2008 Woodie Awards
RAs have more responsibilities than you think
Letter
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Opinion
Originally published: 4/19/07 at 3:59 PM EST
Last update: 4/19/07 at 4:27 PM EST
- Page 1 of 1
What's my job? I am a resident assistant!
Often times, my job as a resident assistant is highly misrepresented by the students of Plattsburgh State.
In the previously published article, "RAs: Are they really assisting residents", Jimmy O'Neill exercised his first amendment right to "bash" me and my fellow RAs.
He brought up many points, which although may seem valid are nothing more than a weak excuse to complain about the judicial process.
O'Neill's entire article is one of spite due to RAs having to judicially refer people who refuse to cooperate and break college regulations.
When a person signs up for housing they agree to follow the guidelines set forth in the housing manual.
If O'Neill had taken the time, maybe he could've pursued a more mature venture into what my job truly is.
I am going to give him the courtesy of addressing every aspect of his written piece point by point.
First off, by referring to a group of individuals to which he has no personal knowledge of as "life-sucking drones" shows the maturity level that O'Neill is currently at.
An RA is, contrary to O'Neill's opinion, not your surrogate mother. I am not here to baby-sit, nor have I ever in the two years of being an RA.
My job is to be here as a liaison for residents in times of need.
Also, a big part of my job is making sure there is a structured environment for people coming away from home for the first time, and to build a community in which individuals, such as O'Neill, are a significant part of.
Next, he began to discuss the incentives to which RAs receive for there service.
Yes it is true - we do receive free rooms when all other residents on campus have to pay.
However, unlike other residents we have required amounts of time we have to remain on campus.
Also, we have to remain in the building on "duty" in which we carry a phone and have to be on call from 7:30 p.m. to 7 a.m.
We are also required to engage in programming for the residents of our buildings.
In essence, there is a significant amount of work behind the scenes that many residents like O'Neill fail to recognize or see.
I challenge O'Neill to look into what it is to actually be an RA and not focus on the negative aspect of our job, which is to refer people to judicial.
It is not my job to baby-sit or be your second mother, however, with people who refuse to respect the wishes of others it is my job to step in.
I'm sorry living in a residence hall isn't like the movies.
This isn't Animal House.
Randy Smalls
PSUC senior
Often times, my job as a resident assistant is highly misrepresented by the students of Plattsburgh State.
In the previously published article, "RAs: Are they really assisting residents", Jimmy O'Neill exercised his first amendment right to "bash" me and my fellow RAs.
He brought up many points, which although may seem valid are nothing more than a weak excuse to complain about the judicial process.
O'Neill's entire article is one of spite due to RAs having to judicially refer people who refuse to cooperate and break college regulations.
When a person signs up for housing they agree to follow the guidelines set forth in the housing manual.
If O'Neill had taken the time, maybe he could've pursued a more mature venture into what my job truly is.
I am going to give him the courtesy of addressing every aspect of his written piece point by point.
First off, by referring to a group of individuals to which he has no personal knowledge of as "life-sucking drones" shows the maturity level that O'Neill is currently at.
An RA is, contrary to O'Neill's opinion, not your surrogate mother. I am not here to baby-sit, nor have I ever in the two years of being an RA.
My job is to be here as a liaison for residents in times of need.
Also, a big part of my job is making sure there is a structured environment for people coming away from home for the first time, and to build a community in which individuals, such as O'Neill, are a significant part of.
Next, he began to discuss the incentives to which RAs receive for there service.
Yes it is true - we do receive free rooms when all other residents on campus have to pay.
However, unlike other residents we have required amounts of time we have to remain on campus.
Also, we have to remain in the building on "duty" in which we carry a phone and have to be on call from 7:30 p.m. to 7 a.m.
We are also required to engage in programming for the residents of our buildings.
In essence, there is a significant amount of work behind the scenes that many residents like O'Neill fail to recognize or see.
I challenge O'Neill to look into what it is to actually be an RA and not focus on the negative aspect of our job, which is to refer people to judicial.
It is not my job to baby-sit or be your second mother, however, with people who refuse to respect the wishes of others it is my job to step in.
I'm sorry living in a residence hall isn't like the movies.
This isn't Animal House.
Randy Smalls
PSUC senior
Be the first to comment on this story