Olds Year Two: RA Edition
Written by Emma McCormick
I spent my first year at Hillsdale living in Olds Dormitory and experienced connected community, loving friends, and vibrant social outlets there. I wanted to continue that experience and share it with the incoming freshmen. That is why this year I am a Resident Assistant in Olds.
The excitement of returning to Olds that I had looked forward to all summer finally arrived as we greeted the strangers—who have since become friends—on move-in day and helped unpack cars, move boxes, and loft beds. I was more excited to help the freshmen move than when I moved to college for the first time. I knew what to expect and was there to help them through it.
That night, all of the RAs formally introduced ourselves to the entire dorm and met with our halls. Over the next week, we quickly got to know the girls better.
People know Olds for different reasons: one is the community; the other is the actual shape of the building. Believe it or not, these two aspects of the dorm are related. There is only one entrance, so we get the chance to see everyone as we go about our days. I love it when it is my turn to sit desk. Although it is part of my job, and I am there to monitor the lobby, I also get to chat with everyone who comes through the door. The relationships we are developing are ones that have the potential to last a lifetime.
My experience as an RA so far has been rewarding. The RA team in Olds is made up of eight girls: seven sophomores and one junior. All of our personalities, backgrounds, and strengths are different, which allows us to create a dynamic environment in which we support one another as we support our girls. But I am also realizing that though I am here for the girls in my dorm whenever and wherever I can be, they are also here for me. Without them, Olds would not be the wonderful place that it is.
As the freshmen settle in more and more and adjust to college and living together, we continue to have opportunities to enjoy one another’s company and develop relationships. Be it cheering at football games, cooking in the Olds kitchen, playing beach volleyball, going to church together, practicing for IM football, or preparing for homecoming, I am blessed to have a second year in Olds.
Emma McCormick, ’19, is an economics major from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where she loves to get outside to hike, camp, and ski. She started the Outdoor Adventures Club to try to keep that up in Hillsdale. She is the Public Relations officer of Praxis, and an RA in Olds Dorm. When she isn’t studying, or working at AJ’s, you might find her outside running.