Dorm resident assistants are beginning to show residents what it means to be involved.
With the first week of classes in the books, RAs are scheduling events at each of the dorms on campus.
David Adkison, RA at Little Hall, hopes to not only fulfill his duties, but to add something extra that every resident will appreciate.
"I enjoy meeting new people," Adkison said. "Planning events where we have an opportunity to meet new friends is always nice."
Adkison has plans for multiple events at Little Hall, including a flag football match against Teague Hall and a geocaching game for all of his residents.
Jazmine Wilder and Kristen McDonald, RAs for Dowdell Hall, also want to encourage dorm community.
"We're trying to learn everyone's name on our floor by September," Wilder said. "Everybody is somebody, and we want to know who they are."
McDonald and Wilder held a gathering Thursday night open to any resident of Dowdell Hall, promoting a sense of community while enjoying themselves before classes the next morning.
"I get to hang out with friends and meet new people that I would have likely not met otherwise," said Ryan Baez, Dowdell resident majoring in pre-building science.
RAs want to ensure that no student feels alone and that everyone has a forum to meet new friends.
"It's good for freshmen to form bonds with each other early on, but dorm events really encourage everyone to get to know each other," McDonald said.
Joey Kimminau, Auburn alumnus, said attending on-campus events helped him become more involved in the Auburn community.
"Dorm events were a great way to get people to socialize and pass on helpful information and valuable lessons, especially as a freshman," Kimminau said.
Events are usually scheduled by RAs, but on occasion students have come up with event ideas.
Social media can help inform the residents about events in their building.
Dowdell Hall uses a Facebook page specifically for posting information regarding their dorm, with events being the most prevalent post.
Across campus, every dorm has a general sense of building friendships and helping students become familiar with the Auburn community.
Ty Stafford, RA for Broun Hall, held a Pictionary game during the first week of class for residents to start becoming familiar with each other.
"It's fun. We want to build community and make sure students know us and each other," Stafford said.
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