The Smiling Faces of Columbia Hall

When approaching Columbia Hall, it can seem very intimidating by the size of it. When standing at the front entrance, the hall feels like it is towering over you on either side. The front of the building has too many windows to count with a glimpse of the different scenery in each dorm room. The feeling of fear and worry leaves your body as soon as you walk through the glass, front door, as you are immediately greeted by the CA's sitting at the front desk. Sitting at the large desk on the left of the entrance, they are smiling, waving, and welcoming you with a friendly, "Hi! How are you today?" Also when leaving the building The CA's make sure to remind you to be safe and exclaim, "Have a goodnight!"

Columbia Hall is the tallest and most elevated dorm on campus. Inside the lobby, the ceilings are high, making the room seem more spacious than it actually is. As you walk through the lobby to the elevator, there are colorful and bright posters hanging up on the wall above you. The posters are made by the CA's and correlated with the theme of the lobby. The CA's are artistic and creative, and they work as a team to make interesting scenery for the residents. This semester's theme is fast food, so there are McDonald's, Burger King, Dunkin' logos, and many more taped up on the walls. You hear the two elevators going up and down, beeping, and many residents going in and out. 

On Tuesday night CA Luke and Claudia were working the desk. A group of girls walked out of the elevator and passed the desk, one girl with brown hair, wearing a green sweatshirt and black leggings yawned, "Hey Luke, hey Claudia."

Questioning the yawn, Luke asks, "Long day today?"                          

"Yea I had lab today," she sighs, "It was at eight A.M."

Claudia adds, "Oh wow, that's a long day."

"It was a long day, I am ready for bed."

As the group pushes the doors to walk out, Luke exclaims, "Have a good night."

The girl at the back of the group with long, blonde hair turns to the desks and says, "We will be right back, we are just going to get late night at the Husky Lounge."

Sitting at the desk you can sometimes find CA Luke. With his blonde hair, shorter stature, and clear glasses, he is either chatting with his desk-mate, or watching his favorite show. He often is talking with or assisting residents that may need his help, showing his bubbly and helpful personality. Luke works hard as a CA, and says his main responsibilities are, "ensuring the safety of students and aiding in educational attainment."

Walking through the halls from boys side to girls sides, the themes go through out the whole building, each hallway is decorated with a certain theme that the CA's come up with. The CA's decorations in the hallway make the dorms feel more like homes to the residents. You can hear the students on each floor talking and laughing to each other from each dorm. Being a resident it is easy to maintain a social life because you live so close to your friends. Though, the CA's have a different experience. Luke says, "Being a CA definitely affects my social life," he pauses, "for sure," he confirms sternly. "Being on call means I have to be in Columbia, and when I work the desk at night I can not leave," Luke says while letting out a sigh. Luke also adds that it is a struggle to see his off-campus friends because he lives in a dorm on lower campus. 

Luke became a CA his sophomore year. He reminisces, "My CA was amazing my freshman year, he helped me through the toughest times," he adds, "I wanted to fill my old CA's shoes to be there for my residents and to help them with whatever they need." Even though the CA's have many duties and responsibilities, Luke loves his job and wouldn't trade it for anything. He states, "Yes, I do genuinely love it, even though it comes with many rules and struggles." Luke adds, "The hardest part for me is being told to handle every situation like it is your first, even if I have already dealt with similar situations that week, or even that night." 

As you walk through the hallways of the dorm, the janitors are always in and out of the bathrooms, leaving a clean scent in the air. Each hallway smells of popcorn, mac and cheese, or whatever else the residents are making to eat that day. You may also hear noise of the students chatting. When the dorm gets too loud, it is the CA's job to ensure that all the students are being safe and not doing anything they aren't supposed to be doing. Also, during quiet hours, from nine pm to nine am, the CA's make sure that each resident is getting the respect they deserve, and that the volume coming from each room is kept at a minimum. 

All in all, Luke and his fellow workers are the selfless miracles who always throw a smile across the room, keeping everyone happy and healthy while their own status is always underground.