Resident Housing Association elects new officials
During the Central Campus Area Governments elections held Thursday, Sept. 4, Steve Mortenson was elected president, with Harrison Stranc as vice president, and Chad Jacobs as advocacy rep, working with the Resident Housing Association.
RHA and Area Government promote involvement in campus life, said the central campus area government adviser. RHA is a group that provides for the betterment of resident facilities such as parking lots, living spaces, and cafeterias. The more students who live on campus and utilize these facilities, the more money is made available for improvements. The RHA constitution states the reason RHA was established is, “to enhance the quality of residence life and to effectively provide a voice for the residents.”
In past years, the adviser said RHA has spearheaded projects like getting better food in the Junction, repainting the parking lot, and recarpeting floors in dorms. The RHA is available for resources to make small changes like cloth towels in the bathrooms instead of paper towels, or big projects like tackling food problems in the Junction.
RHA is also connected to Area Government, watching over and helping those involved. Area Government plans activities that interest the community. Last year Area Government hosted a Super Bowl party as well as many events in and around the residence halls, said Central Campus Area Government adviser.
Area Government elections for the 2008-09 school year were held in the Junction. There were eight positions to be filled. Sarah Cody, the new conferencing committee representative, ran with her her pink ceramic flamingo named Gilbert as
co-chair.
“I have Gilbert. Gilbert watches out the window and over the community,” Cody said.
She ran against another team for the events committee, Braxton Andersen and Brandon Thaler. They said they ran on the idea that with two people, they have twice as many ideas.
“We have out-of-control fun,” Thaler said.
The Advocacy Committee is the committee that reports and tries to change conditions. Chad Jacobs, new advocacy committee representative, said that he was more confident when he is around happy people, so he would do all he could to help central campus.
The Administrative Committee is made up of those behind the scenes, taking notes, pictures and keeping track of the money. Josh Clemonts, the new Administrative Committee representative, exerted his note-taking skill over that of his running mates by mentioning the people that have tried to pay for a copy of his class notes.
The vice president candidates had to answer how they’d live with the only having the limelight, and never the spotlight. VP hopeful Alexandro Martinez said he didn’t have a problem without being noticed, drawing upon his high school experiences.
“I was a lineman in high school football,” he said. “I don’t need the glory.”
The six presidential candidates talked about their experience with leadership, pressure, and supervising others. The runners were asked about what distinguished them from others, how they would handle the stress, and whether they expected others to seek them out, or if they would do the work in looking for ways to help.
Steve Mortenson, new RHA president, told the onlookers about the times he stayed calm as an EMT, “even when I had drunk teens throwing up all over me.”
The general council is a group of people under the committee chairs that help get tasks done and is open to anyone all year long. To talk to a representative, stop by the RHA office in Bullen Hall, located in central campus.
–april.ashland@aggiemail.usu.edu