Wisconsin School for the Deaf - The Wisconsin Times Vol. 133 No. 2 Winter 2011-2012 | Page 18

Huff Happenings

by Brian Lievens

A Day in the Life of a Dormer
WSD exists to develop the whole child academically, culturally,
linguistically, socially, and emotionally. The staff in the Student
Life Program, also known as the dormitory, supports this
campus wide mission by teaching dorm students skills they
will utilize as they graduate from floor to floor and into their
adult lives. One simple task is bed-making. Students learn how
to make their bed in an appropriate and acceptable manner.
It makes for a good impression when visitors come to call
or for prospective students when they view the dorm during
school hours. When it comes to Wednesdays, it’s a ritual for all
students to engage in “Fussy Room Cleaning.” This task teaches
responsibility to help develop a sense of pride in a job well done
with being accountable for personal and school property. Along
with a clean room, students are allowed to decorate within
safety guidelines to make them as “home-like” as possible.
From home-likeness to homemade, students also engage in
testing their cooking abilities. There are the tried and true
Ramon noodles, grilled cheese sandwiches, chocolate chip
cookies, and ever popular Mac and Cheese. But students have
also dabbled in stir-fry, hand-made pizzas, egg rolls, and Amish
bread, exposing the students to familiar and unfamiliar fare,
expanding their knowledge of food and motivating them to
try something different. In the past, the students have done
culturally themed meals such as Mexican and Thai, and have
had dress-up, sit-down holiday meals where the students had a
hand in making the meals and displaying etiquette in dressing
up for the occasion.
On the energetic side, downtime is utilized for indoor/outdoor
activities such as bas