COMMUNITY: On August 10th, Resident Assistants hired for the Fall 2024 semester arrived at Salisbury University to begin their nearly two-week long mandatory training session, forming bonds within the residence life community. They prepared to accommodate the largest incoming class since prior to the Covid-19 lockdown, characterizing a trend of increasing class-size in the past few years.

Over the past two weeks, RAs have settled into their rooms, attended daily training sessions to learn about the components of the role and connected with their colleagues. Summer training provides an opportunity for new and returning RAs to acclimate to the leadership position prior to the typically hectic Freshman move-in day, which took place this year on August 22nd. 

Although SU Housing does not technically pay RAs, there are a multitude of incentives associated with the job. Aside from the long-term benefits of developing resourceful leadership skills and building new relationships, lodging and food costs for the semester are completely covered.

Braedon Moyer, an SU Junior majoring in Finance, is an RA for Chesapeake Hall this year and aspires to be a middle school Math teacher. He is grateful for the opportunity to constantly meet new people and build connections with fellow students.

“It helps just to be able to meet people, right, one of the biggest parts of teaching is if they don’t know you, they probably won’t care,” Moyer said. “So being able to figure out how to form relationships with students and how to form relationships with people that you want to be able to know personally, but you’re still in a position of authority, and figuring out that balance [is] really cool here, because I know that I can do that as a teacher.”

Although the financial benefits of the job help make college life more affordable, Moyer’s main focus is his responsibility to attend to the needs of the residents. 

“It’s a really cool opportunity to love and serve people,” he said. “Yes, the free room & board is also a factor I guess; who doesn’t want college to be partially paid for?”

“But as I’ve thought about it, especially [in my] second year, Jesus says don’t store up your riches here on Earth where moth and rust destroy, one day it’s all going to go away.”

In the post-Covid years, RAs have also enjoyed the luxury of a dorm to themself for the entirety of the academic year. This year, the number of admitted students initially exceeded the room capacity of SU, necessitating housing placement changes for some Freshmen who had applied and been admitted to the institution late. A group of RAs received emails informing them of a temporary roommate placement. 

Within the past week, as vacancies have become available when admitted students make last-minute decisions not to lodge on campus, a vast majority of the roommate placements have been rescinded, relieving the RAs who’ve looked forward to having their own room and supervisors who have been advocating for their residential staff members. 

As Freshmen begin settling into their new dorms, the main focus of Resident Assistants has shifted to managing their buildings and making the college transition for new students smooth. They are now tasked with the responsibility of implementing the information learned during training to settle any residential questions or issues that may arise. 

RA Emily, an SU Junior majoring in Psychology, is excited for the upcoming semester and is confident that her hall will fare successfully.

“The vibes are vibing,” she said. “I like it, I feel like this is a good incoming class of Freshmen, I feel like we have a pretty good staff, so I think this year is going to be good.”

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By COLIN McEVERS

Editor in Chief