University Magazine, a website featuring tips for college students, ranked Simpson College 21 out of 29 schools in Iowa for its dorm life. The article said the school fostered “collaboration, personal growth and lasting friendships” through a small-campus feel, which is an aspect Community Advisors (CAs) Araceli Tapetillo and Brady Siders believe Simpson excels in.
Simpson prides itself on its community feel, supportive staff and involvement opportunities, which is exactly what University Magazine flaunted about the college in its article. The website said the school and its inviting and encouraging atmosphere were frequently mentioned in student reviews on Iowa dorms.
Siders said his favorite part about being a CA is the staff’s relationships with each other. He felt similarly about the sense of community the small campus brings.
“You’re always passing by someone in the hallway that you know, which I think builds a pretty big community around here,” Siders said. “Community is a great one they excel in.”
Tapetillo felt working as a CA was a good opportunity to expand her knowledge of the resources available on campus and act as a resource herself. She said she enjoys getting to know students on a personal level.
“There’s a lot to do on campus, there’s a lot of organizations and activities,” Tapetillo said. “With help of organizations you get to know people in different circumstances.”
Tapetillo also said having open communication as a CA helps to get to know people and aids in creating a communal feel.
“Being able to be a resource, I think, is my favorite part, and being able to use it not only for other CA’s but also residents and students across campus,” she said.
As part of the staff, she enjoys seeing how each CA caters to residents’ needs.
While the article wrote positively about the college, Siders believes the school still has room for improvement regarding living circumstances and additions to dorm life.
“We just need to probably renovate or get a new one that’s more catered towards the 2025 generation,” he said.
Siders also said the lack of space should be addressed within the Residence Life team sooner, which would boost the college’s dorm life ranking.
“We need to do something about that to give them optimal space for our rate to go higher,” he said.
Tapetillo said the Residence Life team does its best to receive student feedback and would love to hear what students have to say about dorm life beyond the physical aspects of the buildings. She said the most important aspect of dorm life to her is understanding how both Residence Life and CA can cater to students’ needs.
“I’d be happy to hear how I can improve, but also how Residence Life on campus can improve apart from buildings,” she said. “Sometimes that’s better said anonymously.”
Tapetillo strongly encouraged students to fill out the Residence Life surveys so CAs and the Residence Life team can make efforts to improve the campus further for future generations.