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Horowitz: ResLife acknowledges RAs as employees, not tools

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Horowitz

Whenever I read a story criticizing Residential Assistants, I feel a slight pang of personal offense. The recent article about Phillip Linden, who got kicked out of the dorms for pictures posted on Facebook and accused all RAs of wanting to hunt down their residents, was one such story. So was Macy Hanson's column earlier this semester accusing RAs of basically wanting to create a police state.

I should preface by saying that almost none of the RAs I have ever met have any desire whatsoever to get people kicked out of the dorms. And being that I have spent a lot of time at training camps and social functions with the entire group, I would say I've probably met a good deal more than Mr. Hanson or Mr. Linden.

People who get in trouble within the halls where they live typically don't require any hunting down. Anyone lazy enough to get inebriated in a place in which they have signed a contract not to drink deserves to be caught. Especially since alcohol is readily available at a ton of places off campus.

And, speaking from experience, there is no pleasure in busting a big party or getting people kicked out of where they live.

During my sophomore year, I was an RA in the Hayden West dorms in the Honors College, and it was simultaneously one of the most fulfilling and intensely annoying positions I have ever held.

Fulfilling, because of all the potential a person in the RA position has to help freshmen come out of their shells. As long as an RA is in a place of trust with the residents they are supposed to be helping, fostering a sense of community is a beautiful possibility.

Annoying, because of all the garbage RAs had to deal with that had nothing whatsoever to do with maintaining that sense of community. Enter the bureaucracy known as Residential Life.

As has been pointed out in numerous articles in The State Press, many RAs have been dissatisfied with the way ResLife treats its employees (or whatever label they give RAs to justify firing them with little to no recourse).

This dissatisfaction arises both out of the conflict of interest inherent to the RA position, and the lack of respect sometimes afforded to RAs. On the one hand, ResLife tells us that RAs are in place to foster community, promote diversity, and take part in a bunch of other wonderful student-development buzz phrases. On the other hand, ResLife expects RAs to be vigilant watchdogs, patrolling the halls in search of law-breakers.

While on paper such a relationship may seem like it could work, in reality it becomes much harder to gain people's trust, or have any kind of authentic relationship with them, when they think you are going to be constantly looking over their shoulders.

The idea of an RA becoming a "Resident Advocate" mentioned in another State Press article last week seems to indicate that ResLife may finally be getting the hint. Such a system is already in place in colleges across the country, and from what I've heard, has gotten rave reviews.

Hopefully, ResLife will continue its re-definition of the role of the RA so that it extends to all the dorms. And, with any luck, this will also signal a new attitude from ResLife toward the most important of its employees - one where RAs will be treated like adults and not like tools.

Ben Horowitz is glad to be in no way related to David Horowitz. You can reach him at benjamin.horowitz@asu.edu.


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