University of Miami - Ibis Yearbook (Coral Gables, FL)

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LIVING They are often the first people new students meet, SHAPING they play a key role in the adjustment from high school to eallege--RA'S are the link to creating a community living on campus. The adjustment to college life is different for everyone. Some students take the short road and feel at home Within the first few weeks; others are challenged by the longer road, which winds them through several months of getting used to the tcollege experience? Whichever road students fol- low, there is one very important person who can help ease that adjustment and suggest ways to find the balance neces- sary for a successful college career. That person is the resident assistant, a.k.a. tithe RA? The RAs are part of the UM residential college systemea system which integrates living and learning. The residential colleges provide a set- ting in which students begin to grow and learn from all of the experiences, opportunities and people that surround them on a daily basis. RAs are key people in making this system work. All residents assistants are required to attend a two-week training session at the end of August, before students arrive and classes begin. This training consists of seminars and thands-ont experiences, Which help prepare the RAs for the year ahead. these seminars cover everythingefrom icebreaker activities to crisis control to bulletin board decorations to drug and alcohol confrontations. Training, how- ever, can only provide the background material-a foundationewhich the RAs must apply to the various situ- ations they encounter. Student Life 26 A resident assistant has one of the toughest-and beste jobs a stu- dent can have on a college campus. He or she is responsible for floor programs, building-wide programs, maintaing control, keeping records and commu- nity and staff development. Of course, this is all in addition to the five or six classes that demand the remaining few hours of an RA,s busy schedule. An RAls role is multi-faceted and each part of that role works to- gether to form an excellent resource person. As .a counselor, an RA helps students deal With the many adjust- ments, stresses and crises they face throughout the year. Registration, move-in day, a new roommate, the first day of class: these issues are simple for returning students but can be real problems for the new ones who, at the same time, want to feel accepted and are afraid to ask for help. An RA,s most difficult role is that of mediator in disciplinary situ- ations. The RA is expected to confront residents who Violate university poli- cies and deal With them in a profes- sional, respectful manner. The hard part is that RAs are also students and the people they may confront are their peers. The situation is often uncom- fotable, but RAs find a balance and help students understand they are part of a community. Paperwork and programs. An RA helps keep records and document incidents in an administrative capac- A UNIQUE BY CHRISTINE THOMPSON

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The Dennis Ehckson Show came to the University Center Plaza duhng Homecoming. Yamma Yamma, in Iron Arrow wear, gives the coach a hand as they interview a student. tPhoto by Michael Row Former Miss Florida Sandy Frick assists the Homecoming committee as she asks contestant Samantha Stevens questions during the Miss UM competition. tPhoto by Michael Royt Student Life 25

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ity. More and more students prefer living in the residential colleges; this means more paperwork for residence life staff. This may not be a disadvan- tage, though. As Sheri Schmid, an RA in Hecht Residential College, says, tiWe must be doing something right if more students like living on campus? Programs are another impor- tant part of the RA job. RAs create a community feeling and atmosphere by organizing recreational, social and educational programs. Residents can take part in activities ranging from movie nights to volleyball barbecues to floor dinners and even frog hunts. As a first year RA, I learned that food was the key to a successful program. It almost guarantees 10001; turnoutf says Sayra Chi of Hecht Resi- dential College. The RA serves one of the most comprehensive roles in residence life. It is a challenge to be called to do so many tasks and hold a variety of re- sponsibilities, While shaping an educa- tion. But this is all part of college life and an RA is a link to successful com- munity living. Student Life 27