“Ultimately, if all I can do is point people to Jesus, that’s all I really need to do” said sophomore and newly minted discipleship assistant (DA) Brandon Kruger.
Kruger’s decision to become a DA on the second floor of Samuel Morris Hall (Sammy) was influenced by the mentorship of his DA and good friend his freshman year.
“Last year, I was the only freshman on the South Wing of Sammy Two and that was kind of terrifying for me, because I felt really secluded.” Kruger said. “So the DA on my wing last year — his name is Darren Nouri — really welcomed me in… He was really just drawing me out of my shell, making sure I was fitting in, and just inviting me to do stuff with him and his friends.”
Nouri led a bible study and a Dangerous Men group that Kruger participated in, modeling to Kruger the intentional community that Taylor seeks to display to all its incoming freshmen.
Kruger views Nouri’s influence as formative for his freshman year.
“I was very, very, quiet when I first came in,” Kruger said. “I did not want to leave college at all; I was terrified to leave home. And he really helped me to get through that, just by praying with me. He was always there for me and he made me feel like I belonged. So I just want to give that same experience to others.”
As DA, Kruger’s focus is on creating that same intentional community on Sammy Two and fostering relationships between floormates. Floor leaders are trained to bring out introverted members of the community and to ensure the more extroverted members include them.
One of the changes Kruger is making to achieve that goal is instituting an open-door policy on Sammy Two, seeking to ensure the norm for the floor is a welcoming attitude.
“It’s a great way for me to tell freshmen, like, ‘hey, walk on in. Get to know me. Have a conversation,’” Kruger said. “When the freshmen leave their door open, I’ll sometimes pop in just to check in on them. So I think it’s great for everyone, but especially for introverts or people who are less comfortable in a new environment. I think it’s a really great way to be proactive about inviting them in. It goes a long way; I can speak from experience.”
Ultimately, though, as DA, Kruger seeks to care for the spiritual health of the floor, including leading a bible study and leading worship nights. Kruger is currently in the process of planning his bible study on the Fruits of the Spirit and plans to start it soon. Given high engagement levels with last year’s bible study, Kruger hopes for a high turnout.
Simultaneously, though, there have been some floor issues that Kruger is trying to change for the better.
“We had a big floor event at the beginning of the year — it’s very strange; the details aren’t relevant,” Kruger said. ‘ I’m really glad the freshmen are extroverted and willing to put themselves out there — they’re very comfortable — but they were wearing some not very appropriate things, stuff that was kind of revealing, and we were going out in public for the event,” Kruger said. “They’re making some inappropriate jokes and comments that I don’t feel are very glorifying to God or the best example of what it means to live on Sammy Two.”
Kruger seeks to counsel his floormates into greater maturity in part by leading by example. Recognizing that the rambunctious behavior of freshmen is motivated by their desire and need to fit in to a new situation, he recognizes that upperclassmen can demonstrate the maturity that living in a communal space needs, and that, along with the work of the Lord, can cause change in the lives of the new students.
In doing so, Kruger hopes to better the community of Sammy Two and keep it on its path to a truly mature and close-knit group of students.
“Sammy Two, we do a lot of really fun and big stuff and I want to keep that — that’s part of what makes being on the floor so fun — but I also want students to be comfortable being vulnerable with each other…” Kruger said. “So, ultimately, the big end goal, at least from my perspective, is, one, having a floor that loves Jesus, but two, being willing to be vulnerable and real with each other. We put up so many facades all day, just to make it through the day, but if we can be real and vulnerable with each other, I think that would go a long way cultivating a sense of belonging.”
