welcomed Niqo Bullock as the new Associate Director of Student Activities. Bullock will be tasked with supporting and assisting organization leaders with training and resources as well as monitoring their needs throughout the academic year. 

The following conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Interview with Niqo Bullock, Associate Director of Student Activities.

The Wire: What is the Office of Student Activities?

Niqo Bullock: It is the office that oversees the various student organizations that we have on campus. We [the Office of Student Activities] provide the tools and resources needed to hold successful events and train our student leaders how to efficiently conduct themselves as an organization. This shall be done by making them cognizant of the current student body experience and how its dynamics change throughout the academic year.

Wire: What are your goals for this year?

NB: My main goal is to equip each of the student organizations with the tools and resources they need to be successful. I want an adequate time frame to be given for the planning and implementation of events and for our student leaders to improve their ability to collaborate with multiple stakeholders and generate a robust Whitman experience that is inclusive, diverse and equitable for all. My second goal is to get all of our organizations to utilize the WhitLife and CheckPoint app in conjunction with one another. 

Wire: How are you going to achieve them?

NB: We will do this by helping facilitate collaborations internally with the student organizations and externally with community partners. I intend to host seminars and workshops that adequately cover the importance of event planning and how having attention to detail can turn an ordinary event into an extraordinary experience. 

Wire: How are you going to make sure that everyone on the campus is being included in the student activities? 

NB: We will have a working relationship with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion staff and utilize their expertise to guide us in our efforts. We will also make sure to communicate with stakeholders in a reasonable time frame, reach out to the various media outlets in the region, and post to our social media platforms and applications (Instagram, WhitLife, etc.) to ensure that there is full visibility and awareness to the robust culture our students are actively curating.

Wire: How are you going to include students in decision-making or plannings?

NB: We will do this by receiving their input prior to the events through surveys, intentional conversations, suggestion box submissions and creating experiences directly based on this data. The students should see and feel that their input is valued. They should see their ideas being implemented within reason and that they have a contribution to the current Whitman student experience. We all have a voice and our collective efforts will likely create a vibrant experience for all to enjoy.  

Wire: What are you most excited about this semester?

NB: I am excited about immersing myself in the Whitman ways and connecting with the student body. We have students, staff and faculty from all walks of life with different methodologies that have led to a certain degree of success, which is special. I am eager to see how all the different minds interact and approach the challenges we are faced with throughout the year.