In their inaugural semester, the Residential Hall Association plans to unite Loyola University residents and faculty through weekly forums beginning Feb. 22.
These forums, or general assemblies, will give residents a voice and the chance to discuss anything from pie-eating contests to new policies within the residence halls. With a $4,000 budget, RHA is waiting to see how Loyola’s residents will want to spend that money.
“Different topics will come up once students begin to see RHA as sort of a homeowner’s association for on-campus students,” said RHA advisor and area director for Buddig Hall, Amy Brasseur.
Amid building their infrastructure, RHA holds many ideas on ways to generate excitement into Loyola’s residential community. Currently, RHA is planning a marketing campaign beginning with flyers to gain student support before Feb. 22.
“If students can get behind this, (RHA) can grow exponentially,” said RHA treasurer and graphic arts freshman Kim Buras.
Buras believes the marketing campaign will help residents realize that RHA can establish an important relationship between themselves and university officials.
At their first general assembly, RHA will present their constitution. The ratification of that constitution will be March 1.
The association exists in two fashions. One is to mediate between residents and faculty, and the other is to better life inside the residence halls. The main initiative will come from the students, however, since RHA’s executive board members come mostly from the residence hall councils.
“It’s all about us, it’s all about the students … that’s what we’re emphasizing,” Buras said.
In addition, RHA hopes to learn how to have a student-focused environment from other programs in the country. Its members want to explore other universities’ experiences to see how RHA can benefit the Loyola community.
Brasseur believes RHA will help residential students to take pride and ownership in where they live. It will establish a more unified connection for residents rather than to just their individual residence halls. This sort of backing could create more direct messages for what on-campus students desire.
“Students have a say in where they live,” Brasseur said.
In the past, residence hall councils have not always been able to promote what students want. Now with RHA, any resident has the means to speak their mind and have support behind them.
“Res Council had big ideas, but sometimes they wouldn’t be able to execute. But with RHA it might be the push that students need to see objectives through,” said Buddig desk assistant and mass communication junior Jodi Forte.
With more student support, RHA plans to change the divided residence councils and bring them together with students to create the envisioned forum.
“RHA seems to be part of the effort to make Loyola a more residential university,” said Biever desk assistant and biology senior Madeline Domma.
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