The new resident assistants have been chosen for next semester, ending a process that began in January.

When sorting through RA candidates, the evaluators look for “maturity, sound judgement, good communication skills and people who are outgoing,” said Tom McCabe, a resident assistant in Grant Towers South.

“We had to go through numerous interviews, group processes, and interactions with RA’s and other candidates,” said Lou DeCola, a freshman pre-business major who received a position for next fall.

“There was a mini-camp, an informational meeting, interviews with other RA’s, senior staff and the hall director and a couple of group processes,” said Richard Snell, a junior communications major who also received a position. After Spring Break there are training courses for the rest of the semester, he said.

“I had a long period of waiting,” said DeCola. “That was the worst part of the process. But now that it’s over, I find it very gratifying.”

One benefit of an RA job is that room and board costs are paid for the resident assistant. This affects summer plans for the new RA’s.

“There’s not so much pressure to make money now,” said Oly Ohlsen, a junior electrical engineer and technician major.

“Summer’s going to be a lot shorter,” said DeCola. “But it will be the first summer I’ll be looking forward to coming back to school.”

“I am quitting work early to come back to school for training,” said Snell. “Otherwise, it doesn’t change my summer plans.”

McCabe said some of the duties of being an RA include supervising 50 residents of a floor, enforcing the rules and regulations of the university and the hall, being on duty and making rounds at least two nights a week, attending and helping with planning on a committee and other things including judicial paperwork.

“I’ll have less time for rest and relaxation,” said Ohlsen. “But the work I do will be rewarding.”

“I expect to be busy,” said Snell. “You are on the job 24 hours a day.”

“My college life will be more regimented, and I’ll have less time for social activities,” said DeCola. “I feel it will help me meet more people and will enhance my personality as a professional.”

“You get to watch a floor develop into a community,” said McCabe. “And you get to facilitate in that development.”