Gavin andTatum Davis run on the Front Lawn Nov. 7, 2019. The Cathcart dorm family lived on campus for 10 years. I photo by MadisonMeyer Dorm children lived on campus year-round in residence halls. Every residence hall on Harding's campus had a "dorm family" occupying it. As Harding students came and went, the dorm families stayed. Their children grew up living in a dormitory for college students. The 2019-20 school year was Heather Davis' 10th year as a residence life coordinator or "dorm mom" for women's residence Cathcart Hall. Davis, mother of seven, said she loved the way Harding students interacted with her children and treated them as their younger siblings. "They really love seeing the kids, unless they are being exceptionally annoying," Davis said. "I think that having a bunch of kids running around maybe makes it homier." Davis said sometimes it felt like they were in a fishbowl because of the lack of privacy in their lives. But, overall, the whole family loved living in the dorm, and she enjoyed giving her children a unique childhood. Jana Willis worked as the dorm mom in women's residence Kendall Hall. Willis said she and her family loved everything about living on campus, especially the safety of the environment for her children. "We love the atmosphere because it is a safe atmosphere, and the kids have this huge playground," Willis said. "The kids think they are hot stuff because they know the big kids, and the big kids look out for them, which I am thankful for." Willis said staying up late for work and getting up early with the children was the hardest adjustment, but it was worth it because she got to spend time with her family. "It has allowed me to spend a lot of time witl1 my kids," Willis said. "And to me, that is invaluable, so I am not going to ever take that for granted." Emily Myers completed her 12th year as dorm mom for men's residence Armstrong Hall. Myers' children included five girls, and she considered the men living in Armstrong to be an extension of those children. She said this cultivated a unique experience for her daughters over the years. "It has given my kids a lot of big brothers that they wouldn't have," Myers said. "When we hire [resident assistants], we hire you into our family." Myers said her children loved campus life so much that one of her daughters wanted to take over her mother's job when she retired. All three dorm moms said the most important thing about living on campus was the opportunities it provided their children to make connections. They said some of the strongest relationships they formed were with other dorm families on campus. "It is kind of a community because there are other dorm moms with kids," Willis said. "We just all understand each other because we all understand the life, and it has been a good thing." story by Emma Vaughn student life 31
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