kulture
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9.2005
6A THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Life as a resident assistant revolves around hectic schedule
Katie Horner sits visibly at a big wooden desk in Oliver Hall. In the span of a few minutes, seven people will have approached her wanting help in some form or another; a person delivering flowers, a group of freshmen wanting to see a bus schedule, another group wanting their student IDs back from the previous night.
Horner must find a solution to all their problems because it is her job. Horner, Galena sophomore, is a resident assistant. She is a mentor, rule enforcer and all-around go-to person for 38 women on the 7th floor of Oliver Hall.
From the moment she wakes up, she
Once a week Horner has night rounds. Beginning at 9 p.m., she begins on the top floor of Oliver and slowly makes her way down to the bottom floor, while stopping to talk with residents to make sure everything is secure.
She goes out again at 11 p.m., after the building's quiet hours have begun,
must be ready for her day duty. That means preparing for class while making trips up and down stairs to help residents who have been locked out of their rooms or to handle maintenance issues. Her day duty begins the hour before she goes to classes.
After day duty and classes, Horner makes her way back to Oliver where she has desk duty, which involves a few hours of answering phones, sorting mail, organizing documentation slips and directing students and visitors to what they need or where they need to go.
"As much as the residents hate being busted, it is just as hard for us to bust them," Horner said. "The RAS aren't here just to discipline; we also try to build relationships with the residents."
to make sure all doors are locked, fire extinguishers are in place, bathrooms are clean and secure and the noise level is at a minimum. She is on night duty from 6 p.m., until 6 a.m. the next day.
Horner said that when RAs do not have night rounds, they have a 2 a.m. curfew and must be available to handle anything should problems arise in the middle of the night.
RAs also have to handle the occasional practical joke from residents.
Horner has been woken up more than once in the middle of the night to break up a party or deal with intoxicated residents.
SEE RA ON PAGE 3A
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