Texan Mosaic

by HANNAH NELSON//Staff Writer

From rattles to room checks, Jennifer Feddes has impacted the hallways of the Women’s Complex in many extraordinary ways.

Feddes, hall director for the Women’s Complex makes up a very important part of student housing and the South Plains College community. She works within the wings of her dorm nightly, providing a fun and safe environment for students. 

Her family resides on campus and can be seen at many different events. Feddes grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, on acreage. She says that she found a passion for higher education while attending college.

“I had a really good experience in my college, and I had a great relationship with my hall director,” said Feddes.

While attending college, Feddes became a resident assistant and was very involved within the campus. She enjoyed the ability to be involved in student activities and in building the community.

“I enjoyed that so much that I had always wanted to be an HD myself,” said Feddes.

When the opportunity arose for Feddes to come to SPC, it was a perfect fit for her and her family.

The job of hall director is different every day. Feddes enjoys spending time in the morning with her three boys. Her primary shifts that she does are from 6 p.m. to midnight. However, there many times when she has to be available throughout the day.

“We get a lot of people that need help with lockouts and different maintenance issues throughout the day,” explains Feddes.

There any many events that could happen throughout the day that Feddes is there for. One thing that has become a big part of her job this semester is the fire alarms.

“There are constantly fire alarms going off in the building, hot showers, smoke in the kitchen, over-stuffed washing machines… everything ends up setting off those alarms,” Feddes says.

However these incidents are what allows Feddes to connect with the girls who reside in her hall. A huge aspect of her job as hall director is relations.

“It’s part logistical paperwork,” says Feddes, “but mostly, if I carve away the necessary time, it is relational, and that is why I am doing this.”

In between the fire alarms and maintenance, Feddes and her family, which includes her husband and three young boys, live within the Women’s Complex. The addition of their youngest son has been a unique part of her family dynamic during the past few months.

“It has been really rough at times, and I’m glad we had him when we did,” Feddes says. “We had the entire summer to ease into it.”

 
With the new addition, Feddes has added much more to her plate. However, she knows that her family has been a huge help within her daily dynamic.

“We have been a real team in this, which is a huge blessing,” says Feddes.

Feddes and her family have become a huge part of the SPC community.

“It is really neat to see how much the girls love babies… they love holding him,” said Feddes.

When she has down time, Feddes enjoys mountain biking, team sports, and ultimate Frisbee. One thing that Feddes and her family enjoy is music. It is one of the reasons they were drawn to SPC, she says.

“I love to sing,” Feddes said. “I love to make music with my family, and that is what drew us here in the first place, the commercial music program.”

Feddes and her husband have taken classes in the commercial music program and have been involved in many ensembles.

“We cannot say enough about how awesome that program is, and we want everyone to know there really is a lot of talent in West Texas,” says Feddes.

Her love and passion for music is something she shares with her boys. She even hopes that one day they will have a family band.

“We want to be the corny family that tours county fairs playing bluegrass,” says Feddes.

With the new semester starting, Feddes says she sees a lot of potential within her hall.

“I am really excited there is a great vibe within our hall,” says Feddes, “a lot of new faces, girls that really want to be here.”

Her hall also is very unique based on all the girls who reside there, especially this semester. There is a lot of excitement within the Women’s Complex that Feddes has picked up on. She also enjoys learning from the girls within her hall.

“There are people from almost every continent,” Feddes explains, “so what we can learn from each other, and being able to live next to each other. For me to be a part of that that is what I’m excited about.”

In Feddes’ eyes, there is an authentic community within the dorm. The fact that each person comes from such a different background, she knows there is so much the girls can offer each other. Walking down the halls, Feddes can connect with many different cultures.

“Whether it be different languages, different smells coming from the kitchen, different music from every end of the dorm, it has been very memorable,” she explains.

No matter where a resident has come from, Feddes is a big part of their lives here on campus. She can directly help them with their on-campus adventure. However, the residents are also a big part of Feddes’ own adventure.

“It’s not one-sided,” she explains. “They are teaching me more than I could ever be teaching them.”

Through her job as hall director, Feddes said she believes she has grown in so many ways she never thought she would.

She says that she and her family are very thankful for the opportunity to be at SPC. They have found a love for the college community. Feddes also wants her sons to learn from the community within the complex.

“I want my sons to be a key part of that community as well,” she says. “I want them to meet all the girls, to learn from them, to embrace the diversity and to be a part of that.”

Feddes says she feels that her job is the perfect fit for her to both work and be a mother. With her job as hall director, she knows that she isn’t missing any important parts of her home life with her boys.

“I love having it right there,” she says, “because then I don’t feel like I’m missing out at home, and I do not feel like I am not giving my job 100 percent.”