The Residence Hall Association at the University of Idaho has a fresh new team of student leaders this year, and RHA President Tommy Burke is calling it the best he has ever seen.
“I”ve seen more excitement in this group than any student government, even since I was in high school,” Burke said.
Over 90 members met on Friday and Saturday to train for their new positions. The numbers are up from the approximately 50 students who applied last year.
All RHA leaders were dressed in colorful hard hats – some in overalls – to emphasize the “Bob the Builder” theme this year.
“We”re giving you the tools you need to build a better leader,” said Allison Stevens, RHA national communications coordinator.
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Team Wallace comes in second to Team Tower in the cheer competition during the annual fall RHA Leadership Training Saturday in the Idaho Commons.
For Jaysen Geissler, a freshman piano performance major and new RHA member, there are exciting prospects about a student leadership position at the Theophilus Tower.
“I really was impressed by the community that I found in the tower,” Geissler said. “I enjoyed the friendliness of everyone I met, and that was something I had never really experienced before.”
Burke said he has been impressed by all of the new RHA applicants, and Geissler particularly stood out to him as a good candidate for future RHA leadership opportunities.
“When I saw him, before I knew anything about him, I looked at him and I was just like, “That kid reminds me of me freshman year,”” Burke said.
That quality was showcased Saturday after students split into groups representing their buildings and were challenged to come up with a chant for their team to see “who has the most pride.”
Geissler, representing the tower, took hold of the microphone and led his teammates in a chant that filled the entire room with dancing and clapping while he sung a solo. They got first place.
“Most chants usually aren”t that good, like in groups like that,” Geissler said. “But, we”re all so into it and enthusiastic. It”s awesome.”
Burke said it”s that kind of energy that makes a great RHA member.
“Last year, everybody on the RHA Executive Board, they were pivotal at their positions,” Burke said. “But the problem that we had was communication and understanding.”
Burke said the good communication they have already experienced this year will make all the difference.
“We have a drive,” Burke said. “I have monthly goals – we”re going to be doing monthly galas.”
RHA Vice President Caleb Quates expressed a similar concern for having more well-rounded members. The event included seminars on diversity, ethics and resume building and writing – seminars which have never been included in RHA training at UI before.
Quates said the training normally only focuses on the financial aspect of leadership, which he mentioned is not enough to make a great team.
Advisers from UI were called in for each seminar to give their expert advice on different qualities of leadership that Quates said are important for any member of RHA to understand.
Director of Multicultural Affairs Jesse Martinez lead the diversity training. Martinez, who has been with UI for 11 years and has a master”s degree in Education Affairs, told a story of how someone called the cops on him after they saw him walking around at night.
“For some reason, they thought I was a gangster,” Martinez said. “How many gangsters do you know who have a master”s degree?”
Quates said Idaho has become more diverse in recent years, and it is important for RHA members to be “culturally competent,” a common theme throughout the seminar.
A majority of the RHA team are freshmen this year, which is unusual at UI. Wallace will have all freshman hall leaders this year, a situation that normally only happens at the tower since it is exclusive to first-year students.
There are roughly 1,800 students living in residence halls this year. Burke said these students will have ample representation this year, with some floors having two representatives each. He said the students have also shown more initiative than he”s seen in the past.
Burke said the Tower Executive Board has already met on their own, and that Wallace”s team “had more ideas than I had all summer.”
RHA officially began Monday, and their first order of business was to approve their budget by midnight that night.
Taylor Nadauld can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at tnadauldarg