Letter to the Editor
Nichole Gonzalez
Issue date: 5/1/09 Section: Opinion
I was extremely disheartened to read last week's opinion article about the resident assistants, as I think it speaks to a larger issue of making assumptions and sweeping generalizations. It's easy to make assumptions about people without knowing them or having all of the information. But to assume that any resident assistant looks forward to, or takes pleasure in, writing-up fellow students is a false stereotype. Being put in the unfortunate situation of having to confront violations of university policy is actually the least enjoyable part of the resident assistant's job.
And while I don't expect the average student to have any appreciation for that aspect of the resident assistant position, I would just like to set the record straight about what you may not know about the resident assistants. They are often up late at night, planning programs, lending an unselfish ear for hours to a fellow student in need, attending workshops and team meetings to further their leadership skills, coming back to school two weeks early for resident assistant training (only a small part of which is dedicated to learning how to write people up), dealing with crisis situations that would shock the average student, helping a fellow resident with his or her homework, mediating conflicts and just generally being available for their fellow residents.
These are just a few of the things resident assistants do. The truth is, for every one thing you "see" a resident assistant do, there are a multitude of things you don't or can't see the resident assistants do. Resident assistants do not expect a pat on the back for any of these things. But too often, resident assistants are getting smacked in the face (figuratively, of course). It comes in the form of harsh words from an intoxicated student who is frustrated they're getting written up, or other disrespectful actions so commonly seen as acceptable. And most of the time, the resident assistants accept it with grace. Most difficult jobs are rewarding in ways that are intangible, and require the fortitude to be humble and take your lumps.
And while I don't expect the average student to have any appreciation for that aspect of the resident assistant position, I would just like to set the record straight about what you may not know about the resident assistants. They are often up late at night, planning programs, lending an unselfish ear for hours to a fellow student in need, attending workshops and team meetings to further their leadership skills, coming back to school two weeks early for resident assistant training (only a small part of which is dedicated to learning how to write people up), dealing with crisis situations that would shock the average student, helping a fellow resident with his or her homework, mediating conflicts and just generally being available for their fellow residents.
These are just a few of the things resident assistants do. The truth is, for every one thing you "see" a resident assistant do, there are a multitude of things you don't or can't see the resident assistants do. Resident assistants do not expect a pat on the back for any of these things. But too often, resident assistants are getting smacked in the face (figuratively, of course). It comes in the form of harsh words from an intoxicated student who is frustrated they're getting written up, or other disrespectful actions so commonly seen as acceptable. And most of the time, the resident assistants accept it with grace. Most difficult jobs are rewarding in ways that are intangible, and require the fortitude to be humble and take your lumps.
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