Imagine this scenario: you’ve had a long day, you’ve stayed up until 2 a.m. working on homework, and you are ready to just get some sleep. But right as you’re about to fall into your bed’s warm embrace, there’s a knock at the door. One of the residents in your hall was just dumped by his girlfriend and really needs to talk about it, and so he came to you, his resident assistant.
Such an occurrence is familiar to Spencer Walrath, an RA in Campbell Hall. Walrath is just one of 88 RAs across campus whose work will be celebrated Wednesday as part of the University of Northern Iowa RA Appreciation Day.
According to Shull Hall RA Austin Foster, RA Appreciation Day is similar to Boss’s Day, and is a time for every resident to recognize the hard work RA’s do every day.
“RA appreciation is important because the nature of the RA’s job often requires them to put aside personal and academic pursuits to help residents,” Foster said. “RAs do more than lock doors and offer programs. They are often the people in the best position to identify the unique needs of individual residents, and it is the RA’s job to speak with and be supportive of them when it comes to seeking support for things as everyday as academic struggles and as serious as mental health concerns.”
Like Foster, Walrath also believes that an RA plays several important roles for his or her residents.
“I am a friend to my residents,” he said. “I am a listening ear. I’m a resource person, counselor, an advisor for sports, academics, personal life-anything my residents have a question about I can have an answer for. I’m also a policy enforcer, a disciplinary and a programmer.”
In addition to the large amount of time being an RA demands, Walrath also believes the job is difficult when it comes to writing up residents “because you’re disappointed in them, because you know they’re better than that.”
However, Walrath believes that being an RA does have its perks.
“I get free friends-about 40 free friends a year,” he said. “I get paid to hang out with people, to sit in my room and chill. I get paid to do it, and it’s a really great job.”
Jessica Snook, a sophomore accounting major, believes that RAs play an extremely important role on campus and create a strong sense of community for UNI residents.
“My RA is really good with trying to get us (residents) involved, at putting on a program every week, and if not putting on one, getting us to go to other campus programs,” she said. “She’s really good at getting us involved with the campus community. I think RAs are awesome.”
