According to a Facebook group created by Utah State undergraduate student, Trisha Deem, this Wednesday, Dec. 2 is “National Hug your RA (resident assistant) Day.” The event time is from 12 a.m. to 11:55 p.m., and the location of the event is at “college campuses all over the world!”
The idea for this event originally started because of a joke between Deem and her RA at Utah State.
Deem was stalling on some schoolwork one day, filling out a social interview questionnaire about her RA, and came across the question ‘Does Becca Dupaix like hugs?’
“I answered, of course she likes hugs, who doesn't like hugs,” Deem said. “But since she does like hugs then I must be slacking off because I never hug her.”
Dupaix replied, jokingly, saying that she should start by a Hug your RA Day. Deem took the idea and ran with it, starting a group and inviting a few friends.
By only inviting “a few friends,” Deem was astonished at how well the group has taken off. There are currently 85,746 confirmed participants in the group, including at least one person from every state in the United States. There are also participants from Canada, Lithuania and Australia.
“I am actually surprised by the huge number of people who have RSVPed as attending this event,” she said. “It has gotten way bigger than I have ever expected.”
Deem is currently not an RA, though she is applying to be one next year. Because of her RA, she said she has developed a strong passion and appreciation for the job. She said that her RA makes a big effort to be involved in the residents’ lives by attending basketball games and baking brownies with them.
“I think that often times RAs aren't appreciated because we just see them as people who make you turn your music down or fail you at cleaning checks,” said Deem. “I think we fail to remember that RAs in general do actually know and care about their residents and they are trying to do their best for their residents.”
UNH sophomore RA, Mike Germaske, had a similar response.
“I think that ‘National Hug Your RA Day’ is a nice subtle appreciation for RAs because we aren’t just out to get you, like most residents think,” Germaske said. “We are really there to support and help you.”
Germaske said that although being an RA does involve a significant amount of work, there are a lot of benefits that come with it as well.
UNH RA, Jason LeBranch, agreed. He said that a good amount of work comes with being an RA— especially towards the beginning of the year— but you get to broaden your horizon by meeting a lot of new people that you wouldn’t have necessarily met before.
LeBranch, however, finds “National Hug Your RA Day” to be a little strange.
“Why do you have to hug them to show that you appreciate them,” he asked. “It would be nice for students to acknowledge what you do throughout the year— not only on one designated day.”
Deem was also inspired to create this event by the television show, “Dorm Life.” She said that this show is hilarious and is similar to “The Office,” but for dorms. The picture for the Facebook event is of two of the “Dorm Life” characters. The male character— Marshall Adams I— actually has a Facebook and RSVPed to Deem’s event.
“That was pretty cool for me,” she said.
One other character from the series, ironically the RA in the show, has also RSVPed as attending the event.
Deem said that she moderates the event page frequently, reading all of the comments that people post and monitoring all of the pictures and links posted.
“A lot of people seem to be really excited for this event,” she said. “I think that it will be as successful as any random event such as this can be.”
“In the end, I think it is important to remember that RAs are students as well as being RAs,” Deem said. “They are going through the same stresses that we are, plus being an RA.”
“National Hug your RA Day”: inspired by Facebook
Published: Monday, November 30, 2009
Updated: Monday, November 30, 2009
2 comments
Just clearing that up.
Also, I am attending!