The Northeast Affiliate for College and University Residence Halls presented Quinnipiac's Residence Hall Council with its Building Block Chapter of the Year award on March 8.

The Residence Hall Council is a campus organization that brings together leaders from Quinnipiac's residence halls to advocate for student needs on campus and provide educational and social programming. NEACURH is comprised of 50 institutions with students groups that are similar to the University's Residence Hall Council. The award is given to the institution in the region that has demonstrated the most growth.

"This is an amazing accomplishment for Quinnipiac's RHC," said junior Kelly Carbone, president of the organization. Over the course of three years, Quinnipiac's RHC has grown from just two members--a president and an adviser--to a well-known group with nearly 40 active members.

Carbone says she is proud of what the organization has accomplished. "We went from being known as 'RH-what?!' to being 'RHC' and I that is something I am extremely proud of."

"I think we were chosen because of how much we have grown and changed structurally. We have taken many steps to go from a single president, to an e-board, to an executive assembly and finally area councils. We have become increasingly structured and organized throughout the years," Carbone said.  

Quinnipiac's RHC organizes numerous on-campus programs throughout the year that focus on community building, including barbecues, kickball games, a luau and open houses prior to the housing lottery for students interested in living in a specific residential area. The group also plans off-campus trips, including baseball games and, mostly recently, a trip to see the Blue Man Group.

The following students accepted the award on Quinnipiac's behalf: Heather Breault, Carmela Caratozzolo, Carbone, Stacey Dwire, Carl LoConte, Pam Olson, Alissa Pacheco and Jessica Scott. The students worked on the University's 20-page bid for the award, which Carbone said "took hours, but it was well worth it."

Quinnipiac's RHC will compete against the seven other regional winners for the National Building Block Chapter of the Year award, which will be announced at the summer conference of the National Association of College and University Residence Halls.