By Michele Richinick
Kristina Cecil says she believes in the cooperation of student organizations and administration working together to meet common goals.
As the newly elected Resident Student Association (RSA) president for the 2008-09 school year, Cecil said she wants to enhance RSA’s mission of being a premiere programming organization that will reach out to residents and fulfill students’ needs.
“I wanted to become president simply because I am truly passionate about the organization. I believe in RSA’s mission, and I have seen how the programs we put on can change one’s college experience,” said Cecil, a junior marketing and accounting major currently on co-op in Los Angeles.
RSA’s mission is to serve as the official liaison between students living in Northeastern’s residence halls and the staff and administration of the department of residential life and to act as a programming organization to the students, according to the RSA website.
“As president, I believe I will be able to move this organization in the right direction so that it continues to affect the lives of residents in a positive way,” Cecil said.
Cecil, who has been involved in RSA for the past four years and also ran for president last year, ran unopposed for the position via video-chat at elections at RSA’s weekly general council meeting March 12. Katya Carman, RSA’s vice president for administration, declined the nomination for president due to lack of preparation.
Cecil said she wants to ensure that RSA continues to have innovative and creative large-scale programs that reach out to all residents on campus.
“I don’t think [reaching out to the residents] is something we have done a fantastic job at in the past,” Cecil said. “I would like to reach out to them and find out exactly what they need. I want to empower the general council – make sure they are taking on leadership positions and feel involved with our organization.”
Cecil’s presidency will be different than others in the past due to her co-op placement on the West Coast – she will still be in California during the Summer 1 session. Cecil said she plans to do teleconferences for all general council meetings and meetings with administration.
“I will maintain contact, and when I come back I will focus on training the executive board and making sure we’re bonding as a team and supporting each other,” she said.
Cecil has been involved on campus since her freshman year. She decided to run for president of Kennedy Hall and won the position.
Next she took on the role of assistant vice president to the national communication coordinator, and then the national communication coordinator. In that position she helped RSA win Northeastern the School of the Year award, and was named the national communication coordinator of the year for the region, she said.
In 2007 Cecil continued with her participation in RSA and became the vice president for administration, planning the Warren Conference that trains new members about the organization. RSA also sponsored and helped her win the 2007 Homecoming Queen crown.
While taking on a major role in the organization, Cecil said she wants to make RSA a fun environment that intrigues students to join.
“It is really important not only to do business but to have a lot of fun,” Cecil said. “That is why people get involved, and we should make RSA a fun organization to be a part of.”
Also on Monday, Matthew Soleyn and James O’Brien were nominated as candidates for vice president of housing services. Soleyn won the election.
Last night at the general council meeting, Sean Naegeli won unopposed for vice president of finance position, and Katya Carman won the majority of votes against Samantha Cornell for vice president of administration.
The executive board consists of the president, vice president for housing services, vice president for finance, vice president for administration, vice president for programming and national communications coordinator.
Non-executive board positions that are are the alumni affairs coordinator, public relations officer, SGA representative, senior resident assistant council representative, student center governing board representative, RSA representative to the Latin/o American Student Organization, RSA representative to the Council for University Programs and community liaison.
RSA will continue to conduct elections in the next two weeks. The last two elections will be held March 26, for the vice president of programming and the national communications coordinator, and April 2, for SGA representative and alumni affairs coordinator.
