An increased Residence Hall Association presence during Homecoming will be discussed at tonight’s RHA meeting.

RHA President Jarrod Scherle said he hopes to get the group more involved with Homecoming than it has been in the past through various activities like window painting competitions and perhaps a float in the parade.

“I would like to see RHA have a float in the parade,” Scherle said. “It’s a representation that we’re here on campus.”

Scherle also said the executive board will try to create a Homecoming coronation court during this week’s meeting.

RHA members will be asked to put names forward to be chosen as Homecoming king, queen, prince or princess candidates at the meeting. After the names are put forward there will be a vote.

Jody Stone, assistant director of housing and dining services, serves as an RHA adviser and said he would like to see more student residents participate in Homecoming.

“We’re trying to get more involvement from the residence halls,” Stone said.

Stone said he thinks an increased RHA presence during Homecoming will help dispel the notion that the Greeks are the only students who take part in the events.

Homecoming Committee Secretary Kevin Pavloski said he agrees with Stone on the perception that Greeks are the only students involved in Homecoming.

“It’d be a lot better if the Greeks weren’t the only ones involved in the event,” Pavloski said.

Pavloski, who is also president of the executive board for Greek Court, said he has advised RHA to show that Registered Student Organizations are not the only ones who care about Homecoming.

“We want to see the Eastern spirit spread throughout campus,” Pavloski said.

Stone said even though RHA will have a larger part in this year’s activities, the individual hall executive boards will decide the level of involvement each hall will have.

These executive boards will choose whether to participate in the window painting competition and how many representatives will help work on the float.

Stone said this year will see more participation from residents because, the residence hall executive boards are more organized than in previous years and information will be received early enough to allow them time to properly participate.

He is trying to serve as a conduit of information for students, giving them more time to create teams of volunteers and work on window paintings for their halls.

Stone said the help of the Homecoming Planning Board has aided RHA immensely in these preparations.

He also said several residence halls took part in the last years Homecoming board meeting and he hopes all of the halls will be represented at the next meeting.

Scherle said he will ask two members at the next RHA meeting to serve as representatives to these planning meetings and he looks forward to leading RHA involvement in the Homecoming activities.

Despite his enthusiasm for Homecoming, he said tonight’s RHA meeting will focus on preparing for the RHA retreat and ROC Fest in the coming weeks.

Sherle said after these events are complete he thinks RHA will be a more cohesive force and better prepared to deal with the challenges Homecoming events present.

“It will be the foundation of a great RHA,” he said.

Homecoming events will begin with coronation on Oct. 15.