Leadership Positions -- Looking for a Job?

Every year there is an application for leadership positions at Hiram. These positions include Resident Assistant (RA), Teaching Assistant (TA), Orientation Leader, International Orientation Leader, and Community Council.

RA's are in charge of making sure that everything in the dorms is going well -- making sure quiet hours are quiet, dry floors are alcohol-free, and making sure that roommates don't kill each other. RA's also get to coordinate fun floor programs, keep students informed of the goings-on of campus so they can be involved, and basically take charge in any emergency situation, such as fire alarms or the blackout.

Teaching Assistants help freshman colloquium professors in many different ways -- in fact, there really isn't a clear definition of a TA. TA's generally help first-year students adjust to Hiram, grade rough drafts of papers, run errands, lead discussions, give grammar lessons, and any combination thereof.

Orientation Leaders are in charge of, well, leading First Year Orientation, where next year's students will tour around campus, receive information about the New Student Institute, and register for classes. The Orientation Leaders are there to make sure that your orientation runs smoothly and is an enjoyable experience. Also, they are usually students who are very involved on campus, so they should be able to answer any questions you have for them, or at least be able to point you to someone who can. The International Orientation Leaders do the same, but for the international students' orientation.

Community Council Members are involved in enforcing college policies.

If you are interested in participating in any of these positions during your sophomore year, you have to go through a relatively rigorous application process. Around February there will be a few informational meetings on applying, and you can pick up an application. You simply have to fill out the form, write a resume and a cover letter, and get two recommendations filled out. After you've turned them in, you will participate in interviews and group activities. Then, sometime around spring break you will learn if you got any positions!

Next year I will be both a Teaching Assistant and Resident Assistant. I will be a TA for David Stoughton's colloquium called "Let There Be Light." David is new to the Theatre Department this year, and is the department's Technical Director. That means that he is in charge of a lot of the fun stuff involved with the shows, such as lighting design and set construction. His Colloquium will focus on an interdisciplinary perspective on light -- its uses, its effects, where it comes from (in both scientific and mythological contexts). It should be an enjoyable colloquium, and Dave is a fun professor to have, so consider signing up for "Let There Be Light" when you're at your orientation!

Also, I -- along with James Ross and Kim Miller -- will be an RA in Henry Hall. I hope to see you next fall!