Western RAs and AS Board speak out against injustices in residence halls
By Julia Berkman
As many students have seen on social media, an intense situation with Western’s ResLife policies regarding the treatment of Resident Advisors has finally reached a breaking point. After years of silent mistreatment, gag orders and being overworked and underpaid, Western’s RAs are banding together and speaking out. Their recent meeting with University Residences administrators has proven to be a platform upon which the RA movement can build its case.
We’ve all seen the facts and read the testimonials and grievances put out by the RAs. If not, the full website can be found at the following URL: TheRAsOfWWU.wixsite.com/liberated.
An important facet of this movement to consider is the RAs themselves. These are all hard-working and caring people who are genuinely trying to benefit their residents. As the saying goes… you don’t become an RA for the money.
In fact, RAs only make $35 every two weeks (without counting room and board as well as a meal plan). This isn’t enough for RAs to be able to eat off campus, buy supplies such as shampoo or tampons, or participate in any recreational activities. University Residences claims that the stipend puts their salary at minimum wage, but RAs insist that there is no way they work only 19 hours a week, as stipulated by Western’s Student Employment policies.
It was also frowned upon by the University Residences administration to take a second job in order to make ends meet. Now, after their meeting on April 17, admins have established that it is perfectly fine for RAs to work a second job.
However, this doesn’t at all address the fact that RAs are already working overtime in order to complete their own responsibilities. Picking up another job is not feasible for most RAs, who are also full time students with extracurriculars. Emily Gaston, an RA in Highland Hall, has been told before to quit her other obligations when she raised the issue of how overworked she was.
“They told me that if I was feeling overworked, I could stop playing sports, which is ridiculous,” she said. “Sports are my self-care; I shouldn’t have to stop doing something I love in order to support myself.”
Ben Morgan, another essential piece in the movement’s puzzle, began his outreach after questioning the stipend provided to RAs. He’s worked as an RA for three years. During that time, he’s brought up multiple issues to the University Residence administrators. However, that doesn’t mean that they listened. RAs have been raising issues for years surrounding their stipend, lack of sensitivity training, security, et cetera. In the past, those complaints were met with unsubstantial answers and no action.
“In my experience with bringing up issues, I felt like I was given fluff and anecdotal stories in their answers and well, they’re still not answering my questions,” said Morgan, “I’m not seeing any action taken. Hearing that there’s going to be progress, and then in my 3 years never actually seeing progress? That’s frustrating.”
So what changed now?
“When just one person speaks up, it doesn’t get out that someone has spoken up,” Morgan said. “What makes this so special is that when one person spoke up, someone across campus said ‘Hey, we’re dealing with the same stuff here’ and then all of the sudden these issues that we thought were just in one place are being raised all over. You’re hearing stories left and right, north campus and south.”
Among RA code is the phrase “talk up, not out.” This, in theory, ensures resident confidentiality. The issues brought up with RAs follow the chain of command upwards to the administration. Unfortunately, according to Fairhaven RA Melissa Luper, the chain is broken.
“When you can’t talk up, you have to start talking out,” Luper said. “We were dealing with problems we weren’t adequately equipped for. You feel guilty sending your residents to a broken system in order to fix their problems. They come back to us and we don’t have the time, energy, pay or training to help them.”
When Luper asked the administration why a resident had to keep living on the same floor as someone who had assaulted them, the response was minimal and often no action was taken. Luper said: “It’s just this awful cycle where they’re not getting the support they need, and we’re overworked and underpaid, so nobody wins. So these people who don’t feel safe and have legitimate concerns aren’t being taken seriously.”
Gaston, too, has dealt with a similar lack of action. After a felon broke into her room and little was done to rectify it, an anonymous tip led her to the AS board.
Morgan, Luper and Gaston have all spoken about how instrumental the AS Board has been in helping the RAs be heard by administration. VP for Student Life Wayne Roque and VP for Governmental Affairs Bryce Hammer have been with the RAs every step of the way since they first raised their concerns.
“The AS board has been so helpful in just listening to us and validating our experiences, like we’re trained to do with our residents,” Luper said. “That has been so empowering, to be believed and to be cared about and listened to.”
Emily Gaston echoed that sentiment. She said that when she brought her concerns to administrators in University Residences they made her feel like the problems she brought up were mundane and to be expected and she continued to feel that way until she spoke with the AS board.
“The AS Board helped me realize that by pushing these statements and demands, I’m not asking for much. I’m asking for basic decency; not anything out of the ballpark, but things I should already have,” Gaston said. “I let my feelings of inadequacy fester until the second incident happened [sexually threatening notes on Gaston’s bedroom door]. When I told the AS board what happened, there were board members tearing up. The thought of that happening to any one of my female residents, and them not even going to report it horrified me.”
Gaston said that she almost did not report the incident of threats written on her door.
“The university didn’t think it was a big deal,” she said. “The more I tell people that, the more they’re shocked.”
The main takeaway the RAs want known is that they’re doing everything for their residents.
“We’re really doing this for them. I love them like they’re my little siblings. To feel so helpless not only impacts us, but impacts our residents too,” Luper said. Most of the RAs affiliated with the movement will not even return to Western in the fall.
“Many, or maybe all, demands will not reach resolution this year and very little will be seen while we are ending our careers as RAs,“ said Morgan.
To them, that doesn’t matter.
“Fueled by their own experiences, those who will not be returning next year are still willing to stand up for what is just even though we will not see the changes implemented. This is for the returning RAs and the new RAs of Western Washington University, and perhaps beyond.”