For more information, please contact:

Grant Lyman
RHA Director of Special Events
DOSE@rha.msu.edu
Mobile: 269-330-7666

Geoff Schwartz
RHA Director of Public Relations and Advertising
PR@rha.msu.edu
Mobile: 989-501-0482

RHA PRESENTS A KATRINA RELIEF CONCERT FEATURING RUFUS WAINWRIGHT

The Michigan State University Residence Halls Association is proud to present Rufus Wainwright in concert! The show will be Saturday, Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. and MSU’s Wharton Center Great Hall.

The concert is open to all ages, and tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for MSU students. Tickets go on sale Sept. 16, and can be purchased by visiting the Wharton Center Box Office, calling 1-800-WHARTON, or going to .

Once RHA recoups production costs, all proceeds from the show will go to RHA’s Hurricane Katrina Relief effort. This effort includes purchasing items specifically requested by affected universities, as well as donations to reputable charities.

Rufus Wainwright is a critically acclaimed folk-pop artist. He plays a solo show on both a piano and a guitar, and is considered a master of both. Wainwright has toured with Sting, and co-headlined a tour with Ben Folds and Guster.

For more information contact:

Eric Hinojosa
Residence Halls Association
517-355-3556
hinojo11@msu.edu

Kevin Newman
Residence Halls Association
517-282-0291
President@rha.msu.edu

MSU STUDENT GOVERNMENTS TEAM UP TO SELL PLACARDS TO HELP KATRINA VICTIMS

MSU's Residence Halls Association, the Association Students of Michigan State University, and the National Residence Hall Honorary, Beaumont Chapter have teamed up to help raise money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The organizations designed a placard similar to the stars sold in Make-A-Wish foundation fundraisers. People will be able to purchase the placards for one dollar, sign them, and then they will be posted around campus.

The placards, bearing the Spartan block S, will initially be available in the RHA movie offices in Akers, Brody, Gilchrist, Holden, Mason and also in the ASMSU Office in the Student Services building. The groups hope to work with other University departments to sell the placards in additional locations on campus.

"We are absolutely horrified by the disaster in the Pacific Gulf region," said Eric Hinojosa, the RHA representative spearheading the project, "as student governments we feel it is our duty to help, and we're willing to do anything we can. It is our duty to serve the community at large as well as our own constituents, and RHA, ASMSU and NRHH really believe this program will be a huge success, and will show the caring and altruism of the MSU community. We'll do anything we can to make a difference in these people's lives," he added.

The program will start on Sept. 13, and will continue indefinitely.

The following is a statement released by RHA.

Gary Shivers, former Comptroller of the Michigan State University Residence Halls Association, is scheduled for sentencing on charges of Embezzlement on Monday, Aug. 22, 2005.

Shivers, an MSU Accounting graduate, plead guilty to embezzelling $4,500 of RHA student tax dollars. He wrote university checks to local businesses to which they were used to purchase gift cards. The gift cards were used as a guise to purchase products for his personal use.

The unauthorized expenditures were quickly discovered by RHA's internal auditing process. The police were immediately notified, and Shivers was promptly arrested and charged with the crime.

"We are glad that Gary is being brought to justice," said RHA President Kevin Newman. "Stealing student money is unacceptable and completely out of line with the values of RHA and MSU students in general. It makes me sick to think that a member of our organization would be so dishonest and underhanded," he added.

Shivers is expected to receive one year of probation and will be required to make full restitution to RHA.

The following is a statement released by RHA.

Sheila Nolan, Michigan State University Residence Halls Association's Michigan Organization Communications Coordinator resigned her position Wednesday, Aug. 10, citing personal reasons.

Nolan was hired in as MOCC last spring to serve as liaison between RHA and the Michigan Organization of Residence Halls Associations.

"We.re always sad when a member of RHA leaves, but we respect Sheila's decision as well as her right to privacy," said RHA President Kevin Newman. "We're excited about the student programs we have coming this year, and we're sure we will find a qualified candidate to take her place". he added.

Applications are being accepted on www.rha.msu.edu, RHA's Website.

Applicants must fill out an application, and then go through an interview process.

MOCC is a paid position, with duties including:

• Shall attend all MORHA business meetings and conferences, or will send and executive board member as proxy.
• Shall organize the delegation to all MORHA business meetings and conferences.
• Shall be responsible for facilitating all external communication on the state level.
• Shall provide resources such as issue resolution and programs to all RHA members.
• Shall vote at all MORHA functions, representing the views of Michigan State University.
• Shall submit all necessary reports as required by MORHA.
• Shall be responsible for collecting and submitting all MORHA OTMs.
• Shall provide transition in office to the incoming MOCC.
• Shall assist the NCC with GLACURH and NACURH conference planning as needed.
• Shall attend all meetings of the RHA General Assembly and RHA Executive Board.
• Shall submit all MORHA bills to the General Assembly for vote. The MOCC must abide by the General Assemblys decision when voting at MORHA. Any bill not presented to the General Assembly must be abstained when voting at MORHA, except under extenuating circumstances and elections.

The following is a joint statement given by ASMSU and RHA.

Student organizations unite to support recommended procedures for an independent council to investigate the events of April 2 and 3

East Lansing, (April 21, 2005) – Tuesday, the University Student Commission recommended guidelines for an independent investigation to look into the events of the civil disturbance of April 2 and 3.

The Residence Halls Association and The Associated Students of Michigan State University fully support these recommendations, and feel that other authorities, both university and civil, should adopt them.

Thursday, Kevin Newman, the President of the Michigan State University Residence Halls Association presented university administration with the recommendations. It is our hope that the university will quickly endorse them. “I have no doubt that the university will see the wisdom in these recommendations,” Newman said.

The East Lansing City Council was briefed on the recommendations by the USC Tues., and the recommendations were delivered Thurs.

The recommendations suggest that the commission be independent from all city of East Lansing, MSU, and student influences. Additionally, the City Attorney’s office is asked to remove the ‘riot’ designation currently assigned to charges resulting from the events of April 2 and 3, and are asked to cede the right to designate the term riot to the events.

“The University should act quickly to endorse these recommendations,” said Newman. “We have no doubt that they will.”



University Student Commission's Reccomendations:
"Riot" Designation Reccomendations
Independed Commitsssion Reccomendations

The following is a joint statement given by ASMSU and RHA at a press conference at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing.

The Spartan community lost more than a basketball game Saturday; our trust in those charged with protecting us has been shaken. The citizens who assembled in various areas near campus after the game to celebrate our team’s accomplishments were confronted with unnecessary force.

The police reaction was intense, specifically with the use of tear gas. Gas canisters flew into groups large and small. Citizens attempting to frequent businesses, return home from watching the game, or simply walk down a sidewalk bore the effects of the gas. Chemical weapons were unleashed on citizens whose only crime was standing in or near a street. Chemicals were released against citizens who were actively seeking to leave the area, attempting to follow the requests of police. Chemicals were even released into a group of MSU Administrators whose job it was to observe the events.

We have waited now into the fifth day since the civil disturbance for a positive proactive response from the City of East Lansing or MSU Administration. That response is obviously not coming from them, so it will start with us, the students. First, RHA and ASMSU call on the MSU Administration to stand up for the students whose rights were abused. Members of the administration stood witness to the events; it is time for them to speak about what they saw.

Second, we call for a complete review of the actions taken this weekend. An internal review performed by any single entity is not sufficient. Therefore, we call for an independent commission free from the influence of any city, administrative, or student entity.

It is our hope that the results of this commission will be telling. It should answer our questions of possible police and citizen misconduct over the weekend, and generate a clear timeline of events and of all steps taken, both appropriately and inappropriately. Additionally, it is our hope that the commission will generate new ideas. Ideas for improving relations between all parties involved, for improving communication between MSU and the City of East Lansing, and for generating plans for future events that will take the wishes and rights of everyone into account.

Finally, ASMSU and RHA request that any legal actions that may be taken by the Ingham County Prosecutor or the City of East Lansing against citizens caught up in this situation be placed on hold until the results of this commission are released. If the commission finds that there was police misconduct or abuse, nothing short of full amnesty for those involved is appropriate.

We, as students of this University and citizens of East Lansing, hope that taking this first positive step toward a resolution will help to bring the City of East Lansing, MSU Administration, and the citizens of East Lansing together. We must remember that we all share the common goal of positive and appropriate action during any future events.


Kevin Newman
RHA President

Paul Harmon
ASMSU Association Director