Talking Stick - September/October 2015 - 68

SNAPSHOT

TYLER PAGE
What's the biggest issue for the students on your
campus right now?
What keeps me up at night, literally, is students' resilience and
mental health. I have seen a sharp rise in the number of students
to whom we provide ongoing support and in the number of
medical transports related to mental health concerns. Due to
the complexity of each situation, staff are spending a significant
amount of time aiding a limited number of students in relation to
the hundreds that live in their hall. Additionally, housing staff are
often ill equipped to handle issues related to mental health, and
thus they become a revolving referral door, sending students from
one resource to the next and providing as much support as they
possibly can in between.

What are your favorite campus traditions?

TYLER PAGE is the area
coordinator for the Department of
Residential Life at the University
of Missouri in Columbia.
What is the most challenging part of
your work?
Email. What an awful invention; it can
multiply like crazy, and if you feed it
after midnight you will have an inbox
full of gremlins. Although I am only
partially joking, on a serious note, I
find the assessment of our work very
challenging. I have grown to love
assessment and have conducted many
rigorous assessments for our department;
however, I find it difficult to measure
the impact of our work. Though many
people are talking apples and oranges
when approaches to assessment are
discussed at conferences, I feel that
ACUHO-I is moving our profession in the
right direction. If you are an assessment
person, or have a passion for this area
as I do, I would love to continue this
conversation.

68

TALKING STICK

My favorite tradition without a doubt is Tiger Walk. Each August
the incoming freshman class symbolizes their entrance to
Mizzou by walking through the iconic columns [six columns that
remain towering over campus following a building fire in 1892]
towards campus to find faculty and staff welcoming them with
our campus-churned Tiger Stripe ice cream. I love the symbolic
meaning behind the walk and the school spirit that ensues with
the band and cheerleaders. Even friends of the university line
the quad to cheer on our newest Tigers. Four years later (ideally)
those students participate in Tiger Prowl, held a few days before
graduation. Graduating seniors walk through the columns in the
opposite direction they did as freshmen, this time away from
campus and into the real world, symbolizing their entrance into a
new chapter. A fantastic way to recognize their accomplishments.

What is your favorite parent story?
I have many humorous stories about "helicopter" (or, as I recently
heard someone say, "Velcro") parents; however, my favorite
story is a simple one. By request of a friend, I met with a mother
and son a couple of years ago to discuss Mizzou and share my
perspective on what it had to offer beyond what is learned on
an admissions tour. They were each appreciative, and I thought
nothing more of the interaction. Approximately two weeks later
I received a case of grapefruits in the mail and a thank you note
from the son. The grapefruits came from the family's citrus farm
and were absolutely delicious. However, what surprised me the
most was the thank you note. Not because it was so well written
or touching, but that it came from the son. Although the mother
arranged our meeting, she was slowly transitioning responsibility
to her son. I interact with a lot of families, and unfortunately it is
quite rare for the '"thank you" to come from the student: so much
so, that grapefruits and a thank you note end up being my favorite
story.
Talking Stick - September/October 2015

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