Also in January, Emily took the lead to plan a program called “Lil’ Sibs Late Night,” created for college students and their younger siblings. While this event fell under the responsibilities of the Vice Presidents of Programming, Emily grabbed the reins when they seemed to be stretched thin. The program is just one piece of a large event called “Lil’ Sibs Weekend” sponsored by RHA and another student organization, Campus Activities Board (CAB). To plan this program, Emily met with CAB’s advisor multiple times and kept in close contact via emails. She also worked with another student to create an original game for students and their siblings. Though this required a great deal of time, Emily worked diligently and ultimately produced a creative and unique game that participants of all ages could enjoy.

This month Emily also put a lot of effort into planning Area Council Training Day. She centered the day’s events on providing quality time for the area councils to revisit expectations and goals and make plans for the new semester. To maximize the benefits for each council, Emily also incorporated their advisors into the activities. After the program, all the councils walked away with good spirits and good plans for the semester.

As if all this was not enough for a busy president to take on, Emily also played a key role in the submission of a bid for the Illinois Residence Housing Association (IRHA). To complete the bid, Emily had to collect information about a program as well as letters of recommendation from staff members. After collecting these pieces and developing a theme, Emily and another student composed the bid, which will surely be a top contender in this year’s IRHA conference.

In addition to serving as an exceptional president for RHA, Emily remains heavily involved in other areas of SIUE. After classes resumed in January, she collected the schedules of all students who attended the Bible Study she coordinated last semester and arranged for new meeting times. Emily also teaches Spanish to first and second grade students in a before-school program at a local school twice a week. One of Emily’s more time consuming positions reached its peak in January. As the chair of the 50th Anniversary Scholar Reunion Committee, Emily coordinated a program to appeal to past and present SIUE scholars. She spent countless hours organizing a trivia night, but on the day of the event, a winter storm dumped eight inches of snow on the area. Although the formal event was canceled, Emily organized an impromptu gathering of the scholars living on campus, which resulted in a successful reunion of classmates.

Though Emily has surpassed RHA’s expectations all year long, she especially pulled more than her weight during the month of January. It is because of her hard work and dedication that RHA has grown in success, and she deserves to be recognized.

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