The theme of the Residence Hall Association’s meeting focused on community service projects.

Tommy Nierman, a junior business management major, spoke to the RHA on his candidacy for student body president for next year.

Nierman said he is focusing his campaign on transparency and accountability to give students more options in what goes on throughout campus.

“The biggest thing I’m going for right now is transparency,” Nierman said. “I want someone to come to me two months from now-three months from now-and say ‘You promised me this.'”

Nierman said he wants to see students have school pride while at Eastern.

“Most of our school spirit is focused on athletics,” Nierman said. “I don’t think (school spirit) is a focus. We want to give more tradition and maybe a class ring,”

Nierman said students can take presence through several organizations on campus such as the RHA or the student government.

“We need some core values of what it’s like to be an EIU student,” Nierman said. “This may be leadership, tradition, integrity or community service.”

Nierman said he decided to run because he believes the university lacks school spirit.

“It’s what best for the students,” Nierman said. “They should have the right to see what’s going on in the office.”

Grace Gustafson, a freshman English major from Ford Hall, announced at the meeting that the hall completed a community service project at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center.

A representative from the health center provided bears for the students to stuff for the patients, Gustafsan said.

“We stuffed the bears until we ran out of stuffing,” Nierman said. “Probably about 30 bears were made.”

A representative from Lincoln Hall introduced Tyra to the RHA, which is a cardboard cut-out which students can put items of clothing on to participate in a contest.

Lincoln Hall is using Tyra to advertise their fashion show.

“Tyra is going to go to every hall until the fashion show,” the representative said. “Students can put on an article of clothing or accessories on Tyra.”

The committee in charge of the fashion show will judge the “coolest” article of clothing on Tyra and award the hall with the best piece of clothing with a prize at the fashion show.

The fashion show will take place at 7 p.m. April 17 in the lobby. T-shirts will also be available for the fashion show for $12.

Jennifer Brown can be reached at 581-2812 or jebrown2@eiu.edu.