"The first step to building community in the residence hall," said Nick Roberge, a Resident Advisor (RA) on campus, "is bringing people together. You can't have a good community until everyone knows each other well."
How do you accomplish that amid hectic class and practice schedules, study time and social lives? "First, you have to be sensitive to the personality of the residence hall," said Nick. "There's a variety of places to live on campus, and each one has its own unique atmosphere. Then, the trick is to plan a lot of small, fun activities -- spontaneity helps a lot, too," he said.
For example, the discussion groups and career workshops Nick has organized have been well attended, last year's "black light" dance party was definitely a big hit, and the pizza parties tend to bring people out of the woodwork. "The best event ever, though," says Nick, "was our dorm-wide snowball fight last winter."
"I love winter," said Nick, "so I always celebrate the first big snowfall." For Nick, that means donning beach attire and playing in the snow. "It was December, and I was running around in a bathing suit and tank top, banging on doors telling people to take a break from studying and go outside," he said. "Since it was just a week before final exams, I figured everyone would need some stress relief." Apparently, everyone did, because Nick soon had hundreds of fellow students following him out into the snow for what may go down in history as the largest Hamilton snowball fight ever.
Of course, being an RA isn't just about fun and games. "Sure, we do have to enforce the rules," he said, "but being an RA is not about being a policeman or a parent -- it's really about being a friend to your advisees. To do that, you have to create a living environment that's comfortable and fun for everyone."
