More Than a Community Assistant
Emily Boilard
Contributing Writer
It’s that time of the semester where many students are gearing up to apply to be a Community Assistant (CA) in the dorms. Being a CA is so much more than answering noise complaints or answering students’ questions. Being a CA means creating a home for students who live in the dorms. Not only are the CAs taking care of the floor they reside on plus the whole building when it’s their shift, they are also full-time students themselves. This means each CA is dealing with the stress and responsibility that comes with the job as well as dealing with normal college student stressors.
There are heavy responsibilities for CAs as well. In each bathroom, there is a list of emergency services that students may contact if they are struggling or or if they need assistance and one of those contacts is a CA. This means that they may be contacted in serious situations as well. In order to even become a CA on campus, the student must be in good academic standing.
In each building, there is at least one CA on each floor with a rotating “on duty” schedule. As students are entering their residence halls in the evenings, they will see their CAs in the front office, available to speak to. CAs are required to be in the office by 8 p.m. and are technically on duty throughout the night. Students may call the CA in the evenings through calling the duty phone for assistance or with questions they may have.
The interviewing process can be grueling and UMF junior David Musabwa, CA in Purington, gave his opinion on the matter:
“I interviewed before this and I didn’t get it,” he explained. Interviewing for the position is just as important as any other job interview and it is crucial to show the best version of yourself, while still remaining honest.
“I would say make sure you have the requirements you need. Another thing is don’t make it about the money and be honest,” Musabwa said.
There are many reasons for students to want to be CAs on campus. It may look good on a future resume, it might give experience with people skills, or could even be a way to occupy an abundance of free time.
“I wanted to increase my leadership skills. Also, I’ve dealt with some stuff in my life, so I feel like I can help people. Plus, there is free room and board, but that shouldn’t be the only reason,” Musabwa said regarding his desire to be a CA.
Since this is a time where people may be pondering the idea of becoming a CA in the residence halls on campus, Musabwa narrated the positive pieces of the job:
“It keeps you busy and out of trouble. I’m focusing more on my classes than I did in the past.”
Being a CA can be daunting as it seems like it might be a lot of work, but it may help with future endeavors.
“We do programming, go to meetings, and check on the people on the floors,” Musabwa said.
Being a CA at UMF comes with a lot of responsibilities, but proves to be a positive and rewarding experience.
