Ryan Service: UPG’s new night residence hall coordinatorBy Kristi Cummins / Staff writer

Some students might not know that there is a staff member working on campus at night. All night, that is. Ryan Service is on duty from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday through Thursday.

Service is UPG’s new night residence hall coordinator. Every night his shift includes checking in with each residence hall, being there in case of an incident or emergency, and then delivering the Tribune-Review newspapers around campus in the early hours of the morning. He visits with the resident assistants in each building, but spends the majority of the night at the front desk in College Hall.

“My sleep schedule’s off a little bit, but I’m a big night person,” Service said, “which works well with this job. I’d rather do this than get up at 6 a.m. every day.”

At 23 years old, Service looks like the typical, fresh-out-of-college guy. His smile and relaxed manner make him approachable. Every night, he dresses business casually for work, which is his personal, professional choice. This position is his first real job since graduating from college.

“It’s a challenge trying to separate yourself from the students when it’s time to enforce the rules,” Service said. “It’s not personal. It’s just part of the job. But everyone here is really nice and has been very welcoming.”

Service grew up and attended school in Latrobe, which he pronounces Lay-trobe, like the natives from there often do. He worked at Idlewild as a manager and supervisor for five years. After that, he went to college at Kent State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. At KSU, he considered himself a good student and worked as a resident assistant for five semesters.

“I learned that there was a time to have fun and a time to do work, and everyone has to find that balance. At Kent State I lived in a building with 550 people, so nothing that’s happened here has been too surprising, yet,” he said.

Eventually, Service plans on getting his masters in student affairs at the Oakland campus. He has been considering taking a class or two here at Pitt-Greensburg in the future.

Around 4 a.m., during the quiet hours of his shift, he works on his pool skills in College Hall by himself. When he’s not on campus working the graveyard shift, or at home sleeping off the graveyard shift, he leads a normal life. Outside of work, he has a good relationship with his family, plays video games, hangs out with friends and enjoys volleyball.

“I didn’t want to work at an office. I wanted to work at a college,” Service said. “The benefit of working at a college, even a smaller one, is its diversity. You can get into almost anything. I enjoy working with students and seeing them succeed.”