Always in Your Corner

Move in Day for freshman in Eastman Living Center , August 2013.

Eastman RAs greeting the Class of 2017 in August 2013: Top row, left to right: Alexa Tarantino, Mary Baron, Micah Gharavi, Nick German, Alina Jeon, Calvin Chan. Bottom row: Eric Metzgar, Andrew Psarris, Rachel Beninghof, Melissa Zgouridi.

One of the most interesting things I have done at Eastman was participating in Eastman Residential Life as an RA – a member of the Residential Adviser Staff. I was on the staff for two years, and saw the baton pass on from the longtime Associate Dean for Residential Life, Linda Muise, to the current director, Kellie Leigh.

When I was a sophomore, I was encouraged by Linda to try out to be an RA. The process of application is long and grueling. Round One includes sending in a resume, cover letter, and four essays answering various questions. After this, there is an interview with all 12 current RAs together in a room, which can be daunting. The final round is an interview with the director of residential life, the head RA, and various other deans from the administration. Greeted with a warm hug from Linda, I was told that I had made it at the end of my sophomore year.

The subsequent summer, I was full of anticipation. As soon as I got to school I was greeted by the staff as if I was a member of the family—because I was. Throughout the year, we faced many trials as a staff. Being an RA can sometimes be difficult. Three times a month you are on call, which means you have to be in the dorms with the RA cell phone, ready to respond to any situation or issue that may arise. There are a spectrum of issues which we must deal with, most of which we are trained for, but occasionally we need to use our imaginations.

The greatest thing about being an RA, however, isn’t enforcing the rules, or being on call: it’s being a part of another family of people. People who always have your back no matter what happens; others you can count on to help you out in a bind. The person who created the environment where this altruism can flourish was Linda Muise.

I remember Linda as the first person who greeted me after moving into the dorms. She touched the lives of all who came through the dorms. I have never felt so loved by someone who wasn’t in my own family. When you spoke with her she made you feel like all her attention was turned to you. She taught all of us RAs how to become a family, and love each other. Her effect on the dorms and the people in it can still be felt to this day. My mom said it best when we were moving in: “That lady is incredibly kind, she will always be in your corner.”

After Linda retired we got the opportunity to work with Kellie Leigh, who, like Linda, has had a profoundly positive effect on the people of the dorms in her short time here.

There is perhaps no better way to serve the Eastman community and students then to be a Resident Adviser. Instantly there is conferred upon you the authority to change lives. I welcomed 80 residents to my halls in my two years being an RA, and I hope that each one of them is better than they were before they came to the dorms. From Linda and Kellie to me to them, the resident adviser’s greatest goal is to help create a community that we all want to be a part of. I am extremely happy to have had this experience for the past two years and will miss everyone involved in the years to come.

Andrew Psarris ‘15

Move in Day for freshman in Eastman Living Center , August 2013.