RAs are Crucial Leaders at Cedarville University 

By Anna Harman

There are many important leadership roles that exist across Cedarville’s campus. Among these roles are the Resident Assistants (RA). Students placed in RA positions serve as spiritual leaders and disciplers for their dorms. 

One of the RAs of Willets, junior Emma Litchfield said as an RA, it’s important for people to respect the rules set in place and also to have a good heart posture behind it. 

“Getting to know the girls in my hall is my favorite thing about being an RA,” Litchfield said. “I love seeing how God is working in their lives. I also love the RA team at Willetts.”

In the past, she has loved how relaxed her RAs have been. They were always there for the hall, but she let them figure things out on their own as well. She really appreciated how she was given space to grow while also knowing her RA supported her the whole way.  

“I am wicked excited to see how God uses the relationships my girls built through the hall and how it will impact the rest of their college experience. I’m also excited about the hall Galentine’s party we’re going to have next month,” Litchfield said. 

Senior Marketing Major, Summer Gray has a very busy schedule as an RA. She goes to weekly RA meetings, handles roommate disputes, plans events for the dorm, helps with checking in and checking out of the dorms, putting in maintenance requests, making the chore chart, and sending out messages to the units as needed. 

“I really enjoy the community of RAs and that the RD, Nicole Alexander is always there not only for dorm things but for personal matters,” Gray said. 

Before she was an RA, Summer roomed with two different RAs throughout her time at Cedarville. That was part of what prepared her to successfully take on this role. 

Some of her favorite qualities in past RAs have been having a sense of humor, motivating the hall to get involved, and being willing to have fun. These qualities in her RAs positively impacted her experience as a student. 

One thing RAs get to do is help plan events for their halls or units. Jenkins recently hosted a Just Dance event where girls met and played the nostalgic video game together. This is just one example of some of the events hosted for students!

“I’m really excited for the Galentines Day event we are hosting in our unit. Girls from Murphy can come too and I think the girls are excited to see what an upperclassman dorm is like. It’s gonna be a nice community thing,” said Gray. 

RAs can be a great resource for students who need discipleship, a mediator when solving a problem with a friend or roommate, someone to eat a meal with, or even just an ear to listen when you are going through hard times. Cedarville has chosen godly, loving women and men that want to be there for students in their hall or units. 

RA applications are open now and close on January 31st. 

Anna Harman is a senior Christian Education major and also a reporter for Cedars. She appreciates writing, children’s ministry, flowers, and going to concerts.

Photo provided by Summer Gray. Pictured is a group of RAs from Jenkins, Murphy, Walker, Rickard, and West.