Don’t take RAs for granted
By Gabe Wicklund

Over the summer, I received a call from the Colby Hall director, who asked me if I was interested in coming back to school early to train to be a resident assistant. I was ecstatic.

I was honored to be picked for a position in which many people apply but only a few are awarded. Little did I know how much work it really is and how stressful it actually can be.

More goes on behind the scenes of an RA’s life than meets the eye. Not only do they have to take care of themselves, but they are also responsible for 30 or more residents of their own, as well as the other 320 residents within a hall. They come to school two weeks early for training, lose a week of winter break and leave after everyone else at the end of the year.

They take a full class load and some of them even have a side job in addition to being an RA. They participate in many on-campus organizations, and despite their busy schedules, they somehow find time to spend with their residents. They spend hours planning their wing socials and all-halls. Not only are the socials useful, but if you attend — heaven forbid — you may actually enjoy yourself.

Many of the RAs ask their residents what times are convenient to host wing socials, so they can work around all of your busy schedules and have as much participation as possible. They even take suggestions of what you want to do for wing socials. If you don’t like what socials have been planned, maybe you should tell your RA what you would enjoy, so he or she can work that in. In essence, we want to build a community within our halls, but we cannot do that alone. Everyone needs to make an effort.

Also, whether you know it or not, RAs do get to know their residents by more than just a name. Living in close confines with you allows RAs to sometimes know you better than they know themselves. They love to spend as much time with their residents as they can.

This job has been a blessing in my life. It is extremely rewarding and also very challenging at times. I wouldn’t give it back for anything. Those who think the RA position is as simple as getting a free room and sitting on a futon all day long, think again. I’ve noticed that people like to blame others for their laziness and boredom. Take a look at your own attitude before you judge someone else for doing his or her job.

I encourage residents to get to know their RAs. We’re not here just to be here. We’re here for your needs.

Take a closer look at how much your RA does for you; you may be surprised. I didn’t know how much went into the position until I became an RA this semester. Thank you fellow RAs for all the hard work you do and all the encouragement and creativity you bring to the table.