European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 18, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes thursday september 18, 1986student leaders become Campus Welcome Wagon by Charlie Boh Den Munich Bureau Munich students helping students that s the idea behind a dormitory program at the University of Maryland s Munich Campus that has a select group of 18students serving As lenders organizers and Counselor. The in women and eight men known As resident assistants serve As the Munich Campus Welcome Wagon for incoming freshmen  inc Intra mural ipod program and offer everything from first Aid 10 a shoulder to cry on said coordinator Olivia Turner a 1975 Auburn University graduate with 10 years experience As a serial worker. Turner believes that while in is similar in some respects to programs at schools in inc United slates the Munich Campus program has one distinct difference. In most cases our resident assistants Are about the Sanie Ace As the kids they re working with Turner said. At Sial Side colleges and universities such roles generally arc filled by  or graduate Stu dents and often include responsibility for discipline and housekeeping in inc dorms. The Munich Campus pro grand started in 979, an offshoot of the original Campus counselling Center said resident Dean Dill Mcmahon. Who admits to having been sceptical about the idea. The one thing thai the first counselling Center director Houghl we needed in the dorms was something to give them More of a Homelike atmosphere Mcmahon said. Dormitory living had changed Over the years he said and the Barracks Type atmosphere had Given Way 10 something More congenial and liable. One aspect of Home that was missing was having someone to go with a problem. One reason 1 hesitated for a year in starting it was because we Don t have any juniors a seniors More mature students to run the program he said. The Munich Campus adopted the program anyway using carefully selected sophomores to fill Lac role Mcmahon said inc program made an immediate Dif  especially when new students began arriving. Resident assistants apply for the positions and Ihnn go through an intensive selection process that include interviews with the housing director and the program coordinator. It s a two tiered selection process that is based on the interviews and the students academics Turners id. The Ras must maintain at iras a 2.5 Grade Point average she said. Once selected resident assistants Are trained in first Aid. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation time management study skills and peer counselling. Each resident assist ant one per stairwell has responsibility for about 35 students including a few non resident students who live in Munich or other nearby communities. In return for their Lime inc resident assistants earn s75 a month and a single room. The program has developed during the past Sis years shedding along the Way Coly stigmas associated with it. There were some negative aspects to the program at first Mcmahon said. Some students initially thought of the Ras As the administration s watchdogs he said but much of that has disappeared As the Rote of the Ras became clearly defined. They re not spies and they re not disciplinarians he said and that s made very Clear from the Start Turner said clarifying the a s Rote was one of the major improvements in the program. The role of the a was a Little vague last year Andi think we be been Able to better define their role Turner said. Another significant improvement she said is the addition in the past year of train ing in peer counselling techniques for the Ras. Of their various roles the peer counselling role could Well be the most important she said pointing out that the Ras have the closest and most frequent Contact with Munich Campus students. In past years an extra a was included in the line up to work with Oit Campus students she said. This year those students have been assigned to one of the stairwells. The idea is to get off Campus students More involved in Campus life and activities Turner said. The idea fits comfortably with the goal of the pro Gram. We want to promote an atmosphere of Persona land academic growth Turner said and build a sense of Unity among the students living in the dorms. Aft Rall. This is now their  threat of terrorist attack prompts warning to americans in Cairo Cairo Egypt