It was fun while it lasted.
This semester, the Residence Hall Association tried its best to spend an "abnormally large" budget on student entertainment.
Previous senates were unable to spend all their money, causing the budget to swell over time, said Craig Lennon, UNL's assistant director of residence life and RHA adviser.
"We spent a good chunk of change for a student group," Lennon said.
The senate met its goal of spending most of the budget, meaning next semester's budget will be a smaller, typical size of about $25,000.
Each semester, $4.50 of every campus resident's fees goes to RHA, and $5.50 in fees is paid to the government of the hall in which the resident lives.
Of the money RHA spent on events this semester, $12,500 was allocated to help bring Sam Beam of Iron & Wine to the Rococo Theatre.
RHA split the cost of the project with the University Program Council, Lennon said.
Though the concert was RHA's most expensive event of the semester. "It could have been better attended," said Eric Thorson, a junior business management major and former president of RHA.
"Even with some events not getting as much participation," Lennon said, "we definitely worked to spend a lot of money."
RHA sponsored more than a dozen cultural events with the Office of Academic Support and Intercultural Services and funded various community events at residence halls, including several formal dances.
One event drew negative attention to hall programming when it caused a gun scare in a classroom.
The incident, caused by misplay during Neihardt Residence Hall's version of an elaborate game of tag, sometimes called "Assassins," caused a campus ban of all similar games.
RHA opposed the ban and began work with university administrators to find alternative "weapons" for playing the game, favoring socks and spoons over Nerf guns and super soakers.
For next year, RHA is talking over ideas for more homecoming week activities.
"Greeks have always been great at homecoming, and this is a good way to get us involved," Lennon said.
Safety concerns will also be talked about.
RHA President Sammy Nabulsi, a freshman political science major, would like to improve security for residents.
One idea is implementing 24-hour lockdown of residence halls.
Currently, residence hall doors are unlocked before midnight. After midnight, entrants must prove residency or be escorted by a resident.
"We had some complaints about strangers coming into the building and going through people's laundry," Nabulsi said. "We're looking into a 24-hour lock-down, so all day only residents or friends of residents can get into the building."
rachelalbin@dailynebraskan.com
