Moving away to college, living on campus and rooming with a stranger — or two or three — for the first time is a long-standing right of passage from adolescence to adulthood. Newly-minted arrivals learn to navigate interpersonal relationships, classes and a new living environment.
This semester, the transition is more unique—and perhaps more stressful—than ever. With the exception of Centennial Hall and Buccaneer Ridge, on-campus housing now allows only one student per dorm room for safety reasons.
This separation can cause feelings of loneliness, isolation and even depression. Traditionally, resident advisors plan and host numerous community-building events for their housing residents throughout the semester. This semester, in-person events and social gatherings simply are not feasible.
However, the community is still strengthened by socially-distanced and virtual means.
“Today we hung up little posters about what they’re proud of this week,” said Rebecca Eubanks, an RA in Centennial Hall. “I just like to keep that connection even though I don’t see them as often.”
Eubanks loves staying in touch with the students in Centennial.
“I love being an RA because of the connections I can make with my residents,” Eubanks said.
She goes on to describe her hall as a family.
“I feel like a parenting figure for them because no matter if they’re a senior to a freshman, I want them to succeed,” Eubanks said. “I want them to do amazing.”
Cheyenne Hawkins, an RA for Carter, West and Luntsford Halls, labeled uncertainty as the biggest obstacle of the semester.
“Originally, we were going to have in-person training sessions,” said Hawkins, but the university announced the transition to remote instruction. “Everything switched to online, even just for our training.”
Although the quick shift in modality and frequently changing information created uncertainty for both students and RAs, Hawkins is satisfied with the steps that have been taken.
“I am comfortable with the policies we have in place right now,” she said. “And I’m grateful that housing is making those changes to keep us safe.”
