present as we shared about our weeks, studied the Word together, and planned the next Willetts event. And we always made space for laughter. One evening during this meeting I received a knock on my door. We were greeted by a group of girls, Bluetooth speaker in hand, dancing. And we promptly joined in. And that wasn’t out of the ordinary. Living in the apartment connected to Willetts gave me a birds-eye view of what fun community looked like. More than once I’d get the frantic phone call from a student asking for a 10-minute curfew extension (I’ve learned the Taco Bell drivethru notoriously takes longer than expected.). I’d see the awkward first encounters between the “brother” and “sister” halls turn into fruitful friend groups that spontaneously took trips to Young’s Dairy for ice cream or hikes at John Bryan State Park. On any given day I found myself meeting with students at Rinnova, the campus coffee shop, to discuss life with all its ups and downs — that first date, the camping trip they are planning, the job they are applying for, or what they are learning about the Lord. I realized very early on in my time as Resident Director that Cedarville was different. These students love to have fun, pour into one another, and pursue Christ. Every day brought new conversations and opportunities to walk with students and provide counsel as they navigated their lives. The desire of Residence Life is to cultivate this culture by leading others well in our conversations and actions as well as providing space for people to laugh, have fun, build relationships, and glorify God through all of it. I have watched the impact of Residence Life in the lives of students as they grow in spiritual and emotional maturity as well as expanding their social spheres. These aspects of a student’s life are deeply impacted by living in a residence hall on campus, getting meals with others, and enjoying all aspects of campus life as they live in community. The RAs provide multiple opportunities for fellowship by planning weekly events and several all-residence hall events throughout the school year. HalloWilletts is an annual event where students are encouraged to use their creativity by dressing up in costumes, eating candy, and dancing. Every year the Willetts residents show up and have loads of laughter I realized very early on in my time as Resident Director that Cedarville was different. These students love to have fun, pour into one another, and pursue Christ. 6 | Cedarville Magazine
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