By the Fire
Every Resident Advisor on campus works at least one night of the week in their communal living areas. Duty night, the coined term for such nights, is a 5-hour shift where the only task is to assist residents who walk in. These duties range from teaching students how to use the laundry machines to helping students who lock themselves out of their apartment to competing in heated matches of Settlers of Catan. Most nights involve plenty of comedy television and roommates stopping by to bother you, but some nights are a little more interesting. Last night would be an example.
My Tuesday duty night started off quiet, which I don’t mind really. I am still sending off internship applications, and Tuesday nights will be the ideal time to do just that. Two hours into the night, though, my back felt sore and I needed to stop revising cover letters. Luckily a resident walked in and asked if someone could light the fire pit by the barbecues. I jumped at that opportunity before any of the other RAs could and breathed in the crisp Riverside night air.
Now lighting the gas fire pit is literally as easy as 1-2-3. You unlock the latch, turn on the gas and light the pit. This time around should’ve been just as simple. As one of the few men on duty, the girls usually look to me for pyrotechnics, and I willingly accept that responsibility. It was cold out, though, and I wanted to light the fire pit as quick as possible. I unlocked the latch, turned on the gas, and placed the flame near the gas. The pit lit up quickly, but with a little more bursting flame than normal. I walked away a little dazed, and then smelled something crispy in the air. I checked eye brows, and felt relieved to see only my hair over my forehead singed a bit. The terrible smell stayed, but my face was OK, and I had something to laugh about for the rest of the night.
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