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As a CPLA Representative, you are also a House Council member. One of your duties, thus, will be to host programs for your residence hall. Your duties as a House Council member are in addition to your role as a liaison between CPLA and your residence hall.

Each House Council member is required to coordinate some sort of programming during the year. As a CPLA Representative, we encourage you to host politically-oriented events! Residence hall programming provides you with an opportunity to engage your residents in fun, informative, politically-relevant activities. Programming also provides you with an opportunity to expand your creativity and take initiative on behalf of CPLA!

Whether you decide on a small-scale study break, or choose to coordinate with other CPLA Representatives in your complex to host a large-scale program, please keep in mind that your events should be politically-minded, non-partisan, and of course, fun!

To help you get started, here are some suggestions:

STUDY BREAK IDEAS

  • Watch a "political" movie
    • All the President's Men, Wag the Dog, Dave, The Manchurian Candidate, Primary Colors, The American President, Dick, Air Force One, Forrest Gump, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and others!
  • Watch the "Daily Show"
  • Watch a TV series together each week
    • The West Wing, Commander in Chief
  • Play "Political Trivia" or Bingo
    • Come up with some political "fun facts"
    • Divide people into teams and let the fun begin!

MEAL TIME IDEAS

  • Invite a professor to lunch to talk about current events.
  • Host a mini debate on any number of "hot button" issues.

PASSIVE PROGRAMMING

  • Forward interesting and relevant news articles to your residence hall conference and/or print them and post them in the bathrooms.
  • Keep your CPLA board up to date with news articles, polls, political cartoons, CPLA event e-flyers, etc.
    • Talk to your HP to acquire a board for CPLA
  • Sign up for email alerts from MegaVote and keep track of your legislators, and their votes in Congress: http://capwiz.com/thehill/megavote/ .
    • Post these news alerts to your residence hall conference, and encourage your residents to also sign up for email alerts.

Note: Anything that you post or distribute in your capacity as CPLA Representative, make sure you note that on your e-flyers. For example:

?s Contact Wendy Wellesley, CPLA Representative
x1234 :: Room 123

HOUSE COUNCIL

  • Offer a weekly "CPLA Tip of the Week"
    • "Tips" can be a fact from the news that day, or a trivia question that you design
    • The History Channel Website offers an "On This Day" tip each day.
      • Consult this website before your House Council and offer an interesting fact to your House Council.

IF YOU NEED HELP or IDEAS

  • Use "CPLA Discussion" (a closed conference for CPLA Core, CPLA Representatives and CPLA General Members) to coordinate activities.
  • Talk to your HP and/or RA to coordinate an activity with ResLife.
  • Request money from your House Councils to buy snacks for your events.
  • Always feel free to email any of the Core Members, as well as the Chair, if you need help.
  • If you've run a successful program, please post to CPLA Discussion and share your ideas!

Most of all, we hope you'll be creative and have fun with hosting programs for your residence hall! CPLA Core is responsible for sponsoring programs that will engage the entire campus community; as CPLA Representatives, you are working on a more local level to ensure that your residence hall is politically engaged and active!



Created By: Karolina Gorska and Kate Reece
Last Updated: April 27th, 2006

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