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Last Update:
2005-04-11 + 14:59:12
From Our President ARCHIVES

[ POSTED: 2008-08-18 ]
It's Fall Welcome! It is hard to believe that campus will be revived once again beginning this Wednesday as students move back to MSU's great campus. Don't worry, we'll be around and if you don't catch us in events during the week, be sure to check us out at Sparticipation this Saturday. Safe travels, and we'll see you soon.

[ POSTED: 2008-05-20 ]
Well, summer is here. It's a great time to take that much needed time to regroup and get ready for the future. That's what were doing, regrouping to better serve. If you need to contact RHA this summer please contact us.

[ POSTED: 2008-04-07 ]
I truly cannot believe that the semester is winding down. I want to take a moment to congratulate the following folks who will be serving on our executive board next year:

Vice President: Kevin Fleury
Chief of Staff: Sam Beadle
CFO: Ian Person
DTA: Paula Wade
DREPA: David Averill
Special Events: Anthony Carlo
Communications Coordinator: Emma Perot
Director of RHA TV: Scott Bishop
Director of Technology: Anthony McKenna
Director of Public Relations and Advertising: Jenni Lewis
Executive Secretary: Lauren Wood
Director of Health and Safety: Chelsey Green

Don't forget to come out to Sparty's Spring Party this Saturday at Dem. Field.

Lastly, I want to take a moment to comment briefly on the events, known as cedarfest. I was present for the duration of the evening and witnessed first hand, the use of munitions, while observing with members of the media and both Chiefs of Police. I think the police need to be commended for their restraint. Individual students that were causing problems were systematically identified. Then the crowd became too much. It is unfortunate how much this will cost the university in terms of reputation. I think it is important to note that of arrests made just barely a majority were MSU students and likewise with tickets issued. I truly hope we can move past events like this. It is events like this that make an impact of each one of us. I always think of a scenario like a job interview. When an employer sees your degree from MSU, what is the image you want them to have? I can guarantee it is not image of the events of that evening.

[ POSTED: 2008-03-18 ]
I want to take this opportunity to reflect on some recent things said in the media. I am writing, briefly, in regards to the 3/18 article "Sparks fly as ASMSU, RHA fight for Common." While I understand the role the State News has in our campus community, I think that this article severely mischaracterizes the relationship between the two organizations. First and foremost this is not a competition between the two organizations. In fact in many instances we have had the opportunity to collaborate and serve the students even better by partnerships. We are proud of these opportunities. We are two different associations with two different points of view and constituencies. With that, there are instances, in which collaboration is not possible. We have to ultimately decide to do what we feel is best for the students we represent. Further, the aims of both organizations are to be responsible to the tax payers and serve them to the best of our ability. Even the title of the article, which is perhaps the most mischaracterizing, implies immaturity and unprofessionalism, which I truly hope is not the public perception. Operating at a high level of professionalism is a high priority. I stress it is the intention of both organizations and their respective leaderships to best serve the students and admittedly we each have our strengths and weaknesses. . I want to thank the State News for their efforts on this campus, however, I think the relationship between these two organizations over one instance was portrayed in an extremely negative manner, which is simply not true. If you would like the truth regarding what your student leadership is doing, I encourage you to go to the source. The Residence Halls Association can be contacted at rha@msu.edu

[ POSTED: 2008-02-15 ]
I want to take a moment to reflect on the tragedy at Northern Illinois University. We join the community of NIU in mourning the losses and injuries they have experienced.

[ POSTED: 2008-02-04 ]
This week marks the unofficial start to the next session RHA as Presidential Nominations will open. We will also be meeting with Dr. Lee June VP for Student Affairs and Services; Karen McKnight-Casey, Director of the Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement; and Rachel Shapiro from the University Activities Board.

Be sure to vote in the poll to determine the benefactor of the 2nd annual charity ball, located on the right hand side of this page. The poll will close at 11:59pm on Thursday.

This past week in Case Hall 335/336, met with members of the Capital Area Transit Authority (CATA) regarding their proposed rate increases. We had a great exchange.

[ POSTED: 2008-01-28 ]
Last week, I gave the 5th annual state of the organization address. We also had a visit from MSU President Louanna K. Simon and a great exchange.

[ POSTED: 2008-01-18 ]
Today marks a great day for MSU. The Board of Trustees voted to proceed with a new Recycling Center. This truly marks a change of culture and RHA supports it fully. I took some time to address the board and here are my remarks:

President Simon and Honorable Trustees, My name is Mark Dobson and I am President of the Residence Halls Association. I am addressing you this morning to express the support of the on-campus population for the recycling center that you will be considering during the Finance Committee Report. Today is a very exciting day for Michigan State. As you may know the Residence Halls Association has had a history with recycling and with today?s vote, the recycling program of Michigan state will head in the direction it needs to. I am proud to stand here with the full support of RHA and the over 14,000 students we represent. At this institution, there are multitudes of ways in which students, staff and faculty learn outside of the classroom, and this comprehensive recycling program is no exception. Through the development of the program and the center at a place of higher learning like Michigan State, we are able to incorporate environmental stewardship and a certain sense of community responsibility, into the student experience. One can hope that this lifestyle, of being good stewards, will transfer with community members beyond Michigan State. Again, I trust that the board will lead us in the right direction. Today, I am confident that we all will renew our commitment to being green. Thank you for your time.

MSU and Grand Valley State University are hosting members of the Michigan Organization of Residence Halls Associations this weekend for the first annual GALA. It should be an great start to an awesome tradition.
Further, our budget has passed and the Spring Session is in full swing. Next week, President Simon will visit RHA in 132 Hubbard Hall at 5:30pm and I will give the State of the Organization later that evening. Feel free to contact us.

I had the opportunity to speak to members of MORHA this weekend. Here are my comments: Good Evening and Welcome to Michigan State, as if most of you aren?t sick of me yet! It is truly an honor to speak to you tonight. So, we have some folks here tonight, that might not be so familiar with everyone else in the room. Let?s help to aquaint them. SVSU GVSU U of M Central Baker of O Baker of M Western Eastern MSU Did I miss anyone?? Class RHA E-board Hall Council/Government NRHH Full Time Staff Where are my people that feel like they ought to be full time staff. I thought about how to go about addressing this group tonight. I thought about taking this opportunity to tell some generic college jokes that you could apply to any University, like for example, Students take note: Knowledge is power. But power corrupts. And corruption is a crime, and Crime doesn?t pay? So if you keep studying you?ll go broke. OR What do you call an attractive person walking across your campus? A visitor. Or what do you do when an ?X? university graduate on your doorstep??. pay him for the pizzas and tell him to get off your porch. But that wasn?t exactly where I wanted to go. I wanted to be profound and intellectual and then found that for me that was an impossibility. AS the MSU RHA President I have been asked to share a little bit about our RHA. RHA is the student government of the largest on campus population in the US. We?re a tax collecting body that turns around and tries to spend each tax dollar well. We provide services such as MO consolidated blockbuster, CC movies at wells, Special events, for example Will Ferrel and the funny or die, COUGH, tickets still available, Breslin center.com, Two on campus Movie channels, condom connection and other health and safety services, but above all else, voice and representation. Under RHA, fall 5 LGBTA, 17 black caucuses, 24 Hall governments and 4 Council of Racial Ethnic Students and 4 Council of Progressive Students Groups. We have a 16 member eboard, and a 42 seat general assembly. And I love my job. Let me tell you a brief anecdote. ? 40-50 people in the room. ? The President, VP, treasurer and secretary all had people running. AND RHA Representative was the only one that remained. ? An opportunity to interact. ? Opp to share. ? I have heard nothing good. ? I approached. ? I am VP. She blushed ? That person made a transformation that night. Became a student leader. They went on to ? become a mentor or ?RA? They went on to make an impact on students. They also began to act and became a voice for students. We represent another facet of that voice. In a coalition such as MORHA, we have a system that allows to foster collaboration, and networking between the colleges and universities of Michigan, so says oiur mission statement that same objective is much the focus of tonight. But with a great system in place, we ought to look to do more. Like I stated earlier, in the story I shared with you RHA and student leadership is about giving voice. We need to have a voice, for the people, the students, we represent now and for the generations of students to come. I always preach, that we need to look here at Michigan State or the Spartans of tomorrow, but we as an organization need to look for the students of Michigan, Michigan students of tomorrow. What does this Mean? It means asking the questions that need to get asked and fighting the fights that need to get fought. It means bringing the student voice to the table, to every table in which the collegiate experience is being modified. For example, when a new administrator is being considered at our college or university, we need to be at that table and make sure that that administers whom will almost surely outlast the students at that institution, are selected for the right reasons. For the reasons colleges and universities exist, for the students. Now where does MORHA come in? If we make this the standard practice at each of our institutions by holding them to accountable, we can then make this a standard across the state, the region, and the nation. In this fashion we can stand together as a unified front, and use such networks as a tool and a force that institutions must adhere to. Another key piece is transparency and innovation. The students, the customers, the stake-holders, however you want to identify them need to challenge our universities to be open, honest, transparent and remain on the cutting edge. The bottom line is, like I stated, we believe in the residence hall experience. I hope that one day, maybe not when were in college that when we communicate with people across the nation, that when we say we?re from Michigan, they understand that there is a higher standard. Gathering here at Michigan State University is quite fitting. Not only because of its size, central location, or proximity to the capital, but I think mostly because of its status as the pioneer Land Grant University. Now, we could talk about the theoretical framework behind the Land Grant Mission, but I will tell you what it means to me. Being Land Grant, means making affordable, quality education that is accessible to all. We need to insure that the commodity our institutions provide, a quality education, is truly accessible to all. Further, we need to work together and hold Universities to the highest standard, meaning keeping the Quality of Life and Student Experience as inferior to none. With this, we can bring folks to our campuses, fill our residence halls, and allow those people to understand the experience that we value so much?the on-campus living experience. I am very proud that this partnership between GVSU and MSU has worked to create something so great. I want to take a brief moment to recognize the Precious Paul and Stacey Beebee for their efforts in starting this new tradition. Also the MSU RHA staff that has worked very hard over the past few days to make this a memorable event and weekend. I also want to thank the other MSU staff that has made this gathering possible. I need to also say what an honor it is to have such a close connection to SCOUT BANANA and their philanthropic efforts. Folks thank you for your time tonight. Through MORHA, as we believe, we can work together to accomplish more.

[ POSTED: 2008-01-07 ]
WELCOME BACK!

We're very excited to be back on campus and ready to serve. Office hours will be coming soon. I can't believe it, but Will Ferrell is coming in less than a month. Our first meeting is January 16th. See you around campus.

[ POSTED: 2007-11-16 ]
BUY TICKETS TO WILL FERRELL!!!

Hello and welcome to the RHA Website. As the semester winds down, it seems like we are really starting to take off. This week we had a presentation regarding the future of recycling on campus and the proposed new center. I think it is fair to say that the General Assembly and Executive Board were fairly impressed that there is a move in the administration to provide a comprehensive solution to recycling on campus. We also have had/will be having several new bills addressing the quality of life on campus as well as some internal concerns. I am also excited to congratulate newly elected Mayor Loomis, who will be speaking at our 11/29 meeting. Until then, please enjoy your Thanksgiving break and enjoy the rest of the semester.

[ POSTED: 2007-10-22 ]
Hello all and thanks for visiting the RHA Website. I cannot believe how quickly the semester is going by. Make sure, if you have not already, that you make it out to Campus Center Cinema or the RHA Movie Offices. If it is just a "stay in your room" type day, turn on Channel 11 or 12-- that's RHA Presents and RHA TV, respectively. Feel free to check out our services or come out to a meeting.



[ POSTED: 2007-10-06 ]
Thanks for visiting the RHA Website. We are making some updates to this page that we hope will better serve you. Please feel free to contact us or come out to one if our meetings. You can see the date and time in the corner of this page.

This is a special time of year when we welcome many people to campus or mostly back to campus for Homecoming 2007. To them, we say welcome home.

[ POSTED: 2007-09-13 ]
BUY GUSTER TICKETS NOW... HERE

All, Thanks for visiting the RHA Website. The meeting of 9/12 passed the Fall 2007 budget, really getting us up and running. RHA meets every Wednesday in various locations around campus. Please check out where our meetings are and feel free to come out to one of them. If you have any questions about what we do or requests, concerns etc. Please feel free to contact myself or any of the executive board. Thanks and go green!

[ POSTED: 2007-09-07 ]
WE NEED YOU!

If you are seeking something more, please consider getting involved in the Residence Halls Association at any level.

This week will be our Budget meeting, which is very important for the organization.

We are here for you so contact us.

[ POSTED: 2007-08-22 ]
WELCOME and WELCOME BACK SPARTANS...

We are very excited to be back on campus and are ready to serve you. In the next few weeks, if you see us around campus stop and say hi!. You'll see us at most of the welcome week events, so don't miss out. Be sure to check us out at Sparticipation. Please don't hesitate to e-mail us, also. Click the E-board Tab and all our information is there. GO GREEN!

[ POSTED: 2007-07-20 ]
We are very excited to announce that the weekend of 8/10 will be the annual Executive Board Retreat. I am very excited to bring the staff back and begin preparation for what is going to be a great year.

GO GREEN! GO WHITE!

Can you believe that in just a few short weeks the campus of Michigan State University will once again come to life and screams of "GO GREEN... GO WHITE..." will be a Saturday morning ritual. I hope you are as excited as I am to return to our campus and be the reason it comes to life. It is a shame we have to have class. All kidding aside, we are really shifting gears to jump into this year 100 percent. In the mean time, if you have anyquestions about our operations or life on campus let us know, We´re here for you. UNTIL SOON... Go State.

[ POSTED: 2007-05-14 ]
We sincerely hope that you're enjoying your summer and that Spring semester went well. We're looking forward to serving you even better in Fall of 2007, but in the mean time you should think about getting involved with RHA or contact us. We're not in the office as regularly so if you're wishing to get a hold of us, shoot us an e-mail.

[ POSTED: 2007-04-17 ]
All, Thanks for visiting the RHA Website. We're really looking forward to the end of the semester, and even more so next year. Congrats to all those who are coming on board to the Executive Board of our RHA. The 38th session will be great.

We're always evaluating and looking for better ways to serve you, so in that spirit, we're doing a complete evaluation of the movie offices. Please participate in the survey that we're hosting. Take it here

As always, please feel free to contact any of the E-board. We're here to serve.

Mark Dobson
president@rha.msu.edu

[ POSTED: 2007-02-26 ]
We're right in the middle of the process of slecting the team that will lead RHA next year, in the form of the executive board.

Congrats to Chris Wickman, who was recently elected Vice President for the 38th Session of the Residence Halls Association.

Please Contact us by clicking the Executive Board Tap above.

We're happy to announce that we will be having a dialogue with some members of the MSU Board of Trustees at these weeks meeting. We're pleased to welcome Trustees Perles, Owen, and Gonzales.

Also, do not forget to vote in our constitutional referenda at studentelections.msu.edu

[ POSTED: 2007-02-19 ]
Hello All, Things are running hot and cold here in RHA.

In the words of our MOCC, EFG, the MORHA conference was HOT! Taking away School of the Year, Two top Eight Programs, NRHH Member of the Year, and Executive Board Member of the Year, was also HOT!

In the Live On Challenge it is hard to determine whether Wilson and Mason-Abbot are on a hot or cold streak, as they advance to the finals of the Live-On Challenge.

This week, nominations will continue for President and also open for Vice-President.

The walks to class are still cold, but spring break is right around the corner.

Also, please note that the RHA Alumni Association will have their first annual weekend this coming weekend. The schedule is as follows:

Saturday:
4p-5:30p- Welcome back meeting/tour, G-11 Holden Hall
5:30-6:30p- Dinner at Hobey's (Trowbridge shopping center)
7-9:30p- Movies at Campus Center (Borat, Finding Nemo, Pursuit of Happyness)
9:30-? Bowling/bar/MSU basketball at Holiday Lanes (Saginaw and 127)
Sunday:
Noon-? Lunch at Peanut Barrel
Wednesday:
7p-? RHA Presidential Elections- Van Hoosen hall, with dinner to follow


Keep in Touch!
Shoot me an E-mail
president@rha.msu.edu

[ POSTED: 2007-02-08 ]
Hello All, Things are going quite well and the Residence Halls Association has a lot up and coming.

Something huge for our organization is the I Stop Hate : MSU United Initiative. You can read up on this in the State News article in the link to the right. I encourage all students, staff, faculty, and all the other members of the MSU community to get involved with this movement.

This weekend in the Live-ON Challenge is:

2/9
Mason-Abbot v. Bryan-Armstrong, and
CLaM (Campbell, Landon, & Mayo) v. McDonel

The Polar Plunge is also happening this weekend. If you're interested in donating or participating, shoot me an e-mail at president@rha.msu.edu.

Next week will begin the Presidential Nominations, which is the unofficial start to the 38th session, at least beginning the process of getting the next executive board. This is a process that many are excited and anxious for.

Please, feel free to contact any of the executive board if you have a question, concern or suggestion.

[ POSTED: 2007-01-11 ]
I want to congratulate DeAndre Wright, who was confirmed by the General Assembly on Wednesday night as the next Chief of Staff for the RHA. I look forward to working with him and the rest of the General Assembly and Executive Board this semester.

The State of the Organization address was given on 1/17/07, and now we are in the action phase of this address.

This week the budget was passed by the assembly, so we're now in full force for spring semester.

Mark Dobson
President
President@rha.msu.edu

[ POSTED: 2006-12-01 ]
Welcome to the Residence Halls Association's website. You're probably already familiar with the services we provide, especially our low cost entertainment in RHA TV and RHA Presents, the Movie Offices, our Special Events, and Campus Center Cinema. We also work for each and everyone that lives in the residence halls, with programs like Condom Connection and Cold and Flu Packs, a valued partnership with Olin Health Center.

What you probably aren't as familiar with is the representation that you have at RHA. Are you involved with Hall Government, or a Black/LGBTA Caucus or maybe you've been to one of their events, that's part of us too! I welcome you to our website and invite you to take a look around. We're very excited to have a renovation of our website in the works. If you're still curious about what RHA does or about anything regarding life on-campus you can e-mail helpdesk@rha.msu.edu or me personally, at President@rha.msu.edu.

RHA has been out in full force with World AIDS Day 2006. The ribbons tied around campus and our "Spread the Word" program, spreadthis.org, is just one example of the advocacy we provide.

We also have several employment opportunities available, so please check those out.

Thanks for visiting us, Good Luck with Exams and please remember, helpdesk@rha.msu.edu.

[ POSTED: 2006-03-02 ]

Congratulations to Lindsay Palinsky on becoming President of RHA for the 37th Session. She was elected this past Wednesday (March 1st) and she will take office on April 12th.

It was a great honor to have several past Presidents in attendance at the election, which was held (in keeping with tradition) in Van Hoosen Hall.

RHA Presidents of 34th - 37th Sessions

Pictured are Derek Wallbank, 34th Session, Ernest Drake, 35th Session, Kevin Newman, 36th Session, and Lindsay Palinsky, 37th Session..

[ POSTED: 2006-02-24 ]


Students line up for ticketsStudents line up for ticketsRHA Special Events is off to a phenominal Spring Semester! Ticket sales opened for many of our upcoming shows today, and as you can see above, fans were lined up for hours! Highlighting our spring lineup is a performance by Ben Folds on April 10th in the Great Hall.

For a complete concert lineup take a look at rha.msu.edu/concerts!



[ POSTED: 2006-01-19 ]

On January 18th, I gave the State of the Organization Address [ .doc | .pdf], which summarized our successes from the past year and looked forward to what we will be doing in the future.

The results of the RHA Beard-Growing Competition were tabulated last night during Members' Privilege with Josh Rabinowitz, former Vice President winning. Congratulations to him!



[ POSTED: 2006-01-09 ]

Welcome back from break, everyone! I hope you all had a good one. The MORHA 2006 Conference (which we are hosting in March) website is up at conference.morha.net. It looks great -- you should check it out. The State of the Organization speech will be delivered at the first RHA meeting -- January 18th. Good luck with your new classes!



[ POSTED: 2005-10-27 ]
On Wednesday, October 26th, I had the opportunity to testify before the Independent Commission set up by the City of East Lansing to investigate the events of April 2-3, 2005. If you would like to read a copy of my testimony, it is available here: [ .doc | .pdf ]

[ POSTED: 2005-10-25 ]
This week Ron Mason is visiting RHA. We are all very excited at this opportunity to speak with Mr. Mason

Also, we are rolling out our Residence Hall Smoking Survey. Please check that out and make your voice heard!

[ POSTED: 2005-10-07 ]

This week RHA is holding Vice Presidential Elections. It should be a very interesting week, and I wish both candidates good luck and fortune. The elections are open to the public, so anyone interested should feel free to stop by our next meeting. Candidate letters will be posted below over the weekend and up to the election on Wednesday.

Also, there is a very interesting opinion in the State News. I highly suggest reading it, as it directly relates to our mission as RHA and student representatives.



[ POSTED: 2005-10-05 ]
Hi Everyone,

RHA Committees are getting started now. There are many important issues that the committees will address this year. If you have an idea or issue for RHA to look at, talk to the appropriate RHA Representatives or Executive Board members! You will find them on the committee's page here!

[ POSTED: 2005-09-19 ]
This weekend there were several events that concern students in the Residence Halls. First, on Friday night there was a shooting in Lot 30, outside of Fee Hall. This is very near the Hubbard and Akers Residence Halls. Two people were injured, and five were arrested. Also on Friday night, there was a fire in a Wonders Hall room. There were no injurys.

These events do raise alarms to all of us living on campus. At the end of this week's RHA meeting, we will have a discussion and questions period. I invite you all to attend.

-Kevin Newman

[ POSTED: 2005-09-13 ]
Everyone, this week is budget week for RHA. The Fall 05 budget passed through committee Monday night, and I am excited to see it debated on the floor Wednesday night. This meeting will be one of the most important meetings of RHA all year, and I hope everyone can be in attendance.

Thank you to everyone on eboard and the committee who put in such hard work.

[ POSTED: 2005-09-06 ]

Everyone, welcome back to campus and the second week of school. RHA has been working very hard to make this an enjoyable semester.

RHA TV is up and running, we are now moved into our new office in G-7 Holden Hall, and many of our programs are starting up. The movie offices are opening, Campus Center has already had a successful weekend, and we are looking forward to bringing you many exciting concerts this semester.

Please check back for many exciting updates to this site over the semester. If you have suggestions for RHA programming, feel free to email us at rha.msu.edu or speak with your RHA Representative.

If you are an RHA representative or someone just curious, I look forward to seeing you at the first RHA meeting of the semester Wednesday, Sept. 7th in Akers Hall at 7:00PM.

I'm looking forward to a wonderful semester!

-Kevin Newman

[ POSTED: 2005-08-24 ]
On Monday, August 22nd the 54B District Court in East Lansing sentenced former RHA Comptroller Gary Shivers to the following after he pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor embezzlement:
  • 24 months of probation
  • 10 days of jail, to be served no later than Sept. 19th
  • Must complete an economic crime program within 180 days
  • 200 hrs of community service
  • Must provide a notice to his employer within 30 days
  • $4500 in restitution to RHA, with any money he can convert from the gift
  • cards back to cash going toward that, and the rest in cash from him
  • $2000 fines and costs
  • (above two must be paid within 12 months)
  • $480 probation fee
  • $100-250 of additional fines/fees
RHA would like to thank everyone for all of the help and support over the last few months.

[ POSTED: 2005-08-12 ]
The RHA Executive Board is on retreat this weekend, in preparation for the beginning of the fall semester!

[ POSTED: 2005-06-14 ]
ESPN2 and Fox News Added to Campus Cable Lineup

Thank you to all who participated in the RHA Cable Survey last spring. Your efforts helped University Housing make the decision to expand the campus cable lineup. Thank you all!

[ POSTED: 2005-04-22 ]
NEW!!

The East Lansing Police Department released a comprehensive report on the events of April 2nd & 3rd to the East Lansing City Council on Tuesday (May 3rd). The report is linked below:

View the report here


City of East Lansing Police internal documents obtained through FOIA by City Pulse:
Internal Emails & Relevant Laws
More Internal Emails
Special Operations Plan
Tri-County Civil Disorder Unit Plan

Here are the University Student Commission's Recommendations that RHA supports:
"Riot" Designation Recommendations
Independent Commission Recommendations


[ POSTED: 2005-04-21 ]
Student organizations unite to support recommended procedures for an independent council to investigate the events of April 2 and 3

East Lansing, (April 21, 2005) – Tuesday, the University Student Commission recommended guidelines for an independent investigation to look into the events of the civil disturbance of April 2 and 3.

The Residence Halls Association and The Associated Students of Michigan State University fully support these recommendations, and feel that other authorities, both university and civil, should adopt them.

Thursday, Kevin Newman, the President of the Michigan State University Residence Halls Association presented university administration with the recommendations. It is our hope that the university will quickly endorse them. “I have no doubt that the university will see the wisdom in these recommendations,” Newman said.

The East Lansing City Council was briefed on the recommendations by the USC Tues., and the recommendations were delivered Thurs.

The recommendations suggest that the commission be independent from all city of East Lansing, MSU, and student influences. Additionally, the City Attorney’s office is asked to remove the ‘riot’ designation currently assigned to charges resulting from the events of April 2 and 3, and are asked to cede the right to designate the term riot to the events.

“The University should act quickly to endorse these recommendations,” said Newman. “We have no doubt that they will.”



University Student Commission's Reccomendations:
"Riot" Designation Recommendations
Independent Commission Recommendations


[ POSTED: 2005-04-19 ]
Hi, my name is Newman.

[ POSTED: 2005-03-24 ]
Congratulations to David Sahlin who has been elected as the Vice President of the 36th Session of RHA. David is currently the Butterfield Hall representative and is a member of the Committee on Internal Affairs.

[ POSTED: 2005-03-03 ]
Congratulations to Kevin Newman who will be serving as the RHA president for the 36th session. Kevin currently serves as the RHA Chief of Staff.

[ POSTED: 2005-01-21 ]
On January 19, 2005, President Ernest Drake delivered his State of the Organization address. You can read it here.

[ POSTED: 2005-01-09 ]
The first RHA meeting of the Spring semester will be on Wednesday January 19th at 7pm in 139/140 West Akers. David Porteous, Chairman of the MSU Board of Trustees, will be presenting.

[ POSTED: 2004-11-29 ]
The Residence Halls Association and the Associated Students of Michigan State University will be having a joint meeting on December 9th at 7pm in Brody Hall; Multipurpose C&D

[ POSTED: 2004-11-12 ]
Congratulations to Stefanie Simari for being approved as the new Executive Secretary of the Residence Halls Association.

[ POSTED: 2004-10-19 ]

Part two of the RHA/YouVote voting process has begun! RHA and You Vote will be co-sponsoring Voter education tables in the residence halls this month. The purpose of the drives is to educate you, the residents, on all of the issues and candidates that will be on the ballot this November. The following are the list of dates and halls for the drives. Please note that all of the drives are from 5-7pm. The candidate You Vote for today will lead us into the future


Wonders Hall- Oct 25th North Wonders Lounge
Mason/Abbott Hall - Oct 26th Abbott Lounge
Hubbard Hall Oct 27th in front of Hubbard cafe
Brody Hall - Oct 28th in front of Brody Cafe



[ POSTED: 2004-09-14 ]

RHA and You Vote will be co-sponsoring Voter Registration drives in the residence halls this month. The following are the list of dates and halls for the drives. Please note that all of the drives are from 5-7pm. The candidate You Vote for today will lead us into the future.


Landon Hall (Sept 15th)

Holmes Hall (September 21st and 22nd)

Shaw Hall (September 29th)


[ POSTED: 2004-07-27 ]
I am pleased to announce that the new advisor for the Residence Halls Association will be Paul Goldblatt. For those of you who don't know, Paul is the Director of Residence Life. Paul, George and I are still working on the final stages of the transition. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

[ POSTED: 2004-06-11 ]
Have a Great Summer!

[ POSTED: 2004-04-22 ]
The City of East Lansing has recognized the Residence Halls Association for the work it has done in the community. Good job to each and every student that has served in RHA.



[ POSTED: 2004-04-17 ]
As charged by the General Assembly, Mr. Drake has written and distributed a letter condemning the harassment that occurs during the so-called "midnight screams." Read the letter here.

[ POSTED: 2004-04-15 ]
Mr. Ernest Drake was sworn in on April 14th at 10:30pm, before the conclusion of the GA meeting.

[ POSTED: 2004-04-06 ]
New Karaoke Music!!

We're looking to expand our karaoke collection and we want you to tell us what to buy!! Look here to vote!!


[ POSTED: 2004-04-05 ]
Hope to se you all enjoying the Ben Folds concert on Tuesday night. Limited tickets are still available. Contact Wharton Center (www.whartoncenter.com) for ticket information.

[ POSTED: 2004-03-25 ]
Congratulations to our new Vice President, Josh Rabinowitz!

[ POSTED: 2004-03-22 ]
PLEASE VOTE!!!!
RHA is requesting the $1.00 increase for the maitainence and expansion of our current programs such as concerts, campus center, movie offices, safety initiatives.

Only undergraduates who live in an undergraduate residence hall as defined by University Housing may vote in this referendum. As per Article 1, Section 1 of the RHA Constitution as follows:

A person shall be considered a member of RHA and be accorded all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of membership, as defined by the RHA By-laws, if that person is living in one of the undergraduate residence halls, as recognized by University Housing, is enrolled in the University as an undergraduate, and has paid and not received a refund of that semester's RHA fee.

Vote between 7:00AM on (Wednesday) March 24th and 7:00AM on (Thursday) March 25th!!!
Vote here!

If you have any further questions or problems with the referendum contact Tom Edwards at thomas@rha.msu.edu

[ POSTED: 2004-03-14 ]
MORHA 2004 Focus On Diversity Award!
on March 13, 2004 MSU recieved this award at the MORHA conference!

[ POSTED: 2004-03-05 ]
Have a happy and safe Spring Break!

[ POSTED: 2004-02-20 ]
Chief Of Staff
application period has now opened. Apply at http://rha.msu.edu/jobs/.

[ POSTED: 2004-02-16 ]
President McPherson
will be visiting Case Hall this Thursday! He will be in the James Madison Library (3 Case) at 7:00pm to talk about various issues as well as answer questions. For more information please contact Kristen Daddow at kristi@rha.msu.edu.

[ POSTED: 2004-02-09 ]
Off-Campus? Join RHA Anyway!
RHA is now opening itself to off-campus individuals. If you live off campus and would like to take advantage of great services we provide including: Campus Center (makes it free!), Movie Offices, and Concerts. It's just $21 per semester. You'll recieve a laminated card which you can show at RHA events. Please contact Kevin Newman [newman@rha.msu.edu] for details!

[ POSTED: 2004-01-21 ]
    The State of The Organization address was delivered January 21st in the McDonel Kiva.
See the full speech! [.doc]