If you’ve been on campus for a while now and you hear “Residence Hall Association” and immediately think, ‘What the heck is that?’, you’re not alone. If you’re new to campus and you hear “Residence Hall Association” and think, ‘What the heck is that?’ — well, I’m so glad you asked!

Prior to common knowledge, the Residence Hall Association has been around for a while here at MSU, but over the past couple of years, things have been changing for us — big time. I’m the president of RHA, and in the past, we’ve been a very small group of students living on campus. We were pairing up with other organizations for programs, putting up a few of our own, and winning overall homecoming champion two years in a row. No big deal.

But now that MSU is moving away from being a primarily commuter campus to being a primarily residential one, our priorities have changed. We’re still planning on hosting a few big programs for residents on campus, but we will mostly be working on building a foundation for a strong organization that can be the glue holding all the residence halls together.

Here’s a glimpse at what you can expect from a successful RHA in a year or two: Do you hate the furniture in the lounge of your hall? RHA can immediately get in touch with the Office of Residence Life and Housing to find a solution. Do you have a fantastic idea for a program for your hall but can’t get a hold of your RA? Call RHA. In fact, if you live in a residence hall, you’re automatically invited to be a member of RHA, so you’ve got the executive board at your fingers! Sound enticing? Now is the perfect time to join.

Our RHA has just become nationally affiliated, so we’ve got resources from schools all over the United States available to us, and right now, becoming a member of will give you a voice and opportunity no other organization can offer you — because we’re right in the middle of building it. We believe everyone in these residence halls has plenty of talents and opinions, and it would be a waste not to use them. With RHA, there are so many opportunities for leadership and involvement — whether you’re running for an executive position as a freshman, or getting to represent your hall in important decision-making meetings.

We’ll be hosting three informational meetings during the first two weeks of the semester, and we would love to get to know you and invite you to get to know us. Don’t go another semester without letting your voice be heard — there’s no reason you shouldn’t love living on campus! Our informational meetings will be held on January 20, 23, and 25, all from 8:00 pm-9:00 pm in the Legacy Hall Multipurpose Room. We hope to see you there.

Rachael Miyahara is an education sophomore.