Thursday, October 31, 1991
Life on the front lines:
Classes, courses and 3 a.m. phone calls
RAs balance roles as students and disciplinarians
b Danette Parrett
The Collegian
Resident Assistants (RAs)
are students just like
everyone else. They
carry the same class load, have
the same stress, and keep the
same number of friends.
However, there's one difference
that separates an RA from the
average student. They have taken
on the responsibility of caring for
and supervising an entire floor,
suite complex, or apartment
building.
The selection process for
becoming an RA is tedious, but
rewarding. To begin the process,
a student must fill out an
application and then participate
in a group interview.
If the student is chosen to
continue, he or she would next
participate in an individual
interview. After these interviews,
candidates are evaluated, and the
remaining students are invited to
enroll in a preparatory class.
After this selection process,
the selected students are required
to take a three-credit training
course.
The course 'r6iiiAt .. irlitHe
hopefuls is designed to introduce '
the RA candidates to the Resident
Life Coordinators and to help
develop a sense of what is to be
expected of the students once they
become RAs.
Pam Peter, an RA for the
apartments, felt that she benefited
a lot from the class. "It taught
me to share my ideas. I came
from the city, so I learned a lot
about people from smaller towns.
It changed a lot of my views on
things like homophobia, racism,
and sexism."
Greg Berckmiller, the RA on
first floor Niagara Hall, described
the course as "one of the most
practical classes offered. It
teaches people how to deal with
problems and communicate. I
used to be really shy, but I've
changed."
The opportunities presented
through the class can be summed
Craig Braes/The Collegian
Talk to me: Resident Assistant Greg Berkmiller, one of 28 RAs on campus,
lends an open ear to a fellow student's problems in the Niagara Hall duty
office
up wtien Mike Kongejka r the RA once a year after completing the across some of your underage
on tb r Nine,. says, trairungtourse. The expectations friends drinking, you have two
- Thiii4oo • Iftit, - •
"Even if you don't become an may seem difficult, but they offer alternatives: either you walk
RA, you benefit. You have a benefits also. away, or you uphold your duties
world to gain and nothing to Ron Rebel, the RA on second and refer them. Most RAs would
lose." floor Niagara, says, "You refer them, and your real friends
After the students have definitely learn to manage your would understand. You have a job
finished the course with at least a time. You find out you can't to do and they'll realize that."
C, they arc then As a part of
chosen and the RA job, the
assigned to an RA "You definitely learn to manage RAs are expected
position. to attend weekly
As part of the your time ... you've already made building meetings
RA position, the a commitment" and individual
students not only meetings every
have to supervise -Ron Rebel other week with
other students; Resident Assistant the coordinator in
they must also charge of their
maintain certain residence hall.
requirements to insure that they procrastinate. When you're With the exception of Perry
keep their positions. needed for something you have to Hall, the RAs are expected to be
Once accepted into the resident be there. You've already made a on duty at least one night a week.
assistant program, the student commitment." In Perry Hall, because there aren't
must maintain a 2.25 grade point Rebel also thinks that by as many RAs, they have duty
average, have a good conduct becoming an RA "...you learn more often. While on duty, RAs
standing with the university, and who your real friends are. If you are expected to perform rounds
attend courses at Behrcnd at least have a situation where you come from 8 p.m. to midnight in the
Features
What do free cases
of beer, lingerie
from Victoria's
Secret, 900 party
lines, Beatles CDs
released in mono,
wide-collar velour
shirts, VCR tapes
in the letterbox
format, condom
distribution in
bible-belt middle
schools, candy
corn and the U.S.
Army have in
common? I'm not
really sure either,
but they certainly
did help fill this
awkward space...
Page
residence building they are
responsible for.
Also, they are responsible to
be on duty on alternating Friday
and Saturday nights. It may seem
that a lot is expected of the RAs,
but as Rebel explains, "There's
tons more that go into the job.
Being disciplinarian is not the
only job. A lot of people think
you have to be 'Super RA.' It's
not like that. I've never met
anyone who regretted it."
From residence hail to suite to
apartment, the job varies.
"It's harder to reach the
students when you're not in the
dorm," Pam Peter explains. "Here
[the apartments] you have to go
out and find the people. It's harder
to pick programs that interest the
older students."
Amy Jones, another RA in
the apartments, thinks , "In the
dorms you deal more one-on-one
emotionally. In the apartments
you deal more with policy."
The university offers benefits
to students who become RAs.
The remuneration this year
consists of free housing, a free
pre-chosen meal plan, and two
hundred fifty dollars toward
tuition each semester.
The remuneration package
varies from year to year.
If the material benefits aren't
enough, there are also many
personal benefits to gain from
being an RA.
"A lot of people look up to
you," Bcrckmiller explains. "You
accumulate so many friends.
Every year you're in charge of a
new bunch of people. I know I
make at least a dozen new friends
each year."
Jones believes the best feeling
is "...when someone comes to
you with a problem they can't
discuss with anyone else. When
you help them, and see it through
to the end, it gives you a great
feeling."
Danette Parrett, a first
semester communication
major, is a weekly cartoonist
for The Collegian.