Letter to the Editor: RA editorial spot on

Anonymous by Request

I am writing to you from the perspective of a previous Bryan student. In my brief time there, several factors added up to my leaving, but one of the instances I just could not excuse was the power to discipline granted my peers simply because they carried the title of “resident assistant.” Bryan’s RA system felt like spies among my friends.

When I have visited other campuses, RAs actually are people who are your friends. If a rule is broken, and brought to their attention, they convey this to adults who then handle the situation. Bryan is the only campus I am aware of that lets the students govern their fellow classmates. On Bryan’s campus, it felt as if there was no room for you to grow because your peers could be doling out points to you anytime, anywhere. I never envied those who had to room with RAs.

I personally felt that I was never allowed to live on my own at Bryan College because the strict RA system felt like more of a babysitting service to 20-year-olds.

That was my personal experience with RAs. If it did not happen to you, I’m glad. But I was happy to see someone take a stand and write an opinion of RAs. It made people think.

Whether you agree with the writer or not, at least it got you thinking and talking about how things are done at your school. It’s YOUR school. If something seems off, do something about it. Nothing will ever get discussed or changed (if it needs to be) unless people take a stand.

Questioning what goes on at your school is not a bad thing. How we react or do not react can be. Sometimes the incident itself is not important, but what caused the incident should be examined. As young adults, we are trying to figure out what we believe in and how to find our way. When something that we do not agree with arises, we should put aside differences and traditions and consider both sides of the argument before making a decision.

Opinions are going to differ, but we should take advantage of our right to free speech. It will help shape the future of the students who follow in our footsteps. I have nothing but respect for the writer of the article and hope the students of Bryan College will take to heart the bigger issue. Maybe there is too much power given to your peers and maybe there isn’t. Decide for yourself, and if you want to see change, do something about it.