RA strives to make her floor feel included

RAs definitely have a lot of responsibilities when it comes to their residents, but they also want to have personal connections to the students on their floors, hoping to allow them to relax and have fun once in a while. 

RA Lily Redman, a junior in the College of Nursing, put together a painting night for her residents on the fifth floor in Deglman Hall this past Sunday. 

When asked why she chose painting, Redman, “[I] picked the painting program because it is a fun, interactive way to relax. I feel like the Sunday scaries are a very prominent thing in college, so it was nice to have an outlet where we could all escape for an hour or two”. 

Redman grabbed the painting supplies and reserved the Deglman basement for a little while, even making a painting herself. Instead of feeling like a babysitter or a teacher, Redman engaged with her residents to make sure that everyone knows that she is an RA and a friend. 

The painting program was a success and Kaitlyn Hunt, one of the fifth floor’s residents in the College of Nursing, shared that painting was, “a great stress reliever and a fun way to socialize!”. Her painting of stars turned out great, definitely a project to put up on a dorm wall. 

Another resident, Kristin Clemons, said “it was a nice distraction from all the stress”. Sunday night was the perfect time for a program like this; winding down after prepping for the new week is exactly what anyone would need. Being able to express creativity was welcomed before another week of class.