RHA candidates have varied
ideas
By Ashley Clark
Daily Cougar Staff
The Student Government Association election
season may be over, but votes will still be cast Wednesday. The Residence
Hall
Association is having its elections for
RHA president, vice-president of administration, vice-president of special
events and hall
council members. Residents may vote at
the Oberholtzer cafeteria and in the Moody Towers Commons area.
Brian Guidry, current vice-president of
administration and a candidate for re-election, said his concern for where
he lives what is
drives him to run a second time for the
position of vice-president of administration.
"My main goal is to make sure that during
the summer the dorm cafeterias stay open later than they have in the past,"
said Guidry, a
junior psychology major.
Mark Castillo, a candidate for RHA president,
said he would like to bring some drastic changes to dorm life and believes
he would
be able to if elected.
"I would like to (re-paint) the halls in
the dorms because some of the walls need more paint," said Castillo, a
freshman public
relations major. "Also, some of the carpet
in the rooms is old and could stand to be replaced."
For Kay Onyeagu, who is running for vice-president
of special events, the main goal is participation in RHA-sponsored events.
"I think that RHA could get more involved
with other organizations and build even more programs that are geared toward
a more
diverse student (body)," said Onyeagu,
a freshman finance major. "I also think that more programs could appeal
to student living on
campus and off."
Castillo also said he would like to make
RHA a little more appealing to residents.
"Students must be able to walk up to people
and explain the problems that they are having with the dorms," Castillo
said. "Currently,
I am trying to talk to people and answer
questions so they can know what the RHA is all about."
Last semester, after students signed petitions
demanding one of the residence hall cafeterias remain open past 9 p.m.,
RHA was
able to grant the students' request.
"Along with the manager of the grill in
Oberholtzer Hall, I was able to make the students happy by keeping the
cafeteria open until 11
p.m.," Guidry said.
Although Guidry was able to make the grill
stay open later, there have been other complaints from residents. "We petitioned
for the
cafeteria in Moody Towers to be open later,"
said Tramaine Scott, a junior business major and resident assistant in
the Towers. "It
sucks that the cafeteria in the OB is
open longer because no one really uses that one. Everyone uses the one
in the Towers."
Guidry said the cafeteria in the Towers
was not chosen to stay open later because of the lack of workers.
"It made more sense to keep the OB open
later because students purchase their food at the convenience store that
is located right
next to the cafeteria," he said.
Guidry said the offices of president and
vice-president are important positions students should be interested in.
"The person that is elected into the position
makes sure that residents get programs that they are interested in," said
Guidry said.
"For example, the big Spring Break Tropical
party, which was held in the cafeteria of Moody Towers — where students
were able to
get free food — was spearheaded by the
special program positions."
Graduate education student Elizabeth Payne
is also running for RHA president. Chalen Johnson is another candidate
for vice
president of special events.
"All residents on campus can vote for the
executive positions, but only students from the particular hall that people
seeking to hall
council members for can vote for those
people," said Scoobie Woods, area coordinator of the east quadrangle and
RHA advisor.
