Taking a break from assigned readings and essays, students relieved stress by joking around during a game of cards and magic tricks on the third-floor lounge of North Case Hall on Wednesday night.
In the middle of the group was resident mentor Bill Pasutti, also taking a break from his busy schedule of classes and lab work.
"I like working with people, developing a community, providing positive support," the microbiology senior said.
Paul Rinella, Wonders Hall complex director, said the resident mentor contributes to a good experience living on campus. Within the first three weeks, resident mentors are required to organize or attend at least one social or community activity per week, he said.
"The mentor is critical in the bonding that takes place," Rinella said.
For the spring semester, Pasutti not only plans to continue social and community-service functions with his floor, but also wants to work with the students academically.
"I'd like to help the underclassmen with résumé building and their portfolios," Pasutti said.
This past semester, Pasutti's floor, along with a neighboring girls' floor, volunteered for Ichabod Crane Day. The event invited children to celebrate Halloween at Sleepy Hollow State Park in Clinton County. The following weekend, the two floors returned to the park for a camping trip.
"We painted pumpkins with little kids (one night)," Pasutti said. "(The other nights,) we played Frisbee and sat around the campfire. The weather was great."
In addition to these larger events, the students on Pasutti's floor interact on an everyday basis by eating meals together, relaxing in the lounge or playing sports.
Evan Charles, a materials science and engineering sophomore, is in his first year at MSU and is among the group of students Pasutti mentors. Charles said having Pasutti as a leader on the floor is helpful in various aspects.
"He's a nice guy," Charles said. "He organized intramural sports for us like soccer.
"And if we have problems, he helps us work through them."
Some students, however, said they disagreed that what resident mentors do is useful. International relations junior Matthew Kachel said they need to focus less on trivial aspects of dorm life.
"The (Residence Halls Association) makes mentors focus their efforts on bulletins and stupid things like that," Kachel said. "They should interact more with the residents, encouraging students to come to them more.
"(They should have) less focus on surveys and ridiculous stuff that doesn't affect residents."
But Pasutti said residing on a floor where strong support from peers is available to students benefits them beyond the social realm.
"That way, they're more willing to do great things like going out and volunteering and meeting people they'd never met before," Pasutti said. "They are better students. They are better overall citizens."
Social relations senior Erin Litner also is in her second year of being a resident mentor at Wonders Hall. She plans to implement activities that will strengthen the friendships created during the fall semester.
"They'll get to know each other better and get more comfortable now that they're already friends," Litner said. "We'll have a roommate trivia game, kind of like the dating game."
One of Litner's residents, human biology junior Emily Kujawa, is in her second year of living on campus. Kujawa and another floormate said they decided to take the initiative in bonding with their floor by organizing a ski trip to Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville for this weekend.
Kujawa said Litner is part of her inspiration to pursue being a mentor in the future.
"She enriches the whole living experience," Kujawa said. "Without them, we'd be a lot less united."
Psychology Professor Gary Stollak said emotional support from a resident mentor is essential in a college student's life, assuming the mentor has proper training and supervision.
"Emotional support is like one of those vitamins that you need," he said. "The university believes that mentors might be able to provide that to students that need a listening ear, a compassionate heart, valuable information and good advice."
Agnes Soriano can be reached at soriano1@msu.edu.
