This past semester was my first ever as an RA. Luckily for me, I got assigned to an all Freshman hall. After surviving the mad house of check-ins, I called in for my first night of duty. At my school, we must sit desk hours from 7 to 9pm. At nine, we do our first set of rounds. Sitting in the lobby, I am able to see everyone who enters and exits the building. I notice a girl walk in with a friend of hers who is one of my residents. She is wearing brightly colored duct tape rolls on her arms. I thought nothing of it, other than she was creative and wore duct tape as bracelets…
At about 8:30, I am on my laptop scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed when I notice that one of my resident’s, who I became friends with earlier, had posted a picture she had taken in a very familiar looking place. When I clicked on the picture, I noticed that it was taken in our hall on the 3rd floor, which is ironically enough my floor. The picture was of a girl, that had been duct taped to the wall in the hallway with brightly colored duct tape… needless to say, I’m sure we all know who the girl is. I decide that it’s time to do rounds a bit early tonight. I close up the office and walk upstairs to the 3rd floor, and what do I find? A girl, suspended from the wall with duct tape. Brightly colored duct tape.
After getting myself back together from laughing hysterically, I proceed to tell my residents to “take her off of the wall. She isn’t a picture frame.”. I turn to walk away as I hear my residents literally pry this girl off of the wall. Great start to my first year.
Kyle D. Thompson, Resident Assistant, Austin Peay State University