Case studies 2.25.18

1. Case Study #1:
Fiona and Katie are first year roommates. Fiona is from a small town about an hour outside of
Portland. Katie was born and raised in Anchorage. At first, both roommates seemed to get along,
both were excited to start their first year of college, and both were taking similar courses. It’s
November, and Katie comes to your door asking if you have a minute to talk.
Katie tells you that Fiona is not working out as a roommate. She says that Fiona is always in the
room, and always wants to know what Katie is doing. Katie also mentions that earlier in the
semester, Fiona made a comment about how “all the “natives” are here on scholarship and to keep
diversity numbers up”. Katie, having grown up in Anchorage, has a diverse group of friends,
including many who are Alaska Native. She was offended by Fiona’s comment, but didn’t confront
her about it because she didn’t want to start anything. Now, Fiona is really starting to get on Katie’s
nerves: always wanting to know where she is, and getting offended when Katie doesn’t invite her
to come out with her. Katie thinks it’s pretty weird that Fiona hasn’t made any friends of her own,
and she wants to move out and move in with a friend she’s known since high school in another
quad.
In the interactions you have had with Fiona up to this point, she tells you that her and Katie are
best friends. She loves having her as a roommate, and sees them as inseparable.

2. Case Study #2:
Mary and Allison grew up together in Hawaii and are now
roommates in North Hall. Allison comes to you one night in
September with a concern about Mary. Allison says that since
they have come to college, Mary has been drinking and going
out a lot. Allison says Mary will often come back to the room
drunk, and crying that she misses her life back home. Allison
cares about Mary, and wants her to succeed, but staying up
most nights with her is affecting Allison’s ability to focus in
classes. She stresses that she doesn’t want Mary to get into any
trouble for drinking, but that she is worried that she can’t be
the only support for her anymore. She asks you if you can talk
to Mary, without getting her in trouble.

3. Case Study #3:
Andrew and Kyle are random roommates that were assigned at the beginning of this
year. Andrew is from Seattle. Kyle is from Ohio. When they first moved in, Andrew
noticed that Kyle had a “Make America Great Again” hat in his things. Andrew
assumes this is not a big deal. As the time has gone on, Kyle has brought up how
everyone up here is a “liberal”, and how the school is full of “liberal bias”. Andrew
told him it was probably just an adjustment moving from the mid-west. Last week,
Kyle came back from a political science class and began ranting about how UAA was
part of the “liberal biased left”, and that the professor was pushing his “fake news
media liberal agenda” on the class. Andrew decides he’s had enough and starts
going off on Kyle about how stupid he thinks Trump is. You overhear the pair arguing
as you are walking to your room. Tensions are rising and you overhear Andrew say
“only a real moron would believe Trump is fit to be president”, to which Kyle says “at
least it’s better than stupid Killary in office”.