Posted by Douglas Fisher on Thursday, October 6, 2016 in News.

For those of you who lived in Warren and Moore last year, you likely know that it was a year of progress and refinement. For me, it was also a year of growth and learning, since it was my first year living and working in this community. As the only new Graduate Fellow last year, I was most definitely the new kid on the block. I had not been here to see the opening of Warren and Moore the previous year, and it took time to catch on to the way things operated and to truly start to understand the mission and purpose of this place. Fortunately, I had the support and guidance of a wonderful team of Faculty Directors, Graduate Fellows, and Area Coordinator who had been here from the beginning, in addition to our fabulous residents and Resident Assistants. Over the course of the year, I soaked up as much information and wisdom from them as I possibly could, and before I knew it the other three Graduate Fellows were graduating and our Area Coordinator was promoted to Assistant Director of Residential Education.

As I think back to last spring and the point in time when I realized how much change seemed to be approaching at Warren and Moore, I remember feeling both a sense of anxiety and excitement. Each year Warren and Moore seems to develop a little bit more and everything seems to go just a little bit smoother. Yet, with so many of the original staff members departing, I remember wondering whether we would lose some of our momentum and continuity – thankfully, I could not have been more wrong.

The first 6 weeks of this fall semester has proven that Warren and Moore is continuing to move forward full speed ahead, and may be doing so even more efficiently than ever before. We have been extremely fortunate to have some new staff members join our team. The three new Graduate Fellows – L, Laurel, and Valencia – have been absolutely phenomenal. They were so incredibly eager to learn and to get to work – in fact, they jumped right in and ran their first Warren and Moore event entirely on their own! They bring a range of unique experiences and valuable perspectives, and have already had a big impact. Jordan, our new Administrative Assistant, has also been a real lifesaver. He has become the link that connects the team and keeps us all moving in the same direction. Similarly, Courtney, our new Area Coordinator, and Chris, our new Graduate Area Coordinator, have not missed a beat and have wasted no time getting right to work. Our RA staff put together a great Courtyard Carnival and has been absolutely critical for introducing residents to Warren and Moore and fostering a strong sense of community. And props to all of our residents for attending and engaging in so many of our programs – if you had asked me a few weeks ago, I would have never guessed that 55 people at a Moore College Sunday Dinner would ever happen!

Overall, the dynamic here at Warren and Moore thus far has been wonderful. Everywhere I go I see great programs and great residents engaging in those programs. Furthermore, everyone I speak with who has lived in Warren and Moore before seems to agree that this year feels a little different. So thank you to the entire Warren and Moore team and community for helping to shape with place – I’m looking forward to the rest of the year!

This blog post was written by Brooke Thayer, the Graduate Fellow of Smith Hall.  The opinions expressed herein are Brooke’s, and do not necessarily represent those of Vanderbilt University.