The Residence Hall Association held their executive board elections last week to choose next year's president and three vice presidents.
Christine Felty, a sophomore in the School of Communication was elected president, Hillary Roviaro, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences was elected vice president of administration and finance, Jenny Leland, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs will be the new vice president of programming and Keiko Iioka, a sophomore in the School of International Service will be the new vice president of advocacy and community coordination.
Felty, current vice president of advocacy and community coordination, said this experience will help her in her new role.
"It's been a long time since anyone that has been president has been on the e-board the previous year," she said. "I should be able to hit the ground running with the knowledge I gained this year."
Felty said one of her goals is to publicize RHA and its mission better.
"We're definitely working to pull ourselves out. We're much more present than people understand," she said. "We're considering things like adding a publicity chair to work on getting our name out there."
Leland, current vice president of Programming for McDowell Hall, said she started working on ideas for next year when she learned she was running uncontested.
"I was on my trip home to spring break and I made a program outline for next year," she said.
Her ideas include a film festival in the Woods-Brown Amphitheatre, town hall meetings, a spring fling dance and residence hall color wars.
Felty, Roviaro, Leland and Iioka's terms begin May 1.
The transition would be smooth, Felty said.
"The student body shouldn't see a drop off of RHA programming," she said. "We work that first month [August] to kick-start programming so when the students come to campus, there are programs waiting for them that first welcome week."
Voter turnout was in the 200s, according to Centennial Hall Resident Director and RHA Adviser Leah Kreimer.
"We didn't see an increase in voters this year, even though it was the first year [elections were held] online," she said.
Kreimer stressed that this was a transitional year for RHA.
"We've made a lot of progress in a lot of areas this year," Kreimer said.
The AU RHA won the Central Atlantic Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls' "RHA Building Block Award" in February. CAACURH gives the award to the RHA that shows the most improvement to its environment, The Eagle previously reported.
Kreimer won "Adviser of the Year" at the same ceremony.
Kreimer said she will be RHA's adviser next year and is looking forward to working with the new executive board.
"I think they're excited, they're creative and they're ready to go," she said.
