Profanities taped to bathroom doors. Smashed pieces of fruit thrown from 10 stories above. Heated quarrels in men's bathrooms.

As a resident assistant (RA) in Sproul Hall, Mike Biron (sophomore-information sciences and technology) might tell you he has seen a strange side of Penn State.

While on duty, he must complete two rounds in one evening -- trudging through the chilly stairwells and up and down 18 flights of stairs in Sproul and Tener halls. Safety of the 600 East Halls residents is his utmost concern, he said.

"Everyone thinks that RAs love to refer people," Biron said. "But the worst role I have to play is being the authority figure."

Rounds usually last about 40 minutes and do not present problems, although sometimes he is pressed to give citations to students. Alcohol violations are the most common, he said.

"Once you are trained on it," he said, "it's so easy to tell when alcohol is involved."

While on a recent Thursday evening's rounds, all was quiet -- except for a small dispute in the men's bathroom, which Biron quickly defused.

Being an RA has taught him about kinds of life besides residence life, Biron said.

"Once I got a call from a kid who got bit in the eye by a squirrel while he was trying to feed it. He was fine," he said. "And I was relieved to find out squirrels can't carry rabies."

But his responsibilities sometimes deal with more serious issues, he said.

Usually alcohol violations are handled solely by the on-duty RA, unless he or she feels threatened by a student's inebriated state. Then an RA coordinator, who is a residence life staff member, and Penn State Police Services, might be called to assist, Biron said.

"Our safety is our primary concern in a situation like that," he added.

Biron said he loves having his own room, which is furnished with a big-screen television and plush recliner, one of the many benefits of his job.

But the real reason Biron likes his work is because of the friendships he has with the 27 residents on his floor, he said.

"I have a close relationship with them, so I pretty much know when they are having problems," he said.

Brian Penabad (freshman-marketing), a resident on Biron's floor, said he feels there is a reciprocal relationship between the two.

"I come down here all the time. I help him with Spanish, and he helps me when it comes time to schedule," he said with a laugh.

Some residents are timid about getting involved in floor activities, but Biron's programming is always educational, fun and spontaneous, said Betsy Dovec (senior-life sciences and nutrition), an RA in Biron's building.

"He always goes above and beyond what's expected," she said. "His programs are always really well-attended."

In preparation for his job, Biron was required to take a counselor education class, Counselor Education 302 (Role of a Resident Assistant: Theory and Practice) -- a hands-on course discussing topics such as effective communication and problem solving. But the syllabus could never be comprehensive enough, Biron said.

"It's a good introduction, but it could never cover all the things you are going to see as an RA," he said. "The class would have to be 10 years for that."

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