Spotlight RA.

Spesia: Researching for Ed's

Again, the real secret to St. Edward's Hall is its staff, particularly its resident assistants (RAs). These dedicated, undergraduate seniors are to the Hall as the Jedi Knights were to the Old Republic of Star Wars. Who are these seniors? Let's put the spotlight on one of them... the 4th floor wing Resident Assistant, Frank Spesia.

St.Ed: Why did you become an resident assistant (RA) for your senior year?  As a senior wouldn’t you just want to roam the hallways as a “traveling troubadour,” playing sweet nothings on your guitar? 

Spesia: I became an RA after I failed the tryout for the Irish Troubadour Club Team. I was so devastated- I felt like my dreams had been crushed forever. Naturally, I wanted to become an RA so that I could train the future troubadours of Notre Dame, and continue helping the Club Team that I loved, even after they spurned me.

St.Ed: If the Hall Staff was the cast of Star Wars, who would you be? Still yet, who would your fellow staff members be?

Spesia: I am not a huge Star Wars buff, so don't expect anything insightful here. I picture myself as the Han Solo of the hall staff- my heart is in the right place, but sometimes I have to play by my own rules. Obviously Chris Hecht is Chewbacca, due to his incredibly long arms, and Vaishnav is Princess Leia due to his excellent (some would say noble) posture. Dan Meehan is Lando, who I just learned about. Sometimes does sketchy things, but it doesn't matter because he is the mayor. Dawson is C3P0 witty, and has the sneaky one liner at the ready. And finally, Fr. Ralph told me, "You must say that I am Yoda" so... Yoda he is.

St.Ed: The fourth floor of Steds is the most popular floor in the Hall, but what makes the 4th floor wing the most special part of the floor?

Spesia: As a 4 year resident of the 4th floor, I can attest to the special nature of the highest level of the building. 4 Wing is extra special because it has all of the attractions- the bathroom, the water fountain, the elevator, and my room are all on 4 Wing. It comes down to location, location, location. And we on the wing have all the locations.

St.Ed: Rumor has it that you are a member of the Hall Staff’s Fantasy football league. Can you share how the league is shaping up?

Spesia: This year's fantasy football league is an absolute thriller. It has everything- rivalry, trash talk, betrayal, treasure maps, and forbidden romance. I wish I could say that I'm winning the league, but unfortunately I've been really focused on my studies this semester, so I've had basically no free time to invest in my squad. I also took some bad intel and drafted several players who retired in the late 2000s. 

St.Ed: Being an RA for over a semester now, what’s something that you learned about the Hall?

Spesia: Man, and I thought the Star Wars question was hard. I learned that the number of keys needed for an RA to do their job is complete overkill, and that when in doubt, you should print your paper the night before.

St.Ed: What would you want your legacy to be at Steds?

Spesia: I want my Steds tombstone to say, "He was always generous, and he strove to please. His heart was big, but his funny bone was bigger. Those who knew him often called him the coolest cat on campus, but those who didn't know him probably weren't missing too much, in the grand scheme of things. He was a terrible singer, but he sang in the hallways anyway, and he did it for the love of the game."

St.Ed: Frank, thanks for all that you do!