From the moment he set foot in his first dorm, it became Logan Bailey’s dream to serve as a resident assistant (RA).
It was during a visit to campus that he first experienced Cornerstone University’s ability to build community, and when he found out that there was a position dedicated to cultivating that community through coordinating activities and supporting students in the dorms, he was sold.
Currently, Logan is in his third year serving as an RA in Van Osdel Hall, and he is loving every second of it. But creating a new community out of strangers is difficult, as Logan has experienced.
Van Osdel is a suite-based dorm, meaning two students share a dorm that is connected to another dorm by a bathroom, so there’s already community happening on a smaller level. Logan’s goal is to tap into that to help expand the community throughout the entire dorm.
“I want to build on the community that [the residents] are already building in their [individual] suites and dorms, and then build bridges between those.”
Logan also strives to be a constant in the lives of his residents, something he doesn’t always find easy in the midst of his other school-related duties. That’s why when he gets time with his residents, he tries his hardest to make the most of it.
“I want to get to know them, I want to interact with them, I want to show them what it’s like to be vulnerable with each other and put that on display for them,” he said.
Coordinating meetings with his residents provides time for Logan and his residents to participate in all kinds of adventures together, including trips and on-campus events. Logan has even had some of the same residents for three consecutive years, and he couldn’t imagine being an RA without them. Overall, Logan strives to make the dorm a place of honesty, vulnerability and acceptance.
“I’m not responsible for them,” said Logan, “I’m responsible to them.”
The heart that Logan and his fellow Cornerstone RAs have for the dorms and their residents is a large part of what makes our campus such a great place to live.
EXPERIENCE CAMPUS WITH YOUR SIBLING
If you’re a sibling of a current Cornerstone student and want a firsthand look at the amazing comradery and events that come from Cornerstone’s dorm communities, then visit campus for Little Siblings Weekend on Feb. 23! There will be all kinds of events, from a Mario Kart Tournament to Dancing with the Sections. Younger siblings are also welcome to stay in the residence halls with their CU sibling on Friday or Saturday night.
