Of the 25 resident advisors who serve in Bluffton’s residence halls, 17 are sophomores, which makes the team noticeably younger than previous years.
For senior Daniel Gregg, however, this is his third year in the position. Gregg decided to become an RA initially because he liked the idea of helping people build relationships and the opportunity it provided to talk to new residents. While Gregg said the young staff creates a different environment in the buildings, it has not been a problem so far this school year.
“Being on a staff of all sophomores is interesting,” Gregg said. “The dynamic is very different from what I have been accustomed to the last two years since most of our team meetings are more about finding the balance of having RA responsibility and being a good student, athlete and friend. I feel like a lot of our talks are RA Basic 101. This might seem a little annoying, but at times it’s fun.”
The sophomores are taking it all in stride, adapting to their new roles on campus.
“Honestly, I don’t even notice [the amount of sophomores on staff] because I’m usually busy with my floor and I feel like all of us are doing our job, so there aren’t any weak links,” said sophomore RA Nick Doehrman.
While the new RAs are off to a strong start, Gregg said he has noticed there is still a learning curve that comes with the job.
“They may need walked through a few times on some procedures, or need me to be with them as they knock on a resident’s door for the first time, stuff like that,” Gregg said. “Overall, the most interesting part is probably reminding myself I was in the same shoes as them, so I asked the same first time RA questions they are asking now.”
Doehrman and Gregg named other factors that can make the job difficult.
When it comes to the most challenging parts, Doehrman said it’s “trying to balance my busy schedule with sports and school and tending to my residents.”
“In general, the most challenging part of being a RA is being left out on some activities,” Gregg said. “I was really surprised by how much I miss out when I’m on duty! It seems some of the funniest things that happen come up when I am on duty and have to stay on campus.”
Overall, Gregg said the positive experiences of being an RA outweigh the negatives, primarily because the role has allowed him to meet so many new people.
“I love getting to know my residents,” Gregg said. “I always seem to have a nice mix of athletes and non-athletes, drama kids, band and choir kids—just a wonderful mix of people who I probably wouldn’t get a chance to meet if I wasn’t an RA.”
