"Um, I'm An RA ..."
09/02/08 09:11 PM Filed in: Academia
While we
understand impersonating an RA is a demeritable
offense here at Cedarville University (dishonesty),
it’s rather tempting. After all, how hard can it
really be? My roommate and I have established that,
in order to portray yourself as an RA, all you really
have to do is awkwardly introduce yourself to a
stranger in the following manner:
“Um, I’m an RA ...” And continue on stating the demerit worthy offense being committed.
So, here’s my question to you. What’s wrong with you? It should really be the Engineers and Computer Science majors that have difficulty establishing friendships and socializing with people at a normal level, but it appears as though the RAs are the most socially awkward people on this campus. Generally speaking, when I feel the urge to introduce myself to a stranger sleeping in front of me in chapel, someone who just blurted the f-bomb in the hall, or a girl in a hauntingly low shirt, I extend the hand of friendship and start with something like, “Hi, my name is Alex.”
Where I’m from, the proper, polite way to introduce yourself to a stranger is with your name, not your job description. You don’t see me walking up to people and saying, “Hi, I attend Cedarville University,” or, “Hi, I’m a Lab Assistant.” Say I’m in a situation where someone needs to know my title. For instance, I’m in the lab and someone is struggling. Here’s how I would construct my introductory sentence: “Hi, my name is Alex, and I’m a Lab Assistant here. May I help you?” See? I first establish my name before constructing the remainder of my identity for you. We don’t want to let the entire cat out of the bag all at once.
Honestly, RAs would be so much more amicable if they would make an effort to get to know us before demeriting us. I believe I speak for the whole when I say it’s hard for me to respect someone who’s completely rude to me. After all, in confronting me, you’re asking for my respect. And, since I am another human being of the same age (if not older) as yourself, it would make sense that you too would show me a bit of respect.
On top of that, RAs need to seriously understand where their jurisdiction begins and ends--the school and the Handbook. (Also, the sooner you get off your power trip, the better.) You aren’t asked to enforce local law, and you aren’t asked to elaborate on the Handbook. Meaning, if it doesn’t specifically state something in the Handbook, you don’t need to make up a rule for it simply because you’re uncomfortable. Before awkwardly stepping forward and announcing to the crowd, “Um, I’m an RA ...” think to yourself: is anyone getting hurt? Is school property actually being damaged? Are moral laws being broken? If the answer to all of these questions is “no” and it’s just your own personal preferences and/or convictions being disrupted, you need to keep silent. (Unless you want to be part of a hazing ...)
Notice I didn’t actually mention anything about the Handbook. See, it’s more a set of guidelines, and this is understood by the entire student body and administration. Please understand that, yes, technically speaking, guys aren’t allowed to wear pony tails or nail polish and, technically speaking, no one is allowed to wear any form of denim (blue, black, green, or otherwise) according to the Student Handbook. But does anyone enforce this? Should anyone enforce this like a nazi? No. Actually, Dr. Brown poked fun at this fact last year in chapel, pointing out the ironic fact that our RAs let people get away with wearing green jeans but not blue jeans, even though both would technically be prohibited by the handbook. Heck, Dr. Brown’s favorite movie is V for Vendetta, an R-rated movie that is not on our list of approved movies.
Last night, Caitlin, Dave, and I were on the way back from the Labor Day fireworks when, out of the darkness, several water balloons splashed on the sidewalk ahead of us. A few more hit the people walking near us. We veered slightly off the sidewalk in order to avoid the water balloons, but we were walking in a large clump of other people (and we didn’t know them). We were also not even close to school property. The water balloons were coming from behind a wooden fence that enclosed someone’s house. Turns out there was an RA in the group ahead of us who was not happy with the water balloon throwing (do I even need to mention that it was a girl?). “Should I go back and talk to them?” She asked the other members of her group. They encouraged her to do so, so she turned around and stated, “Yah, I’m gonna go talk to them.” Dave and I (rather loudly) retorted our complaints on the matter, announcing that she should just leave the pedestrians alone. That, my friend, is just ridiculous. A water balloon? In downtown Cedarville, off campus? Thrown by a shadowed figure behind a white fence enclosing private property? That’s none of your business.
RAs need to understand that their job is exactly what our RD told us; to protect us, not to make enemies of us. Turns out you’re actually students here too. Yes, above us to protect us, but you don’t need to remind us of that fact unless circumstances require it.
Just to clear things up, I haven’t gotten any demerits recently, I’ve just been observing this, and the incident last night especially annoyed me. I don’t have a problem being rebuked for an immature action when it’s done in love or actual concern for my well-being. But when it’s done simply because you realize, “Hey, I have power over this situation, and that person is annoying me,” that’s where it just gets unnecessary and annoying. You could attempt to actually make an effort to introduce yourself before smacking us with “Um, I’m an RA ...” We don’t bite. No need to be afraid. And, honestly, it’s the job you signed up for. The job to protect us. Not the job to reprimand us.
“Um, I’m an RA ...” And continue on stating the demerit worthy offense being committed.
So, here’s my question to you. What’s wrong with you? It should really be the Engineers and Computer Science majors that have difficulty establishing friendships and socializing with people at a normal level, but it appears as though the RAs are the most socially awkward people on this campus. Generally speaking, when I feel the urge to introduce myself to a stranger sleeping in front of me in chapel, someone who just blurted the f-bomb in the hall, or a girl in a hauntingly low shirt, I extend the hand of friendship and start with something like, “Hi, my name is Alex.”
Where I’m from, the proper, polite way to introduce yourself to a stranger is with your name, not your job description. You don’t see me walking up to people and saying, “Hi, I attend Cedarville University,” or, “Hi, I’m a Lab Assistant.” Say I’m in a situation where someone needs to know my title. For instance, I’m in the lab and someone is struggling. Here’s how I would construct my introductory sentence: “Hi, my name is Alex, and I’m a Lab Assistant here. May I help you?” See? I first establish my name before constructing the remainder of my identity for you. We don’t want to let the entire cat out of the bag all at once.
Honestly, RAs would be so much more amicable if they would make an effort to get to know us before demeriting us. I believe I speak for the whole when I say it’s hard for me to respect someone who’s completely rude to me. After all, in confronting me, you’re asking for my respect. And, since I am another human being of the same age (if not older) as yourself, it would make sense that you too would show me a bit of respect.
On top of that, RAs need to seriously understand where their jurisdiction begins and ends--the school and the Handbook. (Also, the sooner you get off your power trip, the better.) You aren’t asked to enforce local law, and you aren’t asked to elaborate on the Handbook. Meaning, if it doesn’t specifically state something in the Handbook, you don’t need to make up a rule for it simply because you’re uncomfortable. Before awkwardly stepping forward and announcing to the crowd, “Um, I’m an RA ...” think to yourself: is anyone getting hurt? Is school property actually being damaged? Are moral laws being broken? If the answer to all of these questions is “no” and it’s just your own personal preferences and/or convictions being disrupted, you need to keep silent. (Unless you want to be part of a hazing ...)
Notice I didn’t actually mention anything about the Handbook. See, it’s more a set of guidelines, and this is understood by the entire student body and administration. Please understand that, yes, technically speaking, guys aren’t allowed to wear pony tails or nail polish and, technically speaking, no one is allowed to wear any form of denim (blue, black, green, or otherwise) according to the Student Handbook. But does anyone enforce this? Should anyone enforce this like a nazi? No. Actually, Dr. Brown poked fun at this fact last year in chapel, pointing out the ironic fact that our RAs let people get away with wearing green jeans but not blue jeans, even though both would technically be prohibited by the handbook. Heck, Dr. Brown’s favorite movie is V for Vendetta, an R-rated movie that is not on our list of approved movies.
Last night, Caitlin, Dave, and I were on the way back from the Labor Day fireworks when, out of the darkness, several water balloons splashed on the sidewalk ahead of us. A few more hit the people walking near us. We veered slightly off the sidewalk in order to avoid the water balloons, but we were walking in a large clump of other people (and we didn’t know them). We were also not even close to school property. The water balloons were coming from behind a wooden fence that enclosed someone’s house. Turns out there was an RA in the group ahead of us who was not happy with the water balloon throwing (do I even need to mention that it was a girl?). “Should I go back and talk to them?” She asked the other members of her group. They encouraged her to do so, so she turned around and stated, “Yah, I’m gonna go talk to them.” Dave and I (rather loudly) retorted our complaints on the matter, announcing that she should just leave the pedestrians alone. That, my friend, is just ridiculous. A water balloon? In downtown Cedarville, off campus? Thrown by a shadowed figure behind a white fence enclosing private property? That’s none of your business.
RAs need to understand that their job is exactly what our RD told us; to protect us, not to make enemies of us. Turns out you’re actually students here too. Yes, above us to protect us, but you don’t need to remind us of that fact unless circumstances require it.
Just to clear things up, I haven’t gotten any demerits recently, I’ve just been observing this, and the incident last night especially annoyed me. I don’t have a problem being rebuked for an immature action when it’s done in love or actual concern for my well-being. But when it’s done simply because you realize, “Hey, I have power over this situation, and that person is annoying me,” that’s where it just gets unnecessary and annoying. You could attempt to actually make an effort to introduce yourself before smacking us with “Um, I’m an RA ...” We don’t bite. No need to be afraid. And, honestly, it’s the job you signed up for. The job to protect us. Not the job to reprimand us.