There have been many drawbacks because of the coronavirus pandemic. Events have been canceled and rescheduled. Students feel that their college experience is being ripped away. Hilbert college, however, is doing their very best to host events. Whether they are running virtually through zoom or held in person, while following proper social distancing guidelines, there are many opportunities still going on for students to get involved in.

Residence Life hosts RA events weekly this semester including, spa nights, make your own door decorations, virtual trivia night, and so many others. Students are highly encouraged to get involve and form relationships with other students at Hilbert.

Resident Directory, Brett Kane said his department has been trying to give resident students things to do, despite the challenges presented by covid.

“A big focus of ours this semester is doing service and social justice programming … we’re trying to get more speakers, we’re trying to support other department programs, and not focus on recreating programming, but supporting programming on campus,” Kane said.

One way students can do this could be by simply attending an event you would not usually attend, just to show support to peers, Kane said.

Some other events to look forward to include scavenger hunts, where your “home” unit on campus will work as a group so we are not mixing multiple living spaces at once, more virtual trivia nights, and additional socially distanced events.

The virtual events seem to have been very popular this semester. Events that are more convenient for students to attend make the participation steady as well. Within these programs, students might be pleasantly surprised with the relationships and friendships they can form with other students as well.

“The RAs have been focusing on building strong relationships, and giving students personalized invites,” Kane said.

ResLife is continuously working to get students involved, especially during times like this. It is highly encouraged for students to get involved and participate in events and programs in their college community, RA Jordan Salomone said.

“Put yourself out there and find new people to talk to…even if it’s something you’re not interested in,” Salomone said.

It will not hurt to stop by an event or click the zoom link and make some friends in a program that catches your interest. Kane explains that the virtual events in particular focus on “a connection that is focused on similarities, focused on support, and focused on bringing residents together in a different way.”

Freddie Ando has been participating in Hilbert College’s honors program since last semester. He said that he was nominated by his English teacher to be in the honors program.

“I decided to do it because I get to register first and I also get access to the honors lounge. It also looks good on a resume.”

I got in touch with Freddie Ando, a member of the honors program, to get information on what it is like. Freddie says that “This program has really changed his life and I would recommend any student to get involved with my program. At first there’s a lot of work involved but it is worth it in the end. You meet all new people, along with getting involved with the community, and learning new experiences.”

Freddie gave us a lot of information regarding the honors program, to get you more a background of what it is like. One of the first questions that I wanted to ask is what activities do you do when you are in the Honors Program.

“The main activity that honors program students participate in is mainly Volunteer work. Each year we must complete a total number of 20 service ours to be in this program,” Ando said. “When you take the entry level honors course, the class participates in a food drive where we must donate food to a local food pantry. Majority of the money for the food comes from either a GoFundMe account or on campus fundraiser. As a class we also went to both Resurrection Life food Pantry and Feed More WNY to help those that are in need of food. To me I love fun activates and it keeps me more involved. So, when I found out that there is a lot to do and that this program keeps you involved it got me more intrigued.”

There are a lot of people hurting right now regarding Covid, many families are struggling and every scholarship helps.

Ando said that the Honors Program has recently acquired a scholarship of $1,000. He also said that he wished that, “the scholarship should be worth more based on how much work it takes to stay in this program.” Even though the honors program is a lot of work, Ando says that he likes it. He also said that when you are involved in the Honors Program you get to be with the Honors Lounge. He said that “The Honors Lounge is a big room with computers, a printer, couches, with a conference style tables and chairs. It is a nice quiet place where I can complete assignments. The Honors Lounge to me is very rewarding because it symbolizes all the hard work that I have put into my schooling. The Honors Program has really opened my eyes to the world through the volunteer work. When I was completing my 20 service hours at Resurrection Life Food Pantry, I realized how many people need help in our community. This has made me internally grateful for the life that I have today.”

Right now, it is hard to get involved on campus because of Covid-19 but the campus is having more and more zoom meetings to have on campus so students get involved. The Honors Program is another way to get involved at Hilbert. Freddie Ando says “Our impacts from volunteering outside of college really show how powerful Hilbert really is. It shows that the students who attend classes their have big hearts full of passion to help the community through both law enforcement and community service. I have created many new friendships from the honors program. I have mainly acquired these friends through the honors course. We have worked together for the greater good of our community and I believe that it makes our friendships stronger.” I also wanted to ask the director of the honors programs, Dr. Smith, some questions regarding the program. Dr. Smith says that there are approximately 50 total students in the honors program. Dr. Smith says “The Honors Program is designed to develop the skills that employers and graduate schools are looking for, including problem solving, critical thinking, and communication skills.  Participating in the program is a way of setting yourself apart from your peers when it comes time to apply for a job or graduate school and showing that you have the skills employers are looking for. The Honors Program provides students with opportunities to grow personally as they challenge themselves academically and to develop leadership skills as they give back to their communities.”

Hilbert’s Lenten project raised nearly $500 through a Krispy Kreme donut sale early this month.

The fundraiser was to contribute towards helping families that are served by the Family Help Center this Lenten season.

The Director of Service Learning & Community Engagement Rachel Wozniak said the donut sale went a long way toward helping the project achieve its goal.

“The Krispy Kreme Fundraiser for the Lenten Project was very successful,” Wozniak said. “The donut fundraiser generated nearly $500 in proceeds”.

This event was one of many fundraisers for the Lenten Project; there was also the Pie-O-Mine Fundraising Night Amazon Gift Card Raffle and the Easter Egg toss. Be on the lookout for other fundraising events to help those in need.

Hilbert students recently received a campus safety alert email about potential car break ins.

In spring, as the weather gets warmer, there is a rise in property crime. The email goes into detail about what the criminals might be after and ways to reduce the chance your car is targeted.

How to prevent and deter a break in:

1. Always lock your doors and roll up your windows when you park.
2. Know where you’re going and plan routes that avoid high crime areas whenever possible
3. Park in well-lit areas
4. Never leave your car unattended if it’s running
5. Activate your security system if you have one.
6. Use after-market measures, like mechanisms that lock the steering wheel to protect your car and alert thieves that you’ve taken extra security measures.
7. Don’t use the console or glove box as mobile lock boxes. These are obvious to thieves, too.
8. Don’t hand them the keys

What they might be after:

1. Phone
2. Purse or wallet
3. Laptop (or its bag)
4. A briefcase or backpack
5. Shopping bags
6. An MP3 player or other small electronics
7. Cash – yes, even loose change/coins
8. Your keys – it actually happens!

Director of Campus Safety Vito Czyz said that while the Hilbert Campus does not see property crimes like this often, it’s worth keeping these precautions in mind.

“Since my arrival here in Fall of 2017, I have not investigated any forced entry vehicle break ins. There has been reported thefts from vehicles that were either attributed to the vehicle being left open or someone having used a key,” Czyz said.

Last year there were no cars stolen, no car break ins and only a few items found missing from cars on campus, according to figures provided by Czyz.

The college is planning to invest in new cameras for the parking lots to help prevent theft and other crimes, he added.