Surviving in the Fishbowl

James Goodwyn and Alex Reynolds

You are now an RA!• You have decided to take on the role of being a Resident Assistant.

There are only a few days left before everyone comes back to campus for the fall. When that happens, everyone will be watching you like…

…this.

The “Fishbowl”• The “fishbowl” is the term used to describe when someone is put into

a position that gives a feeling that you are always being watched, even when you think you aren’t.• As an RA, when you’re in your building, you are ALWAYS an RA. There

is never a time that you aren’t. While you’re on-campus, most of the time, people will recognize you as an RA. Off-campus, be aware that whatever you do, your RA role is still a factor.

RA and the Fishbowl• The biggest thing about the fishbowl is that your job is always the one

being focused on. The littlest things you do are always seen in conjunction with the RA job. Your residents in your building will get to know you better than most, but they spread out to every aspect of your college career, especially more often than not with the rest of the Housing and Residence Life department.

Is someone really looking right now?• Even if someone is not directly looking at you at a certain moment in

time, at any instant, that could change. If you do one thing that strays from the responsibilities of the RA job, it could produce a snowball effect that might not end the way you would like.• Usually, the choices that you make in these types of situations are

ethical, meaning you make them based on what you think is right. That will test you in this job and will challenge your perception on right vs. wrong.

Scenarios• When you read the scenarios, ask yourself these questions:• What should you do in the situation?• How does everyone else involved besides you perceive you in the scenario?• Does the perception give a true idea of who you are outside of the situation?• How could this situation be avoided?

Scenario #1• You are on the last round of your building for the weekend and you

hear in the hallway “Shots!” at the top of someone’s voice. You stand there deciding whether or not to resolve the incident, but before you are about to get to the end of the hallway, a resident asks you about it.

Scenario #2• Being a fan of the movie, “The Hangover”, you talk to your friends

about it. Although you find it funny, your friends can escalate it too much. One day, while talking about the movie to your friends, one friend says something that someone might take offense to, and your building director walks by and overhears.

Scenario #3• You decide to go out to an off-campus friend’s house for a party.

While you’re there, you know many of the people outside of being an RA. Some people are drinking, some aren’t. You decide not to drink. You’re having a great time and everything is going well. A resident of yours found their way to the party and sees you next to people at that moment drinking. You make eye contact across the room and see them.

Can I ever not be in the fishbowl?• Honestly, it is a difficult thing to get out of the fishbowl once you’re in

it. Due to being an RA, it restricts you from doing a lot of things that you once could do. The responsibilities and the representation that you are called to do and to be does put a great deal of stress on you.• Know that people will always see you do things, question everything,

and want to seek to know everything about you, especially your residents.

Ways to Combat the Fishbowl• LEAVE YOUR BUILDING!

• Although you still hold the responsibilities of being an RA in and out of the building, just simply getting out of your building would help monitor your stress level. Go to the library, visit a friend off-campus, go home, whatever may help. Just once in a while, leave your building for your own sanity.

• Be involved in other things.• Although you can’t get a job or rush a frat your first semester as an RA, there are other

ways to be involved with the campus or the community. Do something you love or find interest in to get your mind out of the RA gutter.

• Get accustomed to it and embrace it.• This will definitely take some time, but after a while, you will get used to the idea of being

in your new role. Talk to a 2nd- or 3rd-year more about it to see how they became better acquainted to the fishbowl.

Positives of the Fishbowl• You are seen as a role model.• Although the whole idea of the fishbowl is overwhelming, you are able to

display what being a great student is. Working with freshman, you will showcase to them what a successful college student does, how a human being should act, and potentially, show what being an RA calls for.

• You can impact someone.• With what you do day to day, someone could be watching and see something

in you that they want to emulate. Take advantage of that and do some good.

• You will change.• This job will change the way you think about others and yourself, if you let it.