Mr. RA CGA President Kaszuba

    As you enter the men's third floor of Lycoming Hall, bursts of color catch the attention of anyone who turns that corner. Personally hand-drawn superheroes, fast food chains, and armies of bright yellow Minions stretch and fill the once bare white brick walls, changing a cold atmosphere into a space that feels alive.

    One resident who recently transferred said, "Seeing all of these decorations makes this not even feel like a normal dorm hall anymore. Everything makes me actually want to be here."

    Located in the center of all of these decorations stands RA Chaz Kaszuba - a 6'3" stocky blue-eyed brunette with a jolly, delightful attitude - who has his door covered top to bottom in all original artwork. These typically take hours upon hours to draw, showcasing his true dedication and passion to being an RA and making everything feel more welcoming for his very own residents. For him, drawing offers something more than just decorations; it helps him manage stress and turn it into detailed, colorful drawings. As he mentioned, "Drawing is a passion of mine, and is an avenue to get stress release. It allows me to decorate my dorm door at a cheaper cost, but in a more exciting way." It's these drawings and little things that add to his sunny, energetic and bubbly personality, being a reminder of all the energy he brings to his hall.

    Other than the vibrant drawings of characters that are hung all along the walls, he is still tasked with more demanding RA requirements. Quick check-ins with him usually happen as he walks past around campus, turning these into truly meaningful conversations. Late nights on the desk extend past midnight, leading into1-2 in the morning, his well thought-out one-on-ones, and his rounds through the quiet sleeping floors require him to constantly be aware and patient while still being quick. Along with this, pages of notes, incident reports, and being on call fill the gaps that force him to spend most of his time in this role.

    While this is the case, Chaz made sure to note, "I dislike the fact that I work in the same environment I live in, so it can be tricky dealing with and balancing my work life with my normal life."

    Still, whenever you ask any resident about RA Chaz, they rarely, if ever, mention anything about him being tired or not fulfilling his requirements as an RA. Instead, they remember the atmosphere inside his dorm room, 306, whenever they go in for their one-on-ones. People think of the warm, dim lighting that washes out the cold, harsh, bright lights of the hallways. As you look around, the bare walls that were empty are now covered with photos of family and friends, along with stuffed capybaras ranging from small to large piled all over his bed, and a space that feels more like a living room than an actual dorm room.

    "How are you actually doing today, Ayden, not only in your classes, but here on campus in general?" Chaz asked while taking a seat in a fairly compacted black chair with his iPad in his hand.

    "It's been good, nothing too much going on, but I do want to get more involved in the campus," Ayden said while looking down in disappointment.

    "You can always join one of the organizations I currently run, CGA," Chaz said, smiling from ear to ear. "It allows you to be more involved and help the campus at the same time."

    Although he is tasked with his full-time role as an RA, Chaz Kaszuba has another title people may recognize him by: President of the Community Government Association. He described CGA as, "Something that not only helps the campus improve, but can also improve the students' lives as well. This makes an impact that not many clubs or organizations can do, unlike CGA." Not only is this title well-known, but it also helps shape the majority of the Bloomsburg campus. Although only a sophomore, he has taken this position that many candidates only dream of right from under people's feet as if it were nothing. He now works to make decisions that could have lasting effects on the Bloomsburg campus, even if students do not see it every day. It quickly altered his daily life and forced him to be under media attention day in and day out. 

    He goes on to say, "As you may know, even if students do not actually realize the full extent of CGA, it does in fact control and determine a lot of what they see and experience here!"

    Throughout his days, it is filled with Senate and Executive board meetings every Monday, BIG Event planning, piles of emails, and paperwork that can keep him busy for the duration of his day. This does not stay only in the office with him; CGA is, as he calls it, "Another full-time job on top of my first one, being an RA." The pace he is at may sometimes exhaust him, but one thing he never does is give out negative comments about CGA. He would say that he loves this job with his heart, and speaks highly of the organization, noting the work they do for funded events, supporting all organizations, and improving the daily life of students on and off campus. Whereas others see all the work that comes with holding this title and position, Chaz sees it as a true form of leadership, purpose, and an opportunity to make a long-lasting impact on the community around Bloomsburg, including the town. " Since I am going to spend so much of my precious time on something on campus," he announced, "it really has to be something big and make a real difference here." Chaz Kaszuba takes things seriously, but do not be intimidated by that human-sized capybara, who is as "sweet as sugar," like he would say.