you know you're a hall director when...

There's a saying around the Residence Life and Housing office that begins with "You know you're a hall director when..." because there are things we do and experience that no other could imagine. Some of those things are not to be discussed outside the office, others I feel need to be shared with the outside world because they sum up my professional life in a nutshell. So here we go; a glimpse into the world of a hall director...

1. We are reminded to promote safe sex in our buildings by picking up garbage bags full of condoms to be distributed in the residence halls. I had the privilege of carrying my bag across campus to my building at the beginning of the semester through clusters of students waiting at the bus stop. Not once did I stop to think about how absurd that might seem to the students I passed because I knew it was 'part of my job' to get that bag to my building! Students first- that's what we professionals in Student Affairs believe!

2. We handle situations ranging from students peeing on cop cars to vomit in the bathrooms to roommates fighting over who stole hairspray out of the shower caddy. At lunchtime, we have to censor our 'work related stories' because they are often too graphic to share while eating. Sometimes when we get caught up in storytelling we realize just how ridiculous our conversation is to an outsider. Imagine if your job required you to brainstorm strategies on how to get students to stop dumping Ramen noodles in the bathroom sinks- our job gets out of control on the ridiculous scale realllll f.a.s.t.

3. As advisors and supervisors we are required to fill our special forms to buy program materials, food, etc. I for one love shopping, however it is somewhat embarrassing to shop for big groups of students. It can send the wrong message to the cute stock boy in the grocery store when you walk by with a cart full of chips, cookies, dips, candy, etc. It certainly throws up a red flag in my opinion--if I saw that, I would be sure to worry about the individual's health! (I made up the cute stock boy part of it- stock boys are usually in high school but I thought it added a little dramatic effect to the story) ANYWAY below is a picture of my recent trip to TOPS...

As you can see, the amount of junk food is a little excessive. The cashier definitely thought I just broke up with my boyfriend.

This is only a glimpse into the world of a hall director. We live a life of uncertainty. Every morning when we step into our office we never know what to expect for the day. It's exciting. It's tiring. It's challenging. But most of all, it's fun. I love my job. And I love having stories that begin with "You know you're a hall director when..."