Residents' board after new image

The quality of residential living is an issue pondered by many students and complained about by even more. So it is somewhat mysterious that the student Residential Advisory Board, the official voice of the University's dorm-dwellers, has not been a hot item on students' activity lists in years past. "[Participation] has always been real limited," said board member Peter Lesburg. "I think that at its peak, it was seven students." Formerly called ResCom, or Residential Committee, the board has a new name and a new image this year, College sophomore Lesburg said yesterday. The decision to change the committee's name stemmed from a desire to find a name that more accurately explains the committee's function. "ResCom didn't really say much," College sophomore Suma CM said. "Residential Advisory Board said a little more about what the function of the board actually is." And both CM and Lesburg agree that the board's number-one priority this semester is recruiting new members. "We will definitely have a table at the [September 20] activities fair on Locust Walk," said CM. "We might do flyers this year, and we'll also be meeting with the house councils in different dorms." Lesburg said that this year's board should be "bigger and better," and that the current members need "enthusiastic volunteers" to carry out the different board projects. According to CM, the board will be running a number of programs for students living on campus. One program, Muralmania, allows whole floors to collaborate on ideas to paint the walls on their floor. The board considers all proposals, and the designs that are approved are painted by the floor. A cash prize is awarded to the floor that paints the best mural. Lesburg said that although Muralmania has not been too popular in the past, he hopes that RA's and house councils will help publicize the event this year to encourage participation. And for those students who have revolutionary ideas about changing residential life, the board will sponsor an idea contest. In addition to planning and running programs in residences, CM said, the board will have a key role in evaluating the implementation of directives put forth by the faculty-student team on Residential Safety and Security that met throughout the summer. "The Residential Advisory Board is going to look at [the progress made by the end of the semester] and we will see if this is all that needs to be done," CM said.