Tanasia Brigman
palmettoreport@gmail.com

(Rock Hill, S.C.) – Living on campus can present some challenges for some students, but the resident assistants (RA) often work to help improve each student’s campus experience and keep the residence halls running.

RAs are undergraduate students who are assigned a floor in each residence hall and they are trained to help students adjust to living in a dorm.

According to the Winthrop University website, RAs are “resource people who provide programs, promote a community atmosphere on the hall and enforce policies.”

Ariah Massey, a first year resident assistant in Lee Wicker Hall, has helped host a few events for the dorm this semester.

“One thing that RAs do every month is they do programs for their residents to help them get acclimated and help them recognize the different residents on the floor and connect,” said Massey.

According to Airam Perez, a junior at Winthrop, the RAs have been a big part of her college experience.

“When I was a freshman, I went to the different programs and activities my RAs had planned; this is how I got to know the people on my hall,” said Perez.

The resident assistants also host events throughout the year, including hall socials, Super Bowl parties and information sessions about resources available on campus.

Massey said these programs are just few ways to help make the students residents feel at home.

“It’s just a way for the residents to see the RAs face every month and know that they’re still there and that they’re always someone they can come to (for help),” said Massey.