The Glue that Holds College Dorms Together

    The lobby is empty at this time of night, except for the typing of a computer's keyboard and a TV show playing on a laptop. Resident Assistants, or more commonly referred to as RAs, often pass the time of sitting at the RA help desk by completing homework, watching TV shows, or by socializing with each other or their residents. Occasionally a student walks in through the main doors and is greeted with a "Welcome back!" by one of the two RAs who man the desk. This is often the scene of the RA desk on a weekday night. 

Elwell Hall RA Desk

     Elwell Hall greets its residents and guests with the RA desk right in front of the main doors. This allows for any RAs on call to be able to keep track of anyone who enters or leaves the building. Throughout the week from 8 pm until 2 am, at least two RAs must attend the desk at all times. On the wall to the right of the desk sits a whiteboard with the names of every RA. Next to their name, a magnet sits in the column titled "In" or "Out" to declare their status on whether they are in the building or not. Similarly, behind the desk sits a large calendar that has each shift posted for each day. This lets the students know on any given day if someone will be at the desk and if so, when. To the right of the calendar on a bulletin board displays the eight RAs who are actively "on call." This means if a student has an issue of any kind, they should check this posting to see who they should consult first. Hanging up around and on the desk are on-campus information flyers. Whether they be for campus resources or dorm/campus activities, these inform students about what is going on around campus and who they could go to for help.
 

RA In/Out Board

    Occasionally, the calmness of the night is disturbed when a student rounds the corner, the student hesitates to ask but eventually nervously admits his mistake, "Hey Michael, I left my ID card in my room, and I kind of got locked out...." This is often an issue that RAs must resolve when on duty. Michael, a current senior RA here at Bloomsburg University who is widely known in Elwell Hall, laughs off the student's mistake and proceeds to follow the locked-out student to their room where he uses his special key card that admits him access to every dorm room in the building, in case of accidents such as this one. "What is this, the second time you've gotten locked out this week?" Michael joked. As the RA guidelines state, Michael asks the student to find and present his keycard so that they know their ID is not missing. If that is the case however, the RA will give the student a temporary ID card to allow them access into their room until they can retrieve a new card from the Student Services Center. The student remarked, "Thank you so much Michael, have a good one!" Michael cheerfully responds, "Of course Henry, have a good night!" 

RA Michael

    Entering his senior year at Bloomsburg University, Michael is majoring in Media and Journalism. At first glance, it seems like Michael knows everyone on campus as he says hi to everyone that he passes. However, this is not the case. Michael is just one of those rare personalities that you meet once in your life. One that always has a smile on his face, always greets you and always says goodbye. He is always willing to listen and is always willing to give advice. On top of his exceptional attitude, Michael has an incredible taste in style. You will never catch him wandering around campus in a lazy outfit that he just happened to 'throw on.' Often wearing jeans, long sleeve shirts or jackets, a brimless denim hat, and some shiny jewelry, Michael looks as if he came straight from a Ralph Lauren photoshoot.

    Michael began his career as an RA back in 2025 as a junior. He is now entering his senior year but has begun his second year as an RA. "I wanted to make freshman, or any students' experience the best experience they could have" Michael admits. As a freshman, he enjoyed watching his RAs help students feel included and get involved on campus which further added to his reasoning to become an RA.

    RAs often act as the first line of defense to the dorm halls. "We kind of protect the building in a way. We all have shifts where we sit down at the desk and kind of monitor the building. We are like the first responders, so if something happens where a student gets a lock out, they come to the desk and an RA can help them." RAs are also responsible for facilitating a safe, friendly, and welcoming environment. 

    RAs are often overlooked yet remain some of the most important people that you will meet in your time here at college. They act as mentors, older versions of yourselves who have already experienced most of what college has to offer. They are there to listen to you, help give you advice, and help you in times of need. Often, life can get very stressful in college, and you may feel alone or lost at times, but that's what RAs are there for. When giving advice for future RAs, Michael describes how "Students need you. People are coming here; it's their first time at really being independent and they're going to go through so many changes and they're going to need someone constant that they know they can trust, that's there for them, that they can talk to, and guide them through this time of their life." In the end, it is these fellow students who truly help bring the college dorm experience to life. From their decorative art that fills the walls, the dorm activities that they oversee, to helping you when you inevitably get locked out of your room. People often forget that they are students like you and me. They have work and classes that they also have to pay attention to, but it's their dedication to making our college experience the best that it can be, that truly sets them apart.