Matthew W. Wilson
Editor in Chief
It’s 10:30 on a Friday night, loud music, screaming and laughing are coming from a Woods Apartment, and you are the only resident assistant (RA) on duty. Behind that door are people (some from off campus) who are possibly drunk and disorderly, and oblivious to any housing policies. You know your arrival to investigate the disturbance will not be greeted kindly. What do you do?
In every RA’s life, the reality of something like this happening is possible. It’s difficult to determine how each individual will react mentally, but if is always handled professionally.
In most cases the problems in that apartment can be resolved. Alcohol violators are dealt with, residents are questioned, the party is disbanded and citations are issued. But there is always the possibility that the people in the apartment will respond violently and threaten or cause you bodily injury.
It’s midnight, you are walking your beat around the entire apartment complex and parking lot when you notice a group of off-campus individuals gathered around a vehicle, drinking beers and getting disruptive. You question one of the people and he tells you his girlfriend, a student who lives in the apartments, has broken up with him and he is upset. You explain the no alcohol policy and that he will have to leave the parking lot with the beer. He and his buddies tell you to take your policy and yourself and get lost. What do you do?
Your response is to immediately rectify the problem. You notify the resident director, dial 911 and get back-up for yourself. After reinforcing yourself with members of the ULV football squad, you again approach the parking lot party and advise the offenders that they are loitering and trespassing on ULV property. This should quickly convince the individuals to leave the area.
Under the guidance of Jeff Cripe, director of residential life, students who apply and are accepted to the residential life program are trained to handle most domestic problems that arise in the on-campus housing facilities.
Student applicants are screened in several interviews and attend several meetings before acceptance. Once accepted to the program, students attend weekly seminars that deal with common problems that they will face on the job. They attend the mandatory ASCENT trip (five days of semi-survival training in the Sierras) and attend a mandatory leadership course in the fall semester. This is all before they assume their position in the dorms.
The RA program has seen tremendous growth at ULV. Its strength is the character of people who are accepted in the program. I am a past member of this leadership corps. The one semester experience I had, as limited as it was, taught me a great deal about the University and residents I worked for.
The program tries to prepare RAs for many scenarios, but there are some that can happen unexpectedly. Then again there are some that you hope never happen to on your shift.
A friend of yours has been seen and reported by roommates repeatedly that she has been entertaining males in the dorm room after curfew hours. You have seen her enter her room after midnight with a man. You walk over, knock on the door, identify yourself as an RA and get no response. What do you do?
With the upmost patience, wait for a response. Then get a back-up, most likely the resident director if she is available, and investigate again. In this time span you may have given the people involved time to regain their composure. This way you do not embarrass either the couple or yourself by rushing the door.
For various reasons, this is a tough job. The job requirements are demanding, and the commitment by students is dedicated.
If working with your peers at ULV is one of your goals, and you are mature enough to handle the position, then being an RA is worth the time of applying.
