Students staying in residence over winter break will find their own fun this holiday season
By: Chris Hambley
Some of the students that will be staying in Red River College Polytechnic’s student residence during the winter break are planning to gather with friends and make their own fun over the holidays.
About a third of the students currently living in RRC Polytech’s student residence are planning to stay in residence over the winter break, according to Tara Wiebe from the college’s Campus Living team.
Abdelahmid Awad, a civil engineering technology student at RRC Polytech’s Notre Dame Campus, said traveling to Egypt over the break to be with friends and family isn’t a reasonable option.
“It’s a hassle, why should I go back right now? The tickets to Egypt are over $2,000 and when I get there, I will have to rest for two days, then must unpack my stuff, and repack my stuff,” Awad said.
“I would rather go back in the summertime when I will have three or four weeks to spend with my friends and family,” Awad said.
Awad is the only member of his family that lives in Winnipeg. He plans to spend the break meeting up with his friends that celebrate Christmas.
“I’m Muslim, and we don’t celebrate Christmas. But I do like meeting some friends who are Christian and stuff like that here,” Awad said.
Resident assistant Camila Quintanilla will also be staying in residence during the break.
“It will be pretty boring. It’s up to the students to try to find their own fun,” Quintanilla said.
Throughout the school year, resident assistants plan and organize fun events for the students staying in residence. Some of the activities offered this fall included move nights, shopping trips to The Forks, and a group outing to an escape room.
The resident assistants’ winter break from their duties begins on Dec. 23 and carries on until the new year. During their break, planning activities for the students in residence is not mandatory.
During last year’s winter break, Awad said he and the other students staying in residence found their own fun—a karaoke night and potluck on New Year’s Eve.
“We have something where we connect a laptop to a TV and do karaoke. Some people bring traditional meals like lamb and Asian cuisine,” Awad said.
