Stephanie Steiner | Co-Editor-in-Chief

Being a Resident Assistant (RA) at Buena Vista University (BVU) is no simple task, but senior Blake Laursen has been given the ultimate challenge: being an RA in BVU’s rowdiest suite, McCorkle, after first being an RA in the freshman dorms, Pierce/White.

Blake Laursen is in his second year being an RA. As a junior, he learned that being an RA in Pierce/White requires a lot of work simply because it’s where a majority of first-year students live, and often the freshman have questions about policies and various campus information. For this reason, Laursen was very active and always in his room available to be of assistance to them. But in his senior year as an RA, Laursen was placed in McCorkle, a suite building where upperclassman students live.

McCorkle is often known to have a rambunctious reputation.

“McCorkle can be a little loud sometimes and it can get a little crazy on the weekends, but my Resident Hall Director (RHD) and Community Coordinator, Bonnie Keller, assured that I could handle the position,” Laursen said. “They [the residents] aren’t afraid to break the rules and they think they can get away with them, so you just have to stand your ground and for that reason it’s a little more difficult.”

Although Laursen said it was not exactly his first choice to be an RA in McCorkle, he has been able to make connections with his residents and has worked hard all semester to balance the authority figure and friend role with his peers.

“I am getting paid to do a job, and if I do have to write them up, I straight out at the beginning of the year have that talk with them and say, ‘Hey, if something ever does happen, I have to write you up and I hope you understand that,'” Laursen said.

Despite the challenges he has been faced with during his time as an RA, this position has helped Laursen come out of his shell and has allowed him to make many friends, including residents and fellow RAs.

“That’s definitely something that I’ll miss, the connections that I made while being an RA,” Laursen said.

Photos + Video by Stephanie Steiner