While most of us are sleeping, they’re up dealing with a resident who has had too much to drink in Five Points or has just broken up with his or her boyfriend or girlfriend of three years. While most of us hardly have time to think about our own well-being, they’re responsible for helping ensure the safety and well-being of students who depend on them.
Sure, there have been times when an RM has been too strict or too annoying, but, at the end of the day, they provide a great service to those who live in our campus residence halls.
Like many of the support staff who work at USC, RMs often receive little thanks for the hard work they do. Sure, there’s the occasional thank-you from administrators and building supervisors, but more often than not, RMs complete their day-to-day tasks knowing that their work will probably go unnoticed. They complete these tasks efficiently and effectively anyway.
The RM Council, which acts as a representative body for RMs across the campus, is asking that returning RMs receive free housing as part of their compensation package. We support this proposal and call on Dr. Kirsten Kennedy, director of University Housing, and other administrators to provide the best and brightest an incentive to apply to be an RM and those already on the job an incentive to stay.
Being an RM is a 24-hour, on-call job and those who do it should not be forced to pay to live where they work.