Duane McDaniel has gone above and beyond the call of duty as a GAHD. As the semester began Duane’s 20 hours a week quickly turned into 60 as he advised new Resident Advisers (RA), continuously worked with the residents of our ever-changing roster, and attended his graduate level courses. Despite our Hall Director’s absence, Duane took on the position of Graduate Assistant and Hall Director for the month of September.

One way he did this was by implementing a new “mentor program” where new and old RAs worked together. By doing so, returners could advise new staff members. Duane never faltered when faced with the tears of a new RA who felt overwhelmed by their residents. Instead he worked with the floor and the RA by walking through the wing and socializing with the residents a bit each day. He did not falter when asked to put on a Hall Wide Program with less then two days notice. Instead he effectively communicated with the staff members and efficiently planned the program with the help and cooperation of the individuals he worked with. He did not falter when he was faced with questions he did not know the answer to, but quickly referred the staff member to someone who could help them and made sure to follow up later. He did not falter when there was a RA who was caught drinking during the first week of school. Instead he addressed the situation himself and quickly brought our staff back together with some much needed team builders after she was let go.

In addition to meeting the needs of the RA, Duane also fulfilled his GAHD Duties. Everyday you will find Duane in his office until about 2AM making sure that the Desk and Security (D/S) Schedule was updated and that everyone’s schedule requests were taking into consideration. Duane is also constantly working on the improvement of Safety in our building through the D/S Staff members. By re-enforcing the ID Checks at each desk, Duane ahs made Ottawa House a safer place to live for everyone.

Finally, Duane has worked enthusiastically with the newly elected Ottawa Hall Council. Not only did he facilitate the advertisement to elect these members, but he has done a great job advising them on what their positions are thus far. Being new to our Resident Student Association (RSA), Duane accompanied the council to the Fall Banquet and encouraged them to meet the Executive Board as well as NRHH Board.

Overall, Duane has helped keep the Ottawa House staff together. He has not only made sure that we fulfill our obligations as Resident Advisors, but he has also made sure that other aspects of our life such as school, family, and friends are also going well. We would be lost without him.

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