Okada (Theme)

Okada House explores and celebrates the diversity of Asian American peoples, cultures, and languages in both historical and contemporary contexts.

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Theme Requirements

Okada Pre-Assign Description

Okada pre-assigns are committed to learning about the Asian American experience and cultural and political identity. It is not expected that pre-assigns come in with knowledge, but rather that they have a shared desire to learn, share, discuss, and grow together. Pre-assigns are also invested in relationship and community building and tend to become mentors to and friends with the frosh in the house. Many of the items on the list of expectations are things our residents naturally end up involved in regardless of pre-assign status - by including them as expectations, we want to identify some of the things that make living in Okada as a pre-assign so meaningful!

Okada Pre-Assign Expectations

Pre-assignment to Okada will be made for students who can make a commitment to learning about and actively participating in the Asian American experience in Okada and at Stanford. Examples include: attending theme presentations and programs in Okada and/or the A3C, enrolling in Asian American Studies courses, attending campus events, participating in student groups, facilitating discussions, and actively participating in the Okada community and being present in the house.

Specifically, all Okada pre-assigns are required to agree to the following conditions:

1. Attend the Fall Quarter Pre-Assign Retreat (half day on Saturday or Sunday, date TBD).
2. Attend at least three theme presentations per quarter, scheduled for Wednesday nights from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
3. Attend one of the three quarterly off-campus preassign field trips (full day on Saturday or Sunday, dates TBD.).
4. Participate in the dorm community, attend house meetings regularly, support other dorm activities, and be present in the house.
5. Participate in the Listen to the Silence Conference and/or Stanford Asian American and Pasifika Heritage Month events. This includes leading programs, and/or organizational and leadership duties such as committees, publicity, and volunteer shifts for events.
6. Engage with the other ethnic theme dorms and communities on campus - examples include: attending theme presentations, programs, and events, and supporting joint-dorm activities.

Single Rooms

Moreover, if you desire a single room in Okada, in addition to the above conditions, you will be required to make a greater commitment to the theme by agreeing to these following conditions. Please do not apply for a single pre-assign room if you cannot make these additional commitments:

1. Live in Okada for Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters. Please do not apply for a single if you have applied/or will apply to go abroad for one of these quarters.
2. Prepare and present a theme presentation. Planning meetings with ETA required.
3. Attend all the weekly theme presentations, scheduled for Wednesday nights from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. If selected for a single room, please ensure your course schedule does not conflict with Wednesday nights.
4. Attend all three pre-assign quarterly off-campus field trips.
5. Host or co-host three dorm activities, one per quarter. Examples include Teahouse Tuesday, Taste of Okada, Dorm Gov, on-call social activities, group trips to campus events/performances, facilitated discussions, and off-campus dorm trips. Activities can be social, they do not have to be related to the theme.

For more information about Wilbur East residences visit the Residential & Dining Enterprises website.