Residents play video games in Roe Hall

Residents play video games in Roe Hall

By Baylul Alem, The Whetstone

Student Affairs and Residence Life requires every RA to do a minimum of three program events with their residents.

Evan Le’Mon, a junior RA in Roe Hall and president of the Black Student Union, said his job is to figure out what events to hold.

“The last event I did was when I co-sponsored a video tournament with Ryan Shilling (Roe’s senior RA), which took place in the main lobby area of Roe Hall,” he said.

The program events provide students a way to build a community, Le’Mon said.

“I also have taken my residents to a Black Student Union event, and also held a ping pong tournament in the Underground,” he said.

Sophomore RA Mercedes Myrick in Roe Hall said she has done a yoga and coloring event.

Some RA’s invite other dorm buildings or merge with other floors in their own dorm.

“We did a psychological event and twister event over the small break last week and about 10 people showed up from my floor the honors hall wing,” Myrick said.

A few other RA’s hold pizza parties, and play Super Smash Bros., a video game tournament.

“Two weeks ago on a snow day, I had a study session event that a few of my residents showed up to,” said Alyssa Watson, a sophomore in Roe Hall. “The event kept them occupied and involved although it was last minute.”

Although it is a requirement for RA’s to plan events, all said they enjoy doing it and having a positive turnout.

Watson said her residents in Roe made Valentine’s Day cards for a nursing home where another RA works.

Preparation for the video game tournaments takes about 6-8 hours because of all the work that needs to be done.

“The first video game tournament I hosted was a trial run and about 20 people showed up and played the game,” said junior Ryan Shilling, a senior RA in Roe Hall. “My residents continuously ask me to host another one. The second time I hosted the event, I ended up combining the first floor with the third floor on the east side.”

Shilling said it was a big turnout and that he did it as a de-stresser for exam week and had prizes available for the first, second and third-place winners.