Resident Assistants

CalArts Residents Assistants 22-23

About the RA Staff

The community of the residence halls is maintained and enhanced by a Residence Life staff, which includes 12 Resident Assistants (RAs). RAs are returning students who have been chosen to assist the Residence Life staff with residents and their housing needs.

RAs:

  • Have been trained in first aid and CPR
  • Offer personal support to students
  • Facilitate better social contact among residents by organizing activities and special events
  • Provide an escort for those residents walking to the dorms or their car at night, as requested
  • Provide referral information to students who seek help
  • Maintain strict confidentiality regarding personal problems shared with them and are the front line negotiators in room conflicts, and are helpful in resolving conflicts
  • Manage the Residence Life facilities after office hours
  • Have regularly scheduled, posted in-room hours 

RA Bios


Resident Assistant - Arden DiManno

Program: Acting

Year: BFA 3

What inspired you to become an RA: Because of COVID, I experienced my entire first year on Zoom which means I missed out on so many quintessential things like living in a dorm. Now that I am a more established member of the CalArts community I wanted to give myself the chance to live in the dorms while also putting my experience and knowledge of the campus to good use to help the incoming class! I want to give the BFA1s the same kind of warm welcome and love that I received when I arrived at CalArts!

Artistic goals while at CalArts & beyond: While at CalArts, I would love to put on a production of an original play I have written. I would also love to perform at Drag Ball at least once! Beyond school, my ultimate goal is just to create art that makes people laugh. The world around us can be so heavy and hard to digest and I think creating lighthearted and funny work can be so helpful for navigating difficult times.

What you'd give to the CalArts Community: A brand new library! I spent so much time in our campus library last year and I would love to gift the school a new library building.

Fun Fact: I know every word to every Taylor Swift song (you can quiz me)

 

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Resident Assistant - Brent Charles

Program: Composition & Experimental Sound Practices

Year: BFA 4

What are you most excited about as a RA: Making new friends!

What are your artistic goals while at CalArts and beyond: Make music for films!

If you could be an animal for 1 day, what would you be and why: I would be an orca. They have the second largest brains of all marine mammals, and are very cute.

Fun Fact: I started college as a neuroscience major.

 

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Resident Assistant - Cheyenne Knehans

Program: Acting

Year: BFA 3

What inspired you to become an RA: Community building between RA's and also between students!!

What are you artistic goals while at CalArts and beyond: Establish/familiarize myself with my current casting type, gain confidence in behind the scenes/production skills, network, establish a firm routine that serves me, establish a community of artists in the LA area/wherever I may go, make films with friends... lots of very broad goals :)

The best place to study on campus: The Irene or F100A (or a nice, soft patch of grass!)

Words of CalArts Wisdom: Socialize & go to gallery nights, but also set time aside for yourself & for your practice! Discipline is key, but don't forget to have down time & SLEEP TIME!

 

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Resident Assistant - Christina Woo

Program: Film & Video/Character Animation

Year: BFA 4

What inspired you to become an RA: I love getting more involved with the CalArts community and meeting new people.

What are you artistic goals while at CalArts and beyond: I want to be a writer/director/story artist. Hopefully win an Oscar/Emmy one day.

If you could give anything to the CalArts Community, what would it be: Bringing back Popcorn Wednesdays and putting Celsius in the vending machines.

Words of Wisdom: Don't take things too seriously!!!

 

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Resident Assistant - Celeste Ollivier

Program: Experimental Pop/Humanities

Year: BFA 4

What are you most excited about as a RA: Facilitating better community at CalArts and being a support system.

What are your artisitic goals while at CalArts and beyond: To create limitless art.

If you could give anything to the CalArts Community, what would it be: Long lasting friendships and experiences.

Fun Fact: I have a phobia of whales.

 

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Resident Assistant - Cian Pickron

Program: ​​Stage Management/Creative Management

Year: BFA 4

What inspired you to become an RA: Creating a community and being able to support students who may be far from home and not know anyone here.

What are your artistic goals while at CalArts and beyond: While at CalArts I want to create that place for creative experimentation and collaboration that Calarts is supposed to be about. Long term my dream job is being 1st AD for film, more specifically for A24 or Monkeypaw Productions.

Words of Wisdom: It will get done, don't worry

If you could be an animal for 1 day, what would it be and why: Fangtooth Fish because they just roam the deep sea where we can't go because the pressure is too much. I just wanna go look around and see what is down there that we can't see.

 

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Resident Assistant - Emily Tschirhart

Program: Expermental Pop

Year: BFA 3

What inspired you to become an RA: It's a job that really matches my personality. Plus I would love to be helpful and a figure of responsibility!

What are your artistic goals while at CalArts and beyond: Learn as much as I can, become competent with my work so I feel like I can step away.

Words of Wisdom: Get Sleep. Take Walks. Eat UR Veggies. Clean UR Room. You do not have to relate to art like anyone else on campus!!! You are here on your own merit!

If you could be an animal for 1 day, what would it be and why: Okay so maybe a dragon doesn't count but I'm gonna say it anyways. I wanna be a dragon. Dragons are sick and they can breathe fire. They can fly too. I'm pretty much halfway there. I just need some extra scales or something.

 

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Resident Assistant - Jeffrey Gibson

Program: ​​Experimental Animation

Year: BFA 2

What inspired you to become an RA: What inspired me to become an RA is to get to know the CalArts community better; while I'm here I am trying my best to know everything I am able to. What makes a space what it is, is the people in it. The thought of helping out my peers to the best of my ability is exciting to me and I can't wait to meet everyone!

What are your artistic goals while at CalArts and beyond: My greatest passion is film making; at CalArts I want to explore every resource I have available to inform my practice. Beyond CalArts I would love to work in the animation industry and contribute to the wide array of experimental content in children's & adult media.

Words of Wisdom: Your peers are your collaborators NOT your competition. Be nice to yourself!

Fun Facts: I am always working on something art wise. I cannot function if not currently working on a project; it's my favorite thing in the world! I always have multiple projects (personal and work) going at a time. I am often so overwhelmed with ideas that I have to make something from it, and making stuff is my idea of fun.

 

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Program: VoiceArts

Year: BFA 4

What inspired you to become an RA: In my first year at CalArts, I remember being so inspired by my own RA that it made me want to be one with everything I am. Watching her be able to create a safe and friendly community was beautiful and I want to be able to continue that. After being an RA for the past school year, I loved being able to take on that leadership role in making residents feel heard, welcomed, and most importantly- like they belonged. The relationships I was able to build with my fellow RA's and residents made it an easy choice to apply and come back as an RA again.

What are your artistic goals while at CalArts and beyond: Over my time at CalArts, I have really secured who I am as an artist- which is essential. My goals circle around the idea of bettering myself as a vocalist, songwriter, and instrumentalist. I also hope to gain skills to better myself when describing myself as an artist to other people and be considered well-spoken. My dream is to be a successful recording artist while working as an artist in the film/tv universe.

Words of Wisdom: Remember to always have time to ground yourself. As artists, it can be really difficult to find time to breath and recollect ourselves. Since we are going, going, going; finding a safe space, an uplifting activity (etc), is eessential to keep you from feeling the CalArts burn out, and can help ease perfectionism.

Fun Fact: I am a professional Disney Princess

 

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Resident Assistant - Justine Gorry

Program: ​​Acting

Year: BFA 3

What are you most excited about as a RA:  I'm excited about the events we program for the students, and for sharing memories with the team.

What are your artisitc goals while at Calarts and beyond: My goal is to story-tell on stage and screen at a capacity that supports my family, and myself financially. :) I also just want to soak up all the info I can -- learn from my peers, instructors, experiences, and grow more and more as the weeks pass. I want to be an artist that puts in heaps of healthy effort into my work, and loves it in equal measure.

If you could give anything to the CalArts Community, what would it be and why: There is so much I could say here, but for the sake of time, I say puppies. And if you're allergic to puppies, then a different small cute soul - nurturing animal of choice.

Fun Fact: I was originally a nursing student, and I have my Psyche Degree

 

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Resident Assistant - Quinn Argent

Program: Character Animation

Year: BFA 4

What inspired you to become an RA: I was a precollege RA and academic year RA at my previous school and I loved the bond I was able to develop with my fellow RAs and my residents. It felt great to cultivate a community where students felt safe, comfortable, and at home.

What are your artistic goals while at Calarts and beyond: Currently at CalArts I want to finish my 4th year film and create something that is personal and that I am proud of. After Calarts, I would like to work for a studio and eventually take the role of being an Art Director one day.

Words of Wisdom: Take at least 2 out of the 7 days to spend time with friends or yourself!

Fun Fact: When I have the free time, I like to foster dogs and puppies! Eventually when I am retired and old, I'd like to have a senior dog sanctuary.

 

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Resident Assistant - Rafael A. Lopez

Program: Film/Video

Year: BFA 4

What are you most excited about as a RA: Fostering a safe environment and community for students while meeting new talented artists.

What are your artistic goals while at CalArts and beyond: Expanding my screenwriting portfolio but also exploring new creative ways to express myself through the medium of film

Words of Wisdom: Don't forget to nap (and be kind to yourself) <3

If you could be an animal for 1 day, what would you be and why: A cat, to see if I would also be allergic to myself...

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