When it comes to living spaces on college, there are a number of organizations that work to promote residence hall events and address student concerns. The Residence Hall Association is a student organization committed to making the campus's residence halls a fun, safe place to live.
Secretary Julie Erickson, who has been involved with RHA since her first semester of freshman year, said she works on the campus change committee within RHA to help solve residential hall issues and work on improving sustainability-related initiatives.
Erickson said she was first impressed by the RHA's influence on campus. She said RHA's mission is to cater to both the residents and the on-campus community.
"Through different programming events, leadership development opportunities, and by empowering students to make a change on their own campus, we try to act as a bit of a liaison between residents in the residence halls and administrative, like residential life offices," she said.
The Residence Hall Association holds weekly meetings, which anyone is welcome to attend. At the meetings, the general assembly converses about ways to attain the student organization's mission through discussion of residents' concerns and preparation of special event programs.
There are two main events organized by RHA. In the fall, the biggest program is Sex Fest, a safe sexual education event. For the spring, there is a celebration for Earth Day, which revolves around the issue of sustainability.
Erickson said she enjoyed last year's Earth Day program and events leading up to the occasion, which includes an energy challenge between the campus's residence halls.
She said she liked the energy challenge because she is highly interested in sustainability.
"An energy war between the residence halls, the [residence hall] that had the most overall least energy used won a pizza party at the end," she said.
For this semester, RHA is currently working on organizing a trivia night, as well as its annual Earth Day event on April 21, with modifications to the energy challenge and prizes.
Students and non-members of RHA who are interested in attending future meetings and events can stop by 8:15 pm on Tuesday nights in the Taughannock Falls Room; email rha@ithaca.edu; or visit their Facebook and twitter.
For more information on RHA and other student Organization's accomplishments check out the latest edition to Club Hub.
