Residence Halls Association

RHA Executive Board is the leadership team that manages all aspects of the association. These individuals are responsible for planning large events, collaborating with Park Council Directors to create strategies to remedy student concerns and manage administrative duties as assigned.

Maritza Duran, RHA President 
she/her/hers

Maritza Duran is a third year student double majoring in both Political Science & Chicanx Studies. She is planning to pursue a career in immigration law. She is proud to be from Ventura, CA, and during her free time enjoys: listening to music, cooking, and going for drives. Building community and being able to advocate for residents is why she has been a part of RHA for three years now. As President, Maritza oversees RHA and works to ensure that the organization is working to fulfill its mission of creating community while advocating for residents and their needs. She looks forward to connecting with more residents, new and returning! 

 Feel free to contact her at presidentrha@gmail.com (Hablo Español)

Antonio Castellanos, Finance Manager
he/him/his

Antonio Castellanos is a senior majoring in Professional Accountancy with an emphasis in Public Accounting. Having a passion for working with numbers and wanting to give back to the CSUN Community motivated him to join RHA as the Finance Manager. Transferring from Antelope Valley College in Fall 2019, Antonio wants to support CSUN's Transfer Community by advocating and expressing his experiences to help newcomers and transfer students in the near future. Upon graduation, he plans to become a Staff Accountant with the Big Four or Mid-tier Accounting Firms and obtain his CPA License. During his downtime, Antonio loves to collect Air Jordan 1s, working out at the gym, and visit the CSUN Oasis Center to de-stress from classes. Antonio is responsible for RHA's financial well-being as he manages all the budgets for programs and events while also organizing any fundraisers for RHA.

Feel free contact him at financerha1@gmail.com (Hablo Español)

Rhani Kahn, RHA Marketing & Media Manager
she/her/hers

Rhani Kahn is a Sophomore Majoring in Engineering Management. She was born and raised in Inglewood, California better known as the City of Champions. She has a passion for fashion, technology, and making people laugh. Her role in RHA is to oversee all the social media platforms and also depicting the image of RHA. She is beyond ecstatic to welcome all the incoming and returning students, to ensure they have the same exciting and vibrant experience that she had.

 Feel free contact her at marketingmediarha@gmail.com

Loya Clark, RHA Operations Manager
she/her/hers

Loya Clark is a junior double majoring in Gender & Women’s Studies and English - Creative Writing. She is a proud Afro-Latina from Highland Park, a neighborhood in Los Angeles. Her dream career is to become a published author and to have her own non-profit organization for women with children who are domestic abuse, sexual assault and rape survivors. What drew her to the college was the diverse student population that CSUN had to offer. She feels at home at CSUN and has the freedom to be herself. She is a quiet wallflower that slowly blossoms when she’s comfortable with others. In her free time she likes to read books and write her own stories

Feel free contact her at operationsrha@gmail.com

Sarah Garcia-Higueros, RHA Programs Manager
she/her/Hers

Sarah Garcia-Higueros is a second year student majoring in Liberal Studies (ITEP). She is a first generation latina student from Pacoima. This is her second year in RHA, she was a PCD for Park East and now is RHA's Programs Manager. As RHA programs Manager, she is in charge of the inventory in the RHA closet as well as working as a student assistant in the housing office. In her free time she likes to read books, as well as walking around campus. This year she is excited to get out of her comfort zone to meet more residents at the RHA events!

Feel free contact her at programsrha@gmail.com (Hablo Español)

Andrew Willins, RHA Graduate Assistant
he/him/his

Andrew Willins is the graduate assistant for student success at California State University, Northridge that overseas RHA. He graduated in the spring of 2019 with a Bachelors in Liberal Studies and a Minor in Child and Adolescent Development. Being involved in various leadership positions throughout his undergraduate career was the catalyst for pursuing his masters in higher education leadership within the college of education at CSUN. Andrew is extremely excited for everything RHA will bring to housing this upcoming academic year and can’t wait to see you all at the next RHA event!

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact him at rha@csun.edu. (Hablo Español)

Gerson Lam, Coordinator for Residential Student Success
he/him/his

Gerson Lam was raised in the San Fernando Valley. He went to school at UCLA and completed his Master’s Degree from Cal State Northridge. Gerson is the Coordinator for Residential Student Success at CSUN Student Housing. His passions are supporting students and helping them develop as leaders. He is proud and excited to work with RHA Executive Board and NRHH. He strongly believes that engaging students in a college campus can help jumpstart their success. Some of his favorite hobbies are running and video games. He hopes to see you and greet you at our events.

Feel free to contact him at gerson.lam@csun.eduor (818) 677-6113. (Hablo Espanol)

Cedric Revera, RHA Advisor
he/him/his

Cedric Revera is in his second year of his graduate program for Higher Education Leadership. In his undergraduate studies, he transferred to CSUN and received his B.A. in Deaf Studies. While he strives to support all students here in Student Housing, Cedric works closely with the Park South and Transfer community. As an RHA Advisor, Cedric is excited to support our RHA Executive Board and Park Council Directors in their efforts to provide a memorable experience for all residential students.

The best way to reach him is via email at ra@csun.edu.

Luciano M. Lemus, RHA Advisor
he/him/his

Luciano M. Lemus is one of the graduate assistants for residential life at California State University Northridge. Luciano graduated in the spring of 2020 with a Bachelor of Art in Sociology and Central American Studies. In the upcoming fall semester, Luciano will begin his first year as a graduate student for the Higher Education Leadership Master’s program in hopes to pursue his career in Student Affairs. Luciano is excited to help out RHA in its commitment to create a sense of belonging for all residents in Student Housing. Luciano is also committed to support and embrace the growth of RHA members as student leaders in our community.

The best way to reach him is via email at am@csun.edu. (Hablo Español)

Eduardo Arevalo, RHA Advisor
he/him/his

Eduardo Arevalo is the Assistant Community Director (ACD) of the Park East community and is one of the coordinators for the affinity group, Hombres Redefined. He also serves as an advisor for the Residence Hall Association (RHA). In this role, he collaborates with the Coordinator of Residential Student Success and advises and mentors the Park Council Directors of Park East. Eddie always looks forward to helping out RHA with their events because RHA is composed of strong leaders that cultivate change at CSUN Student Housing. His office is located on the second floor of the Student Housing Office.

The best way to reach him is via email at eduardo.arevalo@csun.edu. (Hablo Español)

Vanessa Galván, RHA Advisor 
she/her/hers or they/them/theirs

Vanessa Galván is the RHA Advisor for Park North which are buildings 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 and their gender pronouns are she, her, hers or they, them, theirs. Vanessa is a proud CSUN Alum that graduated in Deaf & Chicanx Studies with a focus on education. Her favorite thing about being an advisor to RHA is getting to be a part of the magic as RHA transform plain spaces into fun large-scale engagements for all of housing to enjoy. Every time RHA finishes setting up an event, Vanessa is amazed at all the things there are to do. Everything was designed by students for students.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or just want to chat, feel free to send her an email at vanessa.galvan@csun.edu!

RHA works to respond to concerns that students may have while living in CSUN Student housing. Our Park Council Directors engage with the communities they represent to voice concerns coming from other housing residents. RHA also has a platform for submitting anonymous or non-anonymous suggestions for housing leadership. To submit feedback, please visit the RHA Resident Feedback form at http://tinyurl.com/csunrhafeedback. Once this feedback is received, your Park Council Directors and Executive Board members will develop plans to respond to student concerns.

This one-time annual fee is charged to all CSUN Student Housing residents and it is established to partially fund the Residence Halls Association (RHA). RHA is essentially your student governing board in housing that promotes student advocacy and plans engaging events for residents to enjoy.

Your $15.00 goes a long way! Not only do we plan the largest-scale events in Student Housing, but we also work to respond to resident concerns within the residential experience.

If you have further questions about this fee, please contact Residence Halls Association (RHA) at rha@csun.edu or (818) 677 -6532

If you are looking to opt out of the RHA Fee, please fill out the inquiry form at http://tinyurl.com/csunrhafee. Once you have completed the form, please allow 2 business days to process your request.

Event Descriptions:  SUBJECT TO CHANGE

DecoRHAte Your Room: This is an opportunity for incoming students to get to know who is RHA.  Residents are welcome to join Exec Board in making some fun and simple crafts that will make any dorm room look spectacular. There will also be a small DIY planner section for students to decorate and create a planner to their liking. For those who do not want to decorate, Monsters University will be playing. A movie to show what our Great Escape students are experiencing.

3rd Annual Block Party: It’s move-in day! RHA welcomes all our residents to our housing community and to experience first hand who and what RHA is all about. This is also an opportunity for our residents to engage with campus clubs and organizations while enjoying fun activities that RHA has brought to housing. This includes vendors such as airbrushed tattoos, a tie-dye station, and fun foods to eat.

Welcome Week: Welcome week is a series of events throughout the first week to provide all our residents with a fun welcoming to the new school year. As RHA, provide a space to make all our residents feel welcomed here at CSUN; give them a home away from home. In addition, this will be an opportunity to show our residents that living in housing can be enjoyable.

• Splashin’ Bash: this is the first event of welcome week. It’s hot out and there is nothing more refreshing than going out and enjoying the pool in the bright, California sunshine with  inflatables provided by RHA in pool. We also have various activities planned such as watermelon eating contest, giant jenga, bubble art, and some cold treats for our residents.
• Carnival Extravaganza:
• Sports-A-Thon: Score for the Matadors! Inflatables are always fun and interactive. From making a homerun, to a touchdown, to shooting some hoops on our sports inflatables. Also featured, will be a pony derby race where residents hop on ponies and hop their way onto the finish line. Lastly, come on and enjoy the interactive human foosball and score some goals with your fellow teammates.
• Casino Night (Name TBD): Cha-Ching! Take your chance and roll the dice. Come experience the joy of playing BlackJack, poker or even Roulette. RHA is hosting a night of luck where everyone gets to take a chance and play the game. Prizes and fun is all up to be won during RHA MataRoyale.

Resident Appreciation Day: Taco about a Party: RHA appreciates their residents and all the support you all give us. October 4th is National Taco Day and RHA will be giving you a night all about tacos. Come and enjoy hard tacos, soft tacos, veggie tacos, meat tacos, and much more!

Octerror: Come and join RHA into the mysterious horrors of a haunted mobile truck. All you need to enter is to donate a food item or pay $5. The more items you donate, the higher your chances are of winning a raffle prize from RHA. Furthermore, come out and enjoy the spooky crafts we will be having and see if you can make it out of maze before time runs out.

cRHAm: It is about that time… Finals are quickly approaching, leading to stressful times. Come and join RHA and relax from the stress of finals in our stress relief event. RHA will be hosting 15 minute massages from the Muscle Whisperer as well as providing you all with test and studying supplies to help prepare you for finals and meet some of our tutors from the SPOT to ensure a successful semester.

Welcome Back: It’s the Wild West: Winter break is over and the start of a new semester has begun. RHA wants to welcome you all back to a new spring semester with a swinging start. At our Wild West event come join RHA in a milking cow contest, pie eating contest, while enjoying delicious Western style barbecue. Take a ride on the mechanical bull or enjoy petting animals in our petting zoo.

Spread the Love: Love is in the air and so is RHA! Join RHA and indulge in making a gram for your friend or loved one. Have a friend or loved one? Join University Counseling Services and enjoy our mock weddings all while enjoying delicious and chocolatey treats. You can also make a teddy bear at our teddy bear session or make your own mini heart shaped pizza.

Housing Staff Appreciation Brunch: Our Staff works hard to keep CSUN student housing well and alive. Join RHA with a brunch dedicated to our amazing housing staff. A varied popular of brunch items will be served along with a small surprise for our staff.

Matachella: A music and arts festival for students who are interested in showcasing their talents during performance hours. Students will also enjoy a various of activities from roller skating to henna followed with fun foods such as funnel cakes.

cRHAm: RHA’s last event. It is that time of the year once again…. Finals are approaching for spring semester and RHA knows how stressful it may be. Join RHA for a quick and fun study break and enjoy the wonderful crafts we have instore for you.

Community Outreach: RHA loves bringing enjoyment to housing, but we also care about our residents concerns and make our best efforts alongside other departments of housing, to give everyone the opportunity to have a successful year. Our monthly community outreach will be hosted on the suites courtyard between buildings 16 and 17 where students can meet both Exec Board and their Park Representatives known as Park Council Directors (PCD) and voice their concerns through our updated student feedback form on google forms. This is a great opportunity to interact firsthand with all RHA members while at the same time enjoying small activities, snacks, and a chance to win some cool prizes.

Apply for RHA E-Board 2020-2021:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc5hJtQsZaG3ofQRwXSfUn_lhhK0XwQt6c15T2Fa4BCYGKcMg/viewform

Selection Timeline:

• Thursday, 12/05/19: RHA Exec Board Application Open
• Thursday, 12/05/19: RHA Exec Board Info Session (4-4:30 PM & 4:30-5 PM)
• Tuesday, 01/21/20: RHA Exec Board App Closes (11:59 pm)
• Tuesday, 02/04/20: Exec Board Group Process (6-10pm, MPR)
• Week of, 02/17/20- 02/19/2020: RHA Exec Board Individual Interviews
• Friday, 02/21/2020: RHA Exec Board Notification

Please see the position description for the RHA Executive Board Positions

• RHA President (PDF)
• RHA Finance Manager (PDF)
• RHA MM Manager (PDF)
• RHA Ops Manager (PDF)
• RHS Prog Manager (PDF)
• RHA RT Manager (PDF)

For any questions or concerns, contact us at rha@csun.edu

Follow us on all of the following social media accounts for further updates about RHA

What is a PCD?

Park Council Directors (PCDs) are RHA members and selected leaders for each of the residential communities (Park North, Park South, Park East, Park West, Suites North, Suites South, and the University Village Apartments). Park Council Directors act as liaisons between the residential community, and the Student Housing staff. They meet weekly with the Residence Halls Association (RHA) executive board to discuss program and student concerns. If you are interested in getting involved as a Park Council Director, please email recruitment.trainingrha@gmail.com or rha@csun.edu

Application : https://tinyurl.com/rhapcdcsun

Questions? Contact rha@csun.edu for more information