By Margaret Clark, for The Miami Student
Sam Nissen's room is covered in posters of TV shows and Disney movies.
She sits back on her bed, crisscross applesauce style. Everything about Sam is relaxed and friendly.
A V-neck t-shirt, jeans, square glasses, and an easy smile all make those around her feel comfortable. She wears a turquoise bow on the back of her head, a bit of sweetness.
She is a junior RA in a freshman dorm, but Sam is in her element. She's as easygoing in the hallways as she is sitting here, among her favorite stories.
“I feel more confident just being me, because being an RA already knocks you off the cool scale.”
Behind her bed, Anna and Elsa ice skate on one poster as the members of "Friends" look down from their spot on the opposite wall.
"It gives you a little power too, because it asks you to assert yourself," she said.
She often tells her residents to be quiet, something she'd never have done before.
She and the other RAs call themselves the Scott Squad. It's a tight-knit group, willing to break into "1-2-3, Scott Squat!" on command.
Her residents' rooms are fairy tale themed too. Across the hall, a group of girls yell out as Sam walks by.
"Who is that?"
Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter
"It's Sam. Hi guys!"
"Awww, hi Sam!"
She stops to talk to the girls, happy to chat.
"You're supposed to have a caring attitude," she said. "We were trained and practiced for it. That's helped me to be more caring, ask more questions, talk to more people off duty too."
Fifteen percent of her job is erasing inappropriate drawings from people's whiteboards, but Sam is used to it.
These winding green hallways are the Scott Squad's dominion.
At least for the semester, Sam has found a happy ending in an unlikely place.
Read More
PHOTOS: Empty bowls, full hearts
By Sarah Frosch | December 4, 2024Miami University Ceramics Club partners with Oxford Empty Bowls in their annual bowl-a-thon.
In the editor’s rotation: Some dad rock for the soul
By Chloe Southard | November 23, 2024Here are the songs I’ve been bumping while begrudgingly completing assignment after assignment.
Styling your dog doesn’t have to be ruff
By Chloe Southard | November 22, 2024Dressing your pup makes them stand out, and sometimes it’s actually beneficial for them. Plus, it’s cute as hell. As long as your dog is comfortable with whatever you dress them in, keeping their wardrobe as fresh as yours is a fun and rewarding experience.