Ohhhhh the RA Conference Was So Much Fun! (Part I)

It doesn’t really matter how old you are apparently–when adults enter a van for a long car ride, they revert to their childhood. Instantly. As in, we weren’t past the second speed bump of our parking lot before 5-year-old syndrome set in.
I believe character sketches are in order. This is the RA Staff of the Regent Commons, the people with whom I just made a weekend getaway.
Bossman is our boss–overseeing two fantabulous buildings full of undergrad and grad students, single and married. He is hilarious, serious, Christ-like, and very skilled all at once. I cannot imagine a person better suited to his position…or managing us.
Jonnie Zucco is a girl with stunningly long blonde hair, quick wit, hilarious knack for imitations, and a fire burning in her bones. She fiercely loves, most especially Jesus. Absolutely awesome girl.
Bingo is from South Georgia, and he would be quick to add self-depricatingly that if you were listening to him speak, instead of reading my introduction, you would have observed that for yourself. : ) Though he is quiet, his depths of impishness are astounding. They only think he’s grown up enough to be a grad RA. Well, all right. He reads Russian Literature and Flannery O’Connor and likes it, so he has to be a little bit grown up. More grown than I, at any rate. Also, his understanding of Scripture continually convicts and comforts his classmates and anyone else who reads his blog. You’re a good man Bingo.
B Diddy is our resident gentle expert, who quietly knows how to do everything. He is a returning RA, and is known for wearing his snazzy Student Housing polo with his collar popped all. the. time.
I’m sort of doing this in age order. Also, I am using our nicknames. I thought I should tell you that lest you think poorly of the parents of these individuals. No, no one was cruel enough to name their son Bingo. We did. : )
The origin of the Intimidator’s name is uncertain. Some say it is because at the annual softball tournament, opponents are quaking in their cleats and high socks. (this is less noisy than when individuals quake in their boots, but still noticeable enough to gain attention). Others say it is because the mere sight of his briefcase stuffed with knowledge packed tomes (which he does read) frightens librarians, fellow students, and chiropractors alike. He is intense, but he forgets that he’s supposed to be serious more and more frequently of late, leading to disarming and hysterical results. We like our Intimidator. I think we’ll keep him around.
Barkie is short, happy, insanely creative, and has a magnetic personality that attracts not only her residents, but every member of the staff and the rest of campus too. She is a movie making machine, and her flyers can be spotted across the hall for their excellence and originality. She hates bad drivers (meaning anyone who didn’t grow up in New Jersey). You can’t make coffee dark enough for her and Trader Joes is her happy place. She lovvveeesss Jesus. She is the RA across the hall from me, and partnering with her is one of the best things that ever happened to me.
You guys know me. I’m an upperclassman girls RA, mischievous, think very hard about everything, and love watching people. I can’t dance and I love skits.
LumLove is stratospherically tall. 6′ 8” to be precise. He is long, and sentimental, and sings (his voice is mellow, happy, pleasant, and comforting), and plays the ukulele and is addicted to facebook. He doesn’t drink coffee and worries about everything. He is so smart and funny and practices doing the funniest things like fake snoring and making creeper faces. I LOVE LUM LOVE. He gets perfect grades, by the way, even though he procrastinates and stresses and is convinced that everything he’s ever written is the worst piece of English composition ever to be submitted via Blackboard. His freshman boys love him. And by love, I mean “thinks he’s the coolest thing in the world.” Possibly, because he is.
LumLove took a while to explain, so I’ll hurry up. :)
Captain earned his name by making the theme of his hall Sparta. He is a Cinema Television Student, and the film he co-wrote and produced has been submitted to the Sundance Film Festival. Crazy creative this man is. He has seen every movie ever, as well as most You Tube clips. He loves being the DJ for our RA get-togethers, and mimics trumpets to perfection. He therefore does so, frequently. He is dating…
Lolli! (finally). This girl is strong, talented, gorgeous red hair, petite, hysterically funny and deeply caring. She is a fabulous RA. The following story occurred during a semi-recent staff meeting. We were considering putting on a live Clue event (you know, the mystery board game), and were at that moment deep into potential weapons. Fun part about living on a college campus–no weapons allowed, making our event difficult to make believable. People were racking their brains for murderous legal items. One of Lolli’s suggestions (inspired, no doubt, by the controller sitting on the coffee table in front of her) was that the poor victim in question could have been slain by a remote control. Quick on the counter attack, LumLove asked sarcastically how on earth anyone could be killed by a remote control. Lolli had thought her suggestion through, however, “You cram it down their throat. C’mere, let me show you!”
Glo is the freshman girls RA right underneath my room. She is TEENY TINY and has a deadpan sense of humor like you wouldn’t believe. She loves glitter. Her hall is the international themed one, including both a lama and Central State Park. She’s a theatre student, and works her tail off as a YMCA employee as well. How this woman holds it all together, I have no idea. Somehow, she still finds time to shop online, and she’s always wearing one of her judicious purchases. She’s so pretty.
Deeeeeeep breath.
Now you know us. Welcome to the Regent Commons, home of the best RA staff currently in existence. Next post I’ll tell you about our juvenile and oh-so-funny adventures at the RA conference.
Love,
Sarah