When we first set foot on the lush Smith campus there were a couple of important acronyms we all had to learn before we could go ahead and start deconstructing the Patriarchy. These were: HP (House President), HONS (Head of New Students), SAA (Student Academic Advisor), SJE Rep (Social Justice and Equity Representative), HCA (House Community Advisor), HC (House Coordinator) and HR (Head Resident). They were the first faces we saw after leaving the hectic arrival registration and moved into our new homes. Most likely, they carried an item or two of ours for us as we settled in.
Out of this list, the latter three are student staff members for Residence Life rather than elected house leaders. In other campuses they would be known as RA's (Residential Assistants) but thankfully, because at Smith we live in houses and not dorms, these positions differ from the traditional RA role in name only. ResLifers come from different backgrounds but share some common traits, the top two being caring deeply for the welfare of others and enjoying to create and maintain positive living experiences for all Smithies. However, their jobs are not as easy as it also involves upholding college policy to their peers. The following are some 10 awkward situations ResLifer's don't get happy getting involved in:
1. Busting A Party
This one is no bueno number one. Nobody, I repeat, nobody likes to be the party pooper. So you can imagine what it feels like to The solution? Register your event! It honestly takes As uncomfortable as this is, the situation is always made better if the residents in question complies.
2. Asking Someone to Keep It Down
Noise complaints, especially at odd hours are a pain for the complainant, but to the person making noise, it might seem accusatory when they are asked to be quiet. And this is totally understandable since nobody usually realizes how loud they are. A;so, what is considered loud to one person might be a whisper to another hence there's the risk of someone refusing to be quiet because they feel that they weren't loud at all.
3. Finding Paraphernalia During Room Inspections
Every Fall, ResLifers conduct room inspections to make sure fire, health and safety standards are being upheld. The staff are not looking for something in particular but on the contrary hope to find nothing. This is why it is very awkward and sad when we encounter an item like a drinking game item (recently disallowed) in a students room. The resident is likely to part with their beloved paraphernalia and it is not the least pleasing to be the person that noticed it.
4. In-House Weed Situations
This one is related to number 3 but deserves a category on its own because of the policy that Res Life staff are required to follow once it has been discovered. Once its clear that the plant is being smoked in the house, Res Life is mandated to call campus police who then sniff their way to the room responsible for interacting with the material. Its awkward because nobody likes to call the cops on anyone!
5. Running Into Underage Residents During A Night Out
This is tough, because the resident's presence puts the staff member in a difficult spot: should they confront the situation on the spot, or bring it up later? Should this be a cause for concern about the underage person's health in regards to safety, especially with alcohol involved? All these questions running through a Res Life's mind and are guaranteed to dampen the moods in that night out.
6. Group Work with Resident Who Has a History With Reslife
Call it Karma or bad luck, there's always a chance that the ResLife staff is required to collaborate with that resident they had to ask to be quiet or disperse their private party. If the situation had gone well, without any argument, then the awkwardness isn't that intense. Its another story though if there were bitter words exchanged or if the resident is keeping a grudge.
7. Working A Rowdy Party
When things go wrong during a party, for instance the leaders meant to work the party are intoxicated, or there being a fire hazard, ResLife Staff are among the leaders that quickly meet to see if they need to shut down the party. These moments need quick thinking on the feet, and since ResLife are programmed to prioritize safety of the residents over everything else, they are usually the ones who first suggest a shut-down which may not go well with the house or the house leaders are needed to shut the party down.
8. An Unresolvable Mediation
Despite being passionate, well-trained mediators ready to handle inter-social conflicts with Smithies, there's the chance of a ResLife staff to have a mediation that simply isn't being resolved. A mediation is simply sharing stories between those involved in the conflict to encourage them to speak out and empathize with each other. Because the Reslife staff is aware of both sides of the story, it is awkward to go on knowing that roommates or residents are not seeing eye to eye over a misunderstanding .
9. Not Knowing Your Resident
People's involvement in the house community greatly differs and so there are familiar faces to Resife as well as those people who the staff only knows by a name on the roster. This becomes problematic and uncomfortable when the ResLife would walk through the house to see someone unfamiliar and then wonder whether they are a guest or resjde t This feels worse when the ResLife vocalizes their musings to the said resident!
10. Non-movers During House Closing
At the end of the year, there are instances when a ResLife staff knocks on a door to find a resident unprepared or unwilling to move out of their room. If the resident is adamant about staying put, the ResLife staff is perplexed and calls for backup to help move the staying resident out. This honestly never feels good, because it is basically evicting someone.
