inspiring \u201cCOVIDeo\u201d tutorial he produced, called \u2018How to Fort,\u2019<\/a> which you can watch below. \u201cEntire basements were converted into blanket mansions with the fort being subdivided into multiple rooms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow does he come up with these shenanigans?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt’s sort of like the \u2018Yes, and\u2019 rule of improv,\u201d says Goss, referencing the rule of thumb in theater improvisation where you build a skit by accepting what another actor just said \u2013 and then taking it further. \u201cA student suggests an ambitious idea to me, or a ridiculous thought hits my head, and I just go with it: \u2018Yes! That’s it\u2026 and what else can we do with that!?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also brainstorms with his student programs colleagues Rachel Roth Sawatzky<\/strong> and Shelby Alto<\/strong>, and student workers in the Campus Activities Council. And when he needs a bit of inspiration, social media platforms like TikTok are chock full of ideas for how to make people laugh.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIf I laugh when a new idea hits me, then that’s a sign of a worthwhile event.<\/em><\/strong> –Tyler Goss<\/aside>\n\n\n\nGoss first came to EMU as a grad student \u2013 he holds a master of divinity from the Eastern Mennonite Seminary and a master\u2019s degree in conflict transformation from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI came to EMU because I wanted to go to a quality Anabaptist seminary, but I also wanted to pursue a dual master’s degree in peacebuilding. You can’t get any better than EMU for that combo,\u201d Goss said. He\u2019s now been a residence director here for four years, and the assistant director of student programs for two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTyler has a great attitude and his positive spirit is infectious,\u201d said Roth Sawatzky. \u201cHe continues his important work of building community and connecting students with each other and the broader EMU experience despite our current dispersed reality. When we initially discussed what this time would look like from a program perspective, his eyes were literally sparkling with excitement over the creative opportunities ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The activities Goss organizes offer different comforts for students struggling with social distancing \u2013 ways to see familiar faces, voice concerns and questions, or just lighten up a day inundated with Zoom-based classwork. Ultimately, though, \u201cbeing so distant from one another is hard, so we are trying to sustain the connectedness EMU is known for,\u201d says Goss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That connectedness is more important now than ever, although it takes a bit more creativity and technology to curate. To quote one of Goss\u2019s tongue-in-cheek emails, \u201cAs Eleanor Roosevelt once said, \u2018the internet can’t stop me!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cSCREAMING BINGO! COVIDeos! NEW WEEKLY PUZZLE! PEN PALS! & MORE!\u201d Undergraduate students at 草莓社区 (EMU) are well-familiar with these raucous, all-caps subject lines hitting their inboxes like glitter-filled ... read more about Campus activities (Screaming Bingo, COVIDeos!) still thriving: here’s how (more like who)<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":258,"featured_media":45593,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17774,266,7931,5583,14715,17562,5642,4513],"tags":[17772,17577,17771],"feature":[17427,17426,17241],"class_list":["post-45588","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-admissions-digest","category-alumni","category-arts","category-campus-community","category-campus-life","category-digest","category-faculty-and-staff","category-student-life","tag-lindy-magness","tag-rachel-roth-sawatzky","tag-tyler-goss","feature-emu-home-page-feature","feature-myemu-feature","feature-news-feature"],"yoast_head":"\nCampus activities (Screaming Bingo, COVIDeos!) still thriving: here's how (more like who) - EMU News<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n