2008 Woodie Awards
RHA announces leadership candidates
Ben Slivnick
Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: News
RHA Vice President Sumner Handy will likely head this legislature for on-campus students next year, after he was the only presidential candidate announced at the organization's meeting last night.
In his campaign speech, Handy vowed to lead the Residence Halls Association to a new level of prominence through fostering closer connections with resident students and by meeting more frequently with high-ranking university officials.
"We don't need to be larger, but we need to be more visible, more effective," he said in his opening remarks.
But in light of Resident Life's dismissal of 639 returning students from dorms two weeks ago, Handy said in an interview the university's housing shortage will be one of the most important issues the RHA will face next year.
Although he only briefly mentioned the shortage in his speech, RHA senators grilled him on his plans to help improve the most troubling issue resident students faced this year in a question and answer session afterwards. One senator, Sarah Ahmad, contested whether the organization was overshadowed by the Student Government Association since the problem broke out.
Handy said the RHA could have been more visible on the issue, especially given that it is advised by Resident Life. But he maintained the organization responded to the issue by working with Resident Life to host a housing forum last week and sending RHA President Mike LaBattaglia with SGA President Emma Simson to Friday's Board of Regents meeting although he did not speak.
Still, he said the RHA could have done more.
"That's a good point," he said addressing Ahmad's question. "The RHA should have been more visible. ... I haven't had extensive conversations with Resident Life yet. But we're working toward that point."
In an interview, he clarified that while he wasn't entirely up to speed on housing development issues, he said he planned to focus on reforming Resident Life's internal structure by looking into its priority policy and the timing of dorm room selection.
In his campaign speech, Handy vowed to lead the Residence Halls Association to a new level of prominence through fostering closer connections with resident students and by meeting more frequently with high-ranking university officials.
"We don't need to be larger, but we need to be more visible, more effective," he said in his opening remarks.
But in light of Resident Life's dismissal of 639 returning students from dorms two weeks ago, Handy said in an interview the university's housing shortage will be one of the most important issues the RHA will face next year.
Although he only briefly mentioned the shortage in his speech, RHA senators grilled him on his plans to help improve the most troubling issue resident students faced this year in a question and answer session afterwards. One senator, Sarah Ahmad, contested whether the organization was overshadowed by the Student Government Association since the problem broke out.
Handy said the RHA could have been more visible on the issue, especially given that it is advised by Resident Life. But he maintained the organization responded to the issue by working with Resident Life to host a housing forum last week and sending RHA President Mike LaBattaglia with SGA President Emma Simson to Friday's Board of Regents meeting although he did not speak.
Still, he said the RHA could have done more.
"That's a good point," he said addressing Ahmad's question. "The RHA should have been more visible. ... I haven't had extensive conversations with Resident Life yet. But we're working toward that point."
In an interview, he clarified that while he wasn't entirely up to speed on housing development issues, he said he planned to focus on reforming Resident Life's internal structure by looking into its priority policy and the timing of dorm room selection.
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