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RHA wins regional program of the year
November 21, 2007
When hundreds of new students anxiously arrive on campus each fall, their fears are eased a bit by the hectic, non-stop activities of Welcome Weekend.
Part of the weekend’s programming is the Residence Hall Association’s Weekend Competition. The friendly contest between residence halls promotes community building and awards points to halls for their decorations, T-shirts and Sound-Off performances, as well as attendance at various orientation events.
RHA recently received the Program of the Year award from the Pacific Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (PACURH) for their part of Welcome Weekend. Given annually, the award recognizes outstanding student-implemented programs in the residence halls of member schools located in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and British Columbia.
It’s the first time in recent memory that PLU has won the award, said Ian Jamieson, RHA president. The Program of the Year award is one of two biggies given each year.
“I thought we had a good shot at winning,” said Tim Chalberg, RHA’s national communication coordinator and writer of the award submission. “It’s a unique enough program that I thought it’d get good consideration.”
PLU beat out San Diego State University, Sonoma State University, the University of Nevada-Reno and the University of San Francisco for the honor. The winner was selected by student NCCs from the member schools.
The bid, as the award submission is called, was the first Chalberg had ever written. This year marks the first time the NCC duties aren’t piggybacked onto those of the finance or communications director at PLU. Instead, an NCC position was created, which is more in line with regional RHAs, Chalberg said. His main responsibility is to submit three bids this year to regional and national associations.
“There is something special about my first bid winning an award,” Chalberg stated. “On one hand, it made the award even more exciting, but on the other, it almost scares me because now it feels like there is nowhere to go but down with future bids.”
Going in to the competition, Chalberg was pretty confident PLU would win. He’d modeled his bid after other past winners. It was packed with quotes from students and photos of the weekend’s events.
Not everyone was quite as confident, though.
Last year, PLU submitted a bid for the other top award, the Student Award for Leadership Training (SALT), and lost to the University of Washington. Eventually, UW went on to win in the national competition, but the sting of losing still hurt, Jamieson explained.
“Tim was really confident, but I was kinda hesitant,” he said. “At the awards banquet, we’re waiting to be announced. We knew we had a good bid, but I thought about last year, not wanting to get my hopes up.”
When they announced PLU the winner, Jamieson said initially there was disbelief at the PLU table and then complete jubilation. While walking up to receive the award, Chalberg said he got tunnel vision and can’t remember much of his walk to the stage or back.
“It was a huge adrenaline rush,” Chalberg said. “The most rewarding thing was our whole RHA’s reaction, and how excited they got. It’s so rewarding trying to focus on the RHC’s and all the hard work they do. I’m so happy they got recognition for what they do.”
RHA is the umbrella leader of the activities in the residence halls, Jamieson explained. It’s the Residence Hall Councils – an all-volunteer group of students in each hall – who really impact the student population. For example, it’s the RHCs who decorate the dorms for Welcome Weekend and organize the Sound-Off performances.
The next step will be to submit the Welcome Weekend bid to the National Affiliation of Colleges and Universities Residence Halls (NACURH) for the national Program of the Year award.
Chalberg is working to refine his original bid and fix the weak areas. The top two bids for the national award must give a 45-minute presentation at the conference in May before a winner is announced.
After the regional win, Chalberg is once again confident about PLU’s chances to win.
“It’s a huge deal to win the regional Program of the Year,” he said. “Only seven other programs across the nation can claim that accolade.”
University Communications staff writer Megan Haley compiled this report. Comments, questions, ideas? Please contact her at ext. 8691 or at haleymk@plu.edu. Photo by University Photographer Jordan Hartman.
RHA recently received the Program of the Year award from the Pacific Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (PACURH) for their part of Welcome Weekend. Given annually, the award recognizes outstanding student-implemented programs in the residence halls of member schools located in California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and British Columbia.
It’s the first time in recent memory that PLU has won the award, said Ian Jamieson, RHA president. The Program of the Year award is one of two biggies given each year.
“I thought we had a good shot at winning,” said Tim Chalberg, RHA’s national communication coordinator and writer of the award submission. “It’s a unique enough program that I thought it’d get good consideration.”
PLU beat out San Diego State University, Sonoma State University, the University of Nevada-Reno and the University of San Francisco for the honor. The winner was selected by student NCCs from the member schools.
The bid, as the award submission is called, was the first Chalberg had ever written. This year marks the first time the NCC duties aren’t piggybacked onto those of the finance or communications director at PLU. Instead, an NCC position was created, which is more in line with regional RHAs, Chalberg said. His main responsibility is to submit three bids this year to regional and national associations.
“There is something special about my first bid winning an award,” Chalberg stated. “On one hand, it made the award even more exciting, but on the other, it almost scares me because now it feels like there is nowhere to go but down with future bids.”
Going in to the competition, Chalberg was pretty confident PLU would win. He’d modeled his bid after other past winners. It was packed with quotes from students and photos of the weekend’s events.
Not everyone was quite as confident, though.
Last year, PLU submitted a bid for the other top award, the Student Award for Leadership Training (SALT), and lost to the University of Washington. Eventually, UW went on to win in the national competition, but the sting of losing still hurt, Jamieson explained.
“Tim was really confident, but I was kinda hesitant,” he said. “At the awards banquet, we’re waiting to be announced. We knew we had a good bid, but I thought about last year, not wanting to get my hopes up.”
When they announced PLU the winner, Jamieson said initially there was disbelief at the PLU table and then complete jubilation. While walking up to receive the award, Chalberg said he got tunnel vision and can’t remember much of his walk to the stage or back.
“It was a huge adrenaline rush,” Chalberg said. “The most rewarding thing was our whole RHA’s reaction, and how excited they got. It’s so rewarding trying to focus on the RHC’s and all the hard work they do. I’m so happy they got recognition for what they do.”
RHA is the umbrella leader of the activities in the residence halls, Jamieson explained. It’s the Residence Hall Councils – an all-volunteer group of students in each hall – who really impact the student population. For example, it’s the RHCs who decorate the dorms for Welcome Weekend and organize the Sound-Off performances.
The next step will be to submit the Welcome Weekend bid to the National Affiliation of Colleges and Universities Residence Halls (NACURH) for the national Program of the Year award.
Chalberg is working to refine his original bid and fix the weak areas. The top two bids for the national award must give a 45-minute presentation at the conference in May before a winner is announced.
After the regional win, Chalberg is once again confident about PLU’s chances to win.
“It’s a huge deal to win the regional Program of the Year,” he said. “Only seven other programs across the nation can claim that accolade.”
University Communications staff writer Megan Haley compiled this report. Comments, questions, ideas? Please contact her at ext. 8691 or at haleymk@plu.edu. Photo by University Photographer Jordan Hartman.