RHA hopes to spread appreciation this holiday season

The Residence Hall Association (RHA) is bringing back a popular event from past years for the Valentine’s Day holiday.  

RHA Sweeties is an opportunity for students to send their friends and loved ones on campus a sweet treat to share their appreciation for one another.  

“I think it’s very important for people to appreciate the holiday and to love one another,” residence hall director Travis Hill said. “I also think it shows some personal wellness towards one another which is something we all need, especially these last couple of years with COVID-19. I just think this is a great way to appreciate one another.” 

The executive RHA staff is planning to make close to 750 treats for students during the holiday. The one change that the staff has made from last year is limiting the number of submissions from each student. In the past, there has been an unlimited number of submissions a person could make, whereas this year RHA is limiting it to three Sweeties per person.  

Along with a personalized message, the Sweeties will consist of a Crush soda and Valentine’s Day candy. The one thing the Sweetie won’t include is the name of who sent it, in order to keep the secret admirer a mystery, RHA programming director, Rachel Olney said. 

Another reason RHA wants to continue doing programs such as RHA Sweeties is to help students feel at home at USD, Olney said. 

“I think it’s a great way to build community, within housing especially but also with the university as a whole,” Olney said. “We talk a lot about trying to make (USD) a home away from home, and if we’re not creating a fun space for people to gather and communicate with one another, then we’re really not doing our job very well.” 

While RHA Sweeties continues to be a well-received RHA program, Olney is continuing to plan future events for housing and the university as well. The next project she is planning to tackle is a March Madness program. This March Madness program will be a weekly competition for students living on campus. Olney said more details will be released as the program date arrives. 

Hill and Olney both said that any students are welcome to pitch advice or future program ideas in their meetings which take place every Thursday at 5 p.m. in Patterson 220.