Ramapo College Recognizes Student Staff on International RA Appreciation Day

By ISABELLA SANTOS

MAHWAH, N.J. – A Resident Assistant’s job at Ramapo College can range from waking up at 2 AM to help a locked out resident to staying up all night handling incidents and almost go unnoticed. But, to say thank you, Residence Life hosted a special appreciation event for their student staff.

Ramapo College of New Jersey invited members of their Residence Life Student Staff to a luncheon Feb. 17 to celebrate International RA Appreciation Day and recognize their hard work and dedication as resident assistants.

“Being a first year RA is such a rewarding position on campus,” Amanda VanLoenen, who was promoted to an Area Resident Director during her second year in Residence life, said. “Whether it be to help them pick classes, make new friends, or proofread an essay, being an RA gives you the opportunity to be a part of their first year. My reward is that my residents can say that I helped them enjoy their freshman year.”

The Job

Some students associate Resident Assistants as fellow peers who simply want to break-up parties while others believe free housing is enough of a reward for doing their job. Though their time in the position may require them to do so, the main goal of RAs is to, as their title says, assist residents. This can include, but is not limited to, opening mailboxes, filing work orders for repairs, or even just providing advice when asked.

Ramapo College has eight residence areas on campus, each of which is broken down by either floor or complexes. In each subsection of the areas is one or two Resident Assistants responsible for helping as many as 64 students.

Though challenging at times, most can say that working to build a community in their residence halls while also keeping order are done with the best intentions for their residents. Despite trials and tribulations, excitement and success, RAs typically find the job rewarding in the end.

“Residents don’t really realize how much a ‘thank you’ means,” Devashri Parikh, a first year RA, said. “Even if all I did was tell them what time the dining hall closes, hearing someone thank me makes me feel like I’m really doing something to make their time here better.

Not just here to write you up

An article posted on Elite Daily, written by a former Resident Assistant, provide insight on some of the aspects of the job that most people either do not know or do not talk about. In another, more lighthearted article on USA Today’s website, a first year RA shares his experience. Through different tones, both articles articulate the highs and lows of what a UC Berkeley story labels, “one of the most demanding jobs.”

“My resident assistant served as both a mentor and a friend,” Chris Catiis, a  junior, said. “She was such a great resource for me, which inspired me to apply to be a resident assistant the following year.”

#RamapoRADay

With only two weeks, the Staff Appreciation Committee, those responsible for hosting the event, prepared for the special occasion. From choosing the theme, purchasing prizes, setting up activities, and transporting food from Paterson, N.J., much time was spent planning what they hoped to be a success.

“Seeing everyone come out to the event and have fun was a great experience for me,” Lawrence Santos, a member of the Staff Appreciation Committee, said. “This was one of the first big events that I helped plan so it was a good feeling to have RAs know that I was partially responsible for the work that went into making the event.”

Those in attendance posted pictures on their social media accounts during the event with the hashtag, #RamapoRADay. Select posts were featured in a Tweet Wall and were projected for everyone to see.

In addition, the Mid-Atlantic Association of College & University Housing Officers, also known as MACUHO, held a social media contest for Residence Life staffs participating in International RA Appreciation Day. The organization reminded colleges and universities to use their personal hashtag, #MACUHORAsRock when sharing about their day.

Thank you

While RAs around the world celebrated their roles as student leaders, Ramapo’s RA Day and luncheon served as a recognition of their behind-the-scenes efforts of Resident Assistants who work around-the-clock to ensure a positive experience for students on campus.

“I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the event,” Akira Burgos, a first year RA said. “Seeing everyone so happy and enjoying everything made me happy to be a part of such a great team of students.”

[AUDIO:Listen to a Ramapo resident share her opinion regarding RA recognition.]