For Parents
Parent newsletter
Past Articles
Life
as a Reed house adviser
(or a white blood cell)
By Josh Roberts ’05
When I was asked to write about what it is like to be a house adviser and describe what exactly it is that HAs do, my mind immediately leapt (for whatever reason) to the body’s lymphatic system. And I’m not even a bio major, so there must be something to that.
If residence life at Reed is the lymphatic system, then HAs would have to be white blood cells. We are sent by our lymph nodes (the resident advisers) strategically around the Reed campus, usually two to a dorm, to keep an eye out for regular ol’ Reedie cells in need of a little support and protection, and to do what we can to keep them happy and healthy and in circulation at Reed. And part of our job is to do that without all of the iron-fisted, “where’s your hall pass, don’t let me catch you out of line” policy enforcement that white blood cells do at other schools. It’s more like warm milk before bed, and cry on my shoulder, and study breaks with snacks.
To that end, we get to school about a week and a half before orientation week to cohere as a staff (after all, what kind of white blood cells don’t work together as a group?), to talk about how to create a dorm environment where a healthy community can thrive, and to learn how we can respond to situations that require more than just warm milk or a study break. We cover roommate conflicts, sexual harassment and assault, campus safety, health and counseling services, fire extinguisher practice, student service resources, alcohol and other drugs, sexual health and safety, depression and other mental disorders, (trans)gender issues, assertiveness, diversity awareness and appreciation, residence life policies, the honor principle, activity planning, behavior intervention, and perhaps most importantly, active listening. We also get occasional snack breaks, and we make name signs for our dormies’ rooms.
If there are parents who are disappointed about a philosophy saying
people will do better in school and in life when they have a friend and not a parole officer,
I haven’t met any.
Most are glad to know that someone is watching over their kids with their well-being in mind
instead of a rule book in hand.
Because of that, being an HA is something I’m not sure I’d be able to do—or interested in doing—at another school. I really get to know, befriend, and advise my residents, and enjoy the contribution that every member of a floor makes to the community. For me, that has been the most powerful part of being a white blood cell at Reed.
Josh Roberts is a junior from Danville, California. He is majoring in theatre–music.
