Last night, after weeks of campaigning in the residence halls, the UW's Residence Hall Student Association announced freshmen Wade Caves and Alex Cutler as the president and vice president of RHSA for the 2007-2008 school year.

"I'm very excited and ecstatic to be able to serve the residents next year," Caves said.

As president and vice president, Caves and Cutler will help promote the RHSA mission statement.

"As the Residence Hall Student Association, we strive to promote residence-hall student interests, needs and welfare within the University community," the RHSA Web site states. "We are dedicated to providing opportunities to develop individual leadership qualities and foster a positive community experience."

The two newly-elected officers will be accountable for leading RHSA in achieving quality living for students and executing new programs to involve residents in the UW community, including publicizing RHSA to the 5,000 residents at the UW.

"My plan is focusing on getting the name of RHSA out there," Caves said. "Not a lot of people know what RHSA is. We have lots of resources out there, but people don't know it exists, which means they won't be able to utilize it in an efficient manner."

Both officers have a common goal to incorporate multiple programs to benefit residents living on campus. Both officers stressed the significance of RHSA collaborating with groups such as Housing and Food Services, ASUW and, most importantly, the residents.

"I feel like the attitude towards ASUW and RHSA working together has the same stigma as wearing Abercrombie and Hollister in the same outfit," Caves said. "I know it's a ridiculous analogy, but it seems that way to me. The point is that I want to see measures being taken towards working together without all the stigma."

In the past, there has been a lack of collaboration among student organizations to reach out to the residents in the halls.

"One of my big goals for next year is [that] I really want to increase the amount of student voice in policy," Cutler said. "One thing I've noticed is that HFS takes into consideration our ideas, but I'd like to see an increased amount of HFS input and student involvement. I feel like it's currently missing, and to improve that, I am really focusing on HFS, and [I] hope more students will be active in RHSA next year."

As stated on the HFS Web site, "The Department of Housing and Food Services (HFS) at the University of Washington operates student housing, residence hall dining, retail dining, conference housing, catering services and a campus debit-card program. The mission of HFS is 'Working Together to Enhance Student Life,' and each area of the Department contributes to this mission."

"I know various committees are involved in HFS, but I want to get a lot more people interested in both RHSA and HFS," Cutler said. "I've noticed that ASUW is led by listening to students. I want to find a way to work better with HFS. I'd like to see more of the students' voices being listened to by HFS and RHSA."

Although the two officers have extensive plans to unite large student organizations at the University, they remain focused on the core of residence life, which they see as their allegiance to those living in the residence halls.

"It's about the residents," Caves said. "In the end, I want the residents to understand that it is all about their voice and opinions being heard."

Reach reporter Vicky Yan at news@thedaily.washington.edu.