By: Shauna Crounse
Posted In: News
J.R. King, a junior and a second-year RA in Hunt Hall, describes what a typical night on duty is like. “At 8 p.m., I open my door and keep it that way until I’m off duty at midnight or 2 a.m. (depending on the night), but what people don’t realize is that duty lasts all night,” says King. “I have to be around even after I close my door, and sometimes it can feel like a prison.” RA Training Although the job is tough, the RAs are trained extensively with a two-week summer program, one-week winter program, and a course that lasts throughout the semester that all RAs are required to take their first year. Van Pham, the area coordinator and director of the RAs on campus, says that the program is designed to “prepare the students for all types of situations–everything from sexual assault to alcohol to homesickness” Pham says that the training in the two weeks at the end of the summer is “very intense,” and the RAs agree. Miserocchi admits that the training is extensive and not easy. According to her, the RAs are prepared for everything. “Anything that you could possibly think of that could go wrong, we get trained for,” says Miserocchi. “Training is the hardest part of being an RA.” After the training, the RAs are told to lay down the law in the dorms across campus. All the residents on campus are given the chance to hear the rules, and most RAs hold “floor meetings” in which these rules are discussed and implemented. Laureen Antall, an English Communications major and second-year RA, held her meeting on the first day of school and spoke to her residents with a firm, but positive message. “The first day back I talked to my residents– they’re all sophomores so they basically all know the rules. I didn’t have much trouble this semester as far as alcohol goes, or maybe they’re just a little smarter,” Antall said. Miserocchi is of the same mind about establishing a good relationship with students right away. “I have all upper-classmen this year, so in a way, it’s easier because they already know the rules. It’s just a simple reminder,” says Miserocchi. “Besides, a lot of my residents are my friends. I can’t talk down to them. They want respect.” King establishes the rules just like the other RAs, but says that it’s a different kind of introduction with the first- year students. “This is the first time students are hearing the policies. I not only have to be supportive, but I have to be firm,” says King. “How I act on the first day will set the standard for the rest of the year, students will be less likely to break the rules if they know who they are dealing with.” Most RAs believe that they have a good relationship with students. Miserocchi, who is leaving her RA position after this year for another job opportunity is finding it difficult to leave. “This year, my residents are a lot better than last year, and I’m having a harder time leaving than I thought I would,” Miserocchi said. Antall says that the fact that she has a small building has given her an opportunity to establish a good environment. “I have a good relationship with the people in this dorm. There is only a small number of us, and I think we’ve really tried to build a close- knit community,” said Antall. Students React Not all students at Salve agree with the way things are handled on campus, especially regarding the alcohol policies and how the RAs assume authority in the dorms. The sophomore, who has been written up four times in the course of his college career, says that two of those times he was not even in the room and was still written up. “The RAs will write you up even when you are not present in the room and there is drinking going on. I don’t think that’s fair,” the student said. “They gave us a chance to refute it, but it still isn’t right. I wasn’t even drinking.” Others defend the judicial process on campus that says that when a student is written up, it only means that the RAs give a factual account of what they saw happen. The student in question is allowed to meet with the area coordinator and recount his or her side of the story. Pham, the area coordinator for Carey Mansion, Stoneacre, Wallace, The Young Building, and Fairlawn Apartments, says that RAs are not the “bad guys.” “All the RA does is report the incident, and most of the time the student will understand that the RA is just doing their job,” Pham said. Adam Blom, a freshman Business Administration major living in New Residence, tells a different story. Blom says that RAs from his building went into a friend’s room, but could not find any alcohol, and therefore could not write up the students. However, after the students went out, the RAs came back into the room and found shot glasses containing drops of alcohol in them. The shot glasses were confiscated, and all the people living in that room were written up. “It was the first night, and they wrote up those guys, but I don’t think they had the right to go into the room without permission,” said Blom. “We were all new– I think they were just trying to make an example out of [them].” Miserocchi says that RAs have limited authority when it comes to searching through a student’s belongings or entering the rooms. “As an RA you’re not supposed to search the fridge or enter the room without the student’s permission,” said Miserocchi. “If the student says no, then you get the [area coordinator] and they will enter or proceed with security.” Some upper-classmen feel that it is a legal right to be able to drink if they are 21, no matter where they live. Robert Pesapane, a political science major and member of the Student Government Assocation as well as the Resident Hall Association, is a 21-year-old junior living on campus in the Stoneacre apartments. Pesapane, who at 21, says he does drink off-campus. But he thinks the alcohol policy on campus is absurd. “I absolutely know the drinking policy on campus, and I think it’s ridiculous . . . . If you’re of age, it’s your legal right to have a drink,” said Pesapane. When asked about living on campus, Pesapane contended that, “I live on campus out of convenience. I’m very involved with student activities, and it was just easier.” Pesapane points out that as a member of the SGA and RHA, he understands the particulars of the judicial process on campus and argues that Salve is being wasteful with RAs for the upper-classmen. “I know my RA very well and I’m good friends with her, but I think Salve is wasting its money. Security could easily swing by the apartments at 8 p.m. every night and do the same thing my RA does,” said Pesapane. “There is no appeals process either. The AC passes the final judgment, and I think there should be a student court involving students, faculty and staff.” Pham does not see Salve Regina changing any of its policies anytime soon. “It’s easier to deal with students at a dry campus and there are plenty of places for 21-year-olds to go off campus to drink,” Pham said. “We don’t need to be a wet campus. Most of the students that can legally drink live off campus anyways.” Student Suggestions/Concerns Pham recommends that if students are interested in changing things in their living situation they can go to the Resident Hall Association meetings. “Students who have concerns can go to the RHA meetings and can state their feelings about what is going on in the dorms–they have area wrap meetings which discuss everything from toilet paper to parking lines,” Pham said. “Policies like alcohol and visitation in the dorms is not something that we can change. That’s up to the administration.”
