If someone had told me during my freshman year, or even most of my sophomore year, that I was going to be RA of the Catacombs my junior and senior year, I’d probably think they were crazy. Back then, I viewed RA’s as almost celebrities on campus, as if they were some sort of “student plus,” somehow inherently “better” than just the average student I was back then.
I don’t think I’m the only person to feel this way about RA’s at Covenant. I remember hearing my older brother Andrew when he was still a student here, talking to my parents when he was home for break about possibly being an RA. My parents thought he would make a good RA, but he didn’t want to go for it because, “RA’s are treated like demigods at Covenant.” This was an idea that stuck with me for a while after hearing him say it.
I didn’t really consider applying for RA until very close to the application deadline my sophomore year because I just didn’t think I had what it took. But after being encouraged by several hallmates to apply, and a lot of prayer, I finally did.
Here I am now, a senior and second year RA and I just want to say, your RA is not a demigod. This is not to say the RA is not important to each hall or that we don’t deserve your respect, but we are honestly just normal people with the same, busy, crazy lives of every other college student.
I think especially as an underclassman, it can be easy to view your RA as some sort of “demigod” because they’re older than you, they are the “official” leader of the hall, and they’re one of the first faces you see when you come to Covenant. For these reasons and others, it can be easy to place an RA on some sort of pedestal as if they always know what to do and always make the best decisions.
Hear it from a second year RA that this just isn’t true. Granted, RA’s have been chosen by the administration through several stages of application and interview, so I guess we have some quality that makes us fit for our job. What I’m trying to say is that—shocker—we aren’t perfect.
There are many instances I can look back at last year, and even this year, where I know I’ve done what is easy or most appealing to me, instead of what’s best for the hall. By no means am I saying this is okay, but just that RA’s are humans too and have failures and shortcomings like everyone else. For this same reason, an RA is not and should not be the only leader on the hall. As an RA, I am a leader on the Catacombs, but there are many other guys on the hall who are great leaders as well, and I value their input and initiative in hall happenings.
I’m not trying to say don’t love or respect your RA, I’m just saying that we’re not that much different from everybody else. Remember that your RA is a person just like you. Personally, I want my hallmates to see me as a friend, first and foremost, but a friend who also happens to have a bit more responsibility regarding hall life. I’m definitely no demigod, and I deserve being elevated or worshipped just as much as the Catacombs’ urinal.