The SUNY Old Westbury Residence Hall Association (RHA) was awarded the 2011 Program of the Year at the North East Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (NEACURH) 2011 Regional Conference for their program “Tunnel of Oppression”. RHA and its sister organization, the Excelsior Chapter of the National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH), are members of the National Association for College and University Residence Halls (NACURH, Inc.); and NEACURH is its North East Affiliate. NACURH is the largest student run organization in the world, with affiliate schools in North America, Japan, Qatar, and Mexico.
The NEACURH 2011 Regional Conference was held November 18th – 20th at the University of Connecticut. To be eligible for the award, member schools have to submit a 20 page bid and give a presentation at the conference. The members of the NEACURH 2011 delegation were RHA National Communications Coordinator Kayla Tuck, RHA President Karyn Dyer, RHA Treasurer Prince Yearwood, RHA Senator Aiseosa Evbuomwan, Residence Hall Council President of Woodlands Hall 4 Maria Llivicura, NRHH National Communications Coordinator Kianna Thomas, NRHH Treasurer Edowaye Enabulele, and NRHH new indcutee Sharif King.
Tunnel of Oppression, first hosted at Old Westbury on April 21st, 2011 in conjunction with PRIDE in the Amelie A. Gallery, is an interactive program that highlights various forms of oppression that we have become desensitized to in our daily lives. Program Chairpersons were Senior Sequoia Lewis and now Alumnus Crystal Harris. About 200 members of the Old Westbury Community got to experience Tunnel first hand and about 30 student leaders from RHA/RHCs, PRIDE, and other organizations volunteered to provide our campus with diversity programming. Tunnel of Oppression has also been awarded an Honorable Mention – Program of the Month April 2011 in the NEACURH region and Program of the Year 2011 from our Office of Co-Curricular Student Leadership and Involvement, which was the first award RHA received from the OW community.
The program was submitted to be considered for National Program of the Year, in which they will hear shortly about their status. Congratulations to our Residential Leaders on this AMAZING accomplishment! Keep up the great work! For more information on the future of Tunnel of Oppression at Old Westbury, please email RHA at oldwestburyrha@gmail.com.