During the meeting held by Resident Assistants (RAs), new and old RAs played a game of Mingle Bingo, a mock bingo game used to allow participants to get to know each other. New RAs sprinted through the Student Union Ballroom, speaking rapidly to randomly spout off facts about each other.
The Lion's Roar/Larshell Green
The duty of being a Resident Assistant (RA) on campus is often thought of as a mysterious and presumably easy job. Through hard work and dedication to student affairs on campus, each semester old RAs pass on the torch to their new leaders.
New and old RAs gathered in the Student Union Ballroom on Tuesday, May 3 at 7 p.m. Old RAs revealed who the new RAs were after a dinner was served consisting of chicken nuggets and eggrolls. After, a game of Mingle Bingo was played to allow new and old participants to get to know each other better. New RAs also received important dates and expectations for the fall semester.
At the end of the night, a cake displayed the upcoming semester’s training theme of Around the World was revealed.
Assistant Director of Residential Life Amanda Robbins explains the importance of having a meet and greet for new and old RAs.
“It’s a celebration of outgoing RAs and a celebration of incoming RAs,” said Robbins. “This started helping us develop staff bonds. Starting this process now makes the tasks in August not as difficult.”
According to Robbins, every semester University Housing takes interviews and there are usually extra positions each spring and summer semester. She admits that some of her top qualities for prospective RAs include compassion, leadership, organization and interpersonal skills.
“It’s a study in multitasking,” said Robbins. “The day may begin with academics, planning programs, roommate issues or a crisis, so an RA has to be able to switch gears and be flexible.”
According to Robbins, students who usually excel in the program are those that can manage both their academics and positions.
“I think that if you’re someone who doesn’t have a good grip on it, it can be overwhelming,” said Robbins. “Those organizational skills will come in handy later in life.”
Robbins anticipates that about 51 students will be RAs for the upcoming fall semester.
According to Robbins, training to be an RA lasts for about a week and a half and includes preparing for the arrival of incoming freshmen in the fall.
New RAs are required to take the course Education 204 Seminar for the Prospective Resident Assistant. According to Robbins, during the course students are also given a mentor that they can shadow and will also gain knowledge in student development and crisis management. The three credit hour course must be taken before students are hired, or during their first semester of being employed as an RA.
Freshman accounting major Georgette Williams shared her thoughts on why she decided to become an RA for the upcoming fall semester.
“I felt like I had really great leadership skills to pass on and I really wanted to show Southeastern University Housing what skills I could possess,” said Williams.
According to Williams, she applied online for the position after a friend recommended her for the job. Dressing professionally and giving truthful answers were some of the tasks that Williams was faced with during the interview process.
“It wasn’t difficult; it’s just about having a strong mindset about what you want to do,” said Williams.
According to Robbins, because of the university’s diverse student population which consists of about 15 countries as well as other states, an RA must be open minded and ready to learn about themselves as well as others.
Senior communication major Rideia Wilson gave advice to new RAs as she prepares to graduate after 3 years of being in the RA program.
“My advice to the new RAs would be to not be afraid to step out and take initiative,” said Wilson. “If you do this, you will learn a lot and grow as an individual.”
There are many benefits to being an RA such as a scholarship that will pay for the cost of a dorm and the Cub Plan meal plan. The Cub Plan gives students 150 meals as well as 10 guest passes to use for the entire semester in the Mane Dish. Students also get $400 to use at fast food and coffee locations on campus, as well as convenience stores.
After being an RA for a year with a good discipline record and excelling in job duties, students get the opportunity to become an RA 1. This promotion includes a free dorm, cub plan and a stipend for $1,000 a semester that will be given in installments of $200 a month.
Although it is too late to apply to be an RA for the upcoming fall semester, students can apply in October for the spring semester. Students interested in signing up for the course Education 204 should contact Robbins at [email protected].
Applications to become an RA are available on the university website. Click the about tab, select administration, living on campus, employment opportunities, how to become an RA and select RA application.
Old and new Resident Assistants (RAs) Lion Up during a meeting. At the meeting, information was given to RAs for the fall semester and after announcing the new leadership positions and serving chicken nuggets and eggrolls. The combination of food signified the training theme of Around the World.
The Lion's Roar/Larsheel Green