They are everywhere.
In dorms, in class, Jazzmans and all around campus.
Who are they?
RAs, or residence assistants.
Everyone who lives on campus has one, but do they know anything about them?
There is more to the staff than just living in a single and having to do rounds. RAs are just like any student on campus except that they are each responsible for a percentage of residents on campus.
RAs are hired through residence life and the selection process is long and thorough.
“Students needed to complete an application, submit a resume, and two recommendation forms from faculty, staff, or current and past supervisors,” Akirah Massenburg, assistant director of residence life, said in an email. “Then students had an individual interview and participated in group processes, a group interview, where they had to work as a team to complete four activities.”
Once that is completed the professional staff holds several meetings to go over the applicants as well as returning RAs to see who would be the best fit. RA positions are given out in April before housing selection is done.
One reason students decide to become RAs is for the challenge and the experience. Both first year RAs Anby Villar and Brittney Palmer wanted to push themselves and see if they could take on the challenges of the job.
“I enjoy the job because I get to be a part of this amazing group of people who have each other’s backs,” Villar, resident assistant for house six, said.
Residence life looks for Cabrini’s most hardworking and dedicated to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of being an RA.
“We look for students who want to get involved in the student experience and help their peers grow,” Massenburg said.
“I love getting to know my residents,” Woodcrest resident assistant, Brittney Palmer, said. “Just being there for them whenever they need me makes me feel like I’m serving a purpose by being there.”
The responsibilities of an RA does not stop at rounds and write ups. RAs make bulletin boards, which they have to complete by a certain deadline, hold programs for their residents, mediate conflicts in the dorms, create community in the residence halls, attend staff meetings and more.
“A lot of my social life is sacrificed, but I do get to build camaraderie,” Villar said. “School work comes first no matter what, but I try to balance them by prioritizing and proper planning.”
If RAs are just regular students with crazy schedules then why do students treat them so differently?
“They don’t look at me just as their peer,” Palmer said. “They look at me as an RA if they know me as that first. People who don’t know I’m an RA just treat me like a regular peer. Sometimes I’ll be walking and I’ll hear people I pass whisper ‘that’s my RA’ or ‘she’s an RA.’”
RAs do not have the luxury of going home often to see their families while they are here. Their presence is required in the residence halls and if they do want to go home for the weekend they have to limit themselves to once a month.
“The only thing I would change about the position is that RAs should get their own parking spot near their residence hall,” Villar said.
The life of an RA is nowhere near easy, or glamorous.
“In order to be an RA you have to be able to handle crazy,” Villar said. “You have to be willing to step outside your comfort zone and willing to try new things.”
