November 4, 2024

You go to the Big Red Barn Graduate and Professional Student Center for TGIF, Write-in, and trivia. You receive the Barn’s newsletter every Friday morning. Maybe you follow the Barn on Instagram. But do you know the staff who keep the Barn running day after day?

Now’s your chance to get to know the people who make sure that you get to enjoy and stay up-to-date on all the fun things happening at the Barn!

This week, we’re highlighting Manager of the Big Red Barn Graduate and Professional Student Center Claude De Castro.

What changes have you overseen at the Barn since taking the role of Barn director last November?

Since stepping into the role of director at the Barn, one of my priorities has been to ensure that our space is inclusive and accessible for everyone. The biggest change I’ve overseen has been the installation of an ADA-compliant, gender-neutral bathroom. This addition is part of a larger effort to make the Barn welcoming to everyone, irrespective of gender identity or ability. We’ve also constructed a new entranceway and ADA-accessible ramp and reconfigured the main space, including relocating my office to facilitate a more open and accessible layout. I hope these updates continue to build upon a tradition where everyone in our community feels they belong.

How have these projects moved the Barn forward?

Like many construction projects, we’ve encountered a few unexpected delays, extending our timeline into the fall semester. However, we’re on track to complete the work by winter break, and I’m really excited for the enhanced opportunities this new space will bring for cultural, community-centered, and social events.

What has gone well this year?

This past year, we partnered with our community, offering an energetic lineup of programs centered on health and well-being, including meditation, yoga, and dance classes like swing, salsa, and tango. These activities promote physical and mental wellness and also provide students with great opportunities to connect, build friendships, and enjoy shared interests. We also hosted a theatre production this year which added to our cultural offerings, as well as the excitement of gathering together in the name of art.

What have some of the challenges been this year?

Although the summer brought some challenges of offering programming amid construction, we had a fantastic season connecting with our amazing community of graduate students who remained on campus during this time. We were able to extend our Write-In program to Goldie’s, successfully hosted a trivia night in Collegetown, and even brought some of our favorite activities—knitting, book club, and TGIF—out to the patio for a fresh change of scenery. It was a great way to keep the community spirit alive.

What are your plans for the Barn’s future?

In the near future we plan to continue to improve the Barn’s infrastructure, which is currently 30-plus years old, while maintaining its unique appeal. On the programming side, we would like to make additional strides toward diversity, sustainability, health, and well-being. We are working on developing projects, like open-mic night, karaoke night, and a monthly poetry series. Lastly, my vision is to extend our presence to a larger graduate community, collaborating with expanded groups and organizations, who can discover the Barn as the hidden gem that we are.

What is your favorite activity at the Barn?

I recently hosted our signature Halloween pumpkin carving event which brought out record numbers of students, many of whom were international students perhaps encountering the tradition of carving pumpkins for the time. It was fun, exhilarating, and deeply satisfying to feel everyone’s excitement and to view such artistic talent in our midst. Our students’ gifts are not surprising to me but it was the collective spirit that made for such a memorable and warm event.

When do graduate students have a chance to interact with you and what might these interactions look like?

You can usually find me at the Barn on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., overseeing the behind-the-scenes operations that keep the building running smoothly and supporting the 500+ events we help organize each year. I’m also here to assist students, whether they need guidance with a wide range of event planning or just a hand in locating a lost item left behind.

What excites you most about this role?

What most excites me about my role is the creative process involved in helping students discover the sense of community we’re able to provide here. The year is so full of events from trivia night to Bollywood disco to Diwali and more. I love to witness the buzz of activity before events as well as the sense of satisfaction students feel when an event has been envisioned, actualized, and executed in collaboration with their peers while in tune with their personal vision.