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NEWS
| JAN. 24
Student Life
Housing group lacks leadership
The Residence Hall Association
is dealing with the loss of its two top officials and low turn out
at meeting and activities.
By Marisa
Alvarado
Contribution to The Shorthorn
The Residence Hall Association faces a
setback after the president and vice president resigned over the
winter break.
The group was already dealing with low turn out at their meetings
and activities last semester and now they must cope with the loss
of the two top positions. Charity fundraisers and community service
projects are being put on hold so the group can focus on their main
event of the semester, the Resident Life Block Party.
“It’s unfortunate we won’t be able to get to accomplish
them this semester,” RHA adviser Crystal Hall said, “We
just don’t have enough people to do it all.”
The group, which formed in fall 2001, attempts to promote unity
within the dorms and to serve as a medium between residents and
administration.
But the lack of manpower means some issues will be put on the back
burner, she said. Last semester, the RHA proposed to revise the
pet policy in the dorms to include more underwater animals beside
fish, but nothing was decided. The proposal was supposed to be discussed
further this semester, but a decision will have to wait, she said.
Jared Peters, Arlington Hall co-director, said there should not
be a negative effect because the Arlington Hall Council still functions
without the RHA and will provide resident involvement within their
hall.
Arlington Hall representative Alex Solano said she wants to see
more interaction with the Hall Council and the RHA in the future.
“Right now, they’re seen as two separate organizations,
and I think there should be a tighter bond,” she said. Past
activities sponsored by the RHA include a post-Sept. 11 Stars and
Stripes Bash, a residence hall flag competition and working with
parents to send care packages to residents during finals week.
Ideally, Hall said, the number of representatives would be proportionate
to dorm population. Currently, Lipscomb Hall, the second largest
dorm, has two representatives to Arlington Hall’s five, Trinity
House’s four and Brazos House’s three.
Hall said it is uncertain how long it could take for representatives
to elect new officers. In the meantime, she will pick up some of
the slack left by the vacancies until new officers are elected,
she said.
“I’ll be assuming some of the roles the other offices
did,” Hall said. “But no one is going to go around and
call me the president.”
The RHA grew from the Residence Hall Advisory Board, which disbanded
in spring 2001. In that group, only the presidents of the halls
would meet for discussions with the director of Housing and Residence
Life.
Hall said the RHA was established to open communication between
administration and all students.
“It’s difficult to get a new organization off the ground,”
Hall said. “I had to learn everything and promote as I learned.”
George Peña, second semester Arlington Hall representative,
said interaction between the RHA and the hall councils will take
some time.
Peña said the RHA will display its name with the Block Party
advertisement to promote the organization.
“We’re going to make sure they know the event is sponsored
by RHA, provided to them by RHA,” he said. “We’re
going to make sure they know we’re here.”
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