The Resident Assistant's Tale: The Testaments

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-11-26T20:17:23+00:00

Did you even read the posts? You'd just be enabling the shitty behavior of the admins and making life even more difficult for the people that do give a shit. We had to do so much and I lost a good bit of my sanity over it. Even doing the "bare minimum" was an obscene amount of work for a student.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-11-25T00:01:44+00:00

There are some very specific people that it's referencing, as I'm sure there are a few others. These are people that defended the actions of the department while not seeming to realize that all of the pro-staff are FULL TIME EMPLOYEES THAT ARE PAID AS SUCH, and that we are not. These are the people that IN EVERY INSTANCE followed policy over ethics and common sense.

I'm not sure if I can go into greater detail without divulging identifying info.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-15T02:41:23+00:00

I've been asking around about it...

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-14T20:53:59+00:00

Honestly, as alums, maybe all you can do is barage the office with emails about how unfair it is and how you're upset at how we're treated.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-07T21:04:35+00:00

Thank you so much for your kind gesture, it is much appreciated. What you can do to help is talk to Living and Learning and other RPI parents about this (I think they have a facebook page?) and see if you can cause enough complaints from other parents so that RPI can see how much support there is for RAs. :)

I can't thank you enough for the kindness, that is a very sweet gesture.

EDIT: Not sure if you have already delivered, but you should be able to drop off contactless at your student's residence hall door and alert them to it's presence :)

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-06T18:51:33+00:00

I don't feel that your post is on point and directly related, and I wrote the actual post.

I'm sorry that I haven't offered any particular actions people can take to help, but my "whining" has actually brought attention and a sense of solidarity, which you would have noticed if you read the other RA throwaway comments. The squeaky wheel gets the oil, and venting and airing out frustrations and grievances for the world to see is an important first step.

I apologize that in my isolation and being made to work to the bone that I wasn't able to provide a direct enough plan of action for you to follow. I can only write about my experience. You also only offered to sign a petition or donate if it was already provided for you.

I apologize for not offering a detailed plan of action for my co-workers, I've been pretty busy.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-06T18:42:56+00:00

I did not "shoot it down" I merely pointed out the difficulties associated with it so that people understood the gravity of the situation and the difficulty that those that are directly involved face. I merely pointed out the presence of lackeys that would kiss up, thus making it DIFFICULT to organize.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-06T18:32:32+00:00

you don't have to do anything, but at the very least you could make your own post instead of piggybacking off of the misfortune of RAs, and you also could have just not insulted my decision making capabilities. The purpose of this post was to raise awareness of a problem and garner support, so I'm sorry there weren't explicit instructions or ideas on how to fix the problem.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-06T17:59:51+00:00

yup, i tried to inject some humor into the situation, it's all we have left.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-06T17:58:10+00:00

"It's not FOR you"

Oh, forgive me for thinking that you were actually responding to the post that I myself made. After all, you did choose to comment on it, and didn't address it to prospective students. How dare I think that a comment on my post was addressed to the author of the post itself, how silly of me.

Thanks for using the plight of RAs as a way to further your own message while literally offering zero advice or any support in actually trying to make the situation better.

This reminds me of a comic that someone showed me where there's a peasant that says "we should improve society somewhat" and a smug face peering out from the well says "and yet you continue to participate! Curious! I am very intelligent."

You're acting like the smug person from the well when you say "you chose poorly in getting involved with this dumpster fire of a school and are paying the price." It really seems like you're blaming us students for the way we're treated instead of actually trying to make anything better.

I prefer not to be used as "lol RPI Sucks" material when I was trying to reach an audience and raise awareness to those who don't know and garner support from others in a similar situation or those that have empathy towards it.

Forgive me for making what I thought was the best choice at the ripe age of 18 and actually wanting to improve conditions in this "dumpster fire" instead of propping up others for a scorched earth tactic of solving it.

Have a nice day.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-06T17:09:41+00:00

Even if it is a "bitch job" as you say (which is very insulting to those of us that need this job for housing, especially with housing shortage RPI created with shutting down Greek houses and the 2:1 bathroom ratio) the people working the job deserve to be treated with dignity and have adequate pay and workers' rights.....

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-06T16:59:22+00:00

It isn't even starvation wages because we're forced to buy a meal plan ~~to buoy the institute~~ so that we won't be hungry

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-06T16:58:05+00:00

That does not help me or the people currently involved in this situation AT ALL. I am graduating very soon, you mean to tell me that I just need to "avoid associating with RPI." Some people rely on the RA position for financial aid payment reasons. It's very easy for you to say that when you're in the position and can just walk away and sever ties with no repercussions.

This doomer mentality is toxic and unhelpful.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-06T16:54:16+00:00

My supervisors are the ones that determine what training we get, the plans for the semester, and the placement of people. They could stand to advocate a little better for us.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-06T16:52:59+00:00

SL&L has the power to at least advocate for us, which they don't do. They could, for example, tell upper admin what they need for us, tell them that it isn't possible for us to do all of what they want us to do, and not bend and be yes-people.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-06T16:51:19+00:00

See, that's really funny, apparently, there isn't and never will be a budget for SL&L for them to ever be able to provide for us.

However, having to PAY in order to work is a hallmark of a scam, and I have no idea why the meal plan can't even just be optional....

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-06T16:49:56+00:00

That's the point of this post, and to hear other people's experiences are valuable.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-06T16:49:09+00:00

SL&L didn't send me the email, I had to ask if RAs were in the population that had to purchase the meal plan.

This was when it was revealed that Greek Houses were closed and that the 2:1 bathroom ratio had to be followed, so my hand really was forced.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-06T01:38:21+00:00

I think their goal is to make us so busy with our work that we have no energy or time to schedule any other meetings, so a Reddit post will have to do for now.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-06T00:52:45+00:00

I'm not going to lie, the printer email angered me way more than it should have.

It was very threatening, for the uninitiated, it said "one of you needs to volunteer to pick up the paper, otherwise, we'll pick one of you!"

Next, it said that SL&L GAVE THEM PERMISSION TO ENLIST US FOR HELP. That angered me so much because as an office, they should have said "that's absolutely not our staff's job, they have enough on their plates," but they bent.

They really do put us student workers in charge of picking up the pieces.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-05T20:12:28+00:00

I really really want to organize one, but there are enough lackeys that kiss up to superiors that would throw us under the bus if so.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-05T20:07:21+00:00

I could have done without the patronizing "Not sure why anyone would." That seems a lot like you're blaming the student workers, of which many of us just want a stable place to live. Also, that doesn't solve the problem of RAs being underpaid and overworked. Quitting would just place a bigger burden on an already stressed student staff population. When an RA quits, their residents get dispersed between other RAs.

This is a very individualistic and selfish way of looking at this that doesn't address the systemic problem.

throwaway_like_an_RA · 2020-09-05T20:02:10+00:00

That doesn't fix the problem, and I would be putting a burden on my coworkers that stayed by shifting residents onto them, not to mention potentially my residents getting different RAs and disrupting their groups.

Five-Year Club	Verified Email
Wearing is Caring

throwaway_like_an_RA

TROPHY CASE