RHA Communications Coordinator Kelly Herberholz was one of 17 RHA members who attended the conference, which was aimed at instituting residence halls programs or leadership development, as well as learning how to transition between executive board members.

When Herberholz looked through the applicants to attend the conference, she said she looked for younger members who hadn’t been to a conference yet.

“Those are the people who are going to be the future of our organizations and the future of this university,” she said. “Now they’re really excited about what they can bring to RHA and to their residents and their campus.”

To make the transition process smoother, RHA plans to focus on creating more in-depth training through one-on-one discussions with outgoing leaders, as well as communicating through Google Docs during the summer, Herberholz said.

RHA President Sarah Pomeroy said what people learned from the programs depended on their position in RHA.

“It was interesting depending on where you are in RHA development,” she said. “Position-wise, you get different things out of the conference.”

Many of the programs brought ideas that RHA could bring back to either individual hall government or as resident mentors on their own floors, including alcohol and substance abuse education, Herberholz said.

Pomeroy said the group is looking into implementing an “East Side Stumble” alcohol abuse program presented by members from Ferris State University, which would educate students on how alcohol can affect academics and social life, she said.

Apparel and textile design senior Krystle McKay said she lived in the residence halls her first two years at MSU and wishes she’d had more opportunities to interact with different people through programs provided by mentors.

“Part of living on campus is meeting a bunch of people you don’t know,” she said. “You meet people in college you potentially know for the rest of your life.”

The group brought back several awards at the end of the conference, winning praise for its commitment to philanthropy — particular for its work with Ele’s Place children’s healing center last semester — and its focus on diversity.

RHA also put in a bid to host the MORHA conference next year at MSU, but conference organizers chose to hold it at Central Michigan University instead, Pomeroy said.

Still, Herberholz said MSU likely will bid to host the conference in the future, adding this was the first year MSU RHA has put in a bid since 2006.

She said now that a bid has been submitted, it will be easier for future RHA members to plan the conference.