Here’s one for all the resident advisors out there.

I just wanted to take a minute and give thanks for all the things that you do to keep us residents alive and relatively sane. I’m sure you’ll agree that without your help and guidance many of us wouldn’t have survived to see the second semester.

I don’t even want to think about the hours of planning and preparation that went into making it a reality. I mean, some of those programs get really intricate, and don’t even get me started on how fancy some of the door tags can get, and how much time goes into hand-making all of them, just to see them get ripped down by drunken students within a month.

As a freshman, I entered college as blindly as anyone else does, but who was there to hold everyone’s hand and make sure that your first semester doesn’t completely destroy you emotionally?

That’s right, the resident advisors.

The RAs have been there since the very first day when we all walked in bright eyed and bushy tailed and we still had that flicker of hope in our eyes as we started our college career. They were there ready to give us our keys and inform us of our very first floor meetings and when the fun little programs would be.

Those programs helped me and many others de-stress after midterms, and somehow keep us sane during finals week. Seriously, whoever came up with the idea of giving us coloring books and tea during finals deserves a statue right next to the likes of Eric Dolphy and Ignatius of Loyola.

I don’t really think a lot of the residents understand just how much you’ve helped us, whether it's making sure that everyone has a safe weekend, or just making sure that you have someone to talk to. The RAs are friends and caretakers for every single person on their floor, and even the building.

Just imagine what kind of anarchy college life would be like without the RAs making sure that at every moment the dorm is a safe and fun environment for everyone in it. Who doesn’t love a chance to live your own life and make your own choices, but also still have someone there just in case things get a little crazy?

Well, RAs do that for everyone, but who does that for the RAs? When everyone gets to go out to the Halloween Dance, or go to that party everyone is talking about, the RAs sit in the office, making sure everyone is able to have a good time and stay safe.

So next time you or your friends get locked out of your room after taking a shower, come stumbling in after a night out, or simply need someone to talk to, think about the person helping you out with that classy green polo always there with a smile.

Take a moment and really appreciate everything that they do for you and give them a genuine thank you, and realize that they aren’t here just to be a party pooper, or to write everyone up. They just want to help, make sure you’re safe, and a little thank you once in a while.

So here’s mine, from the bottom of my heart; thank you for everything that you do for us residents. Especially for the stuff to keep everything running smoothly and without problems that we don’t even think about.

Thank you so much, and please take a night off once in a while. You deserve it!