Delegates from the Residence Hall Association attended the Illinois Residence Hall Association conference during the weekend sweeping the awards given out near the end of the conference.

Announcing what was gained from going to the annual conference will be the focal point of the RHA meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday in Lawson Hall. This year’s delegation won seven awards, which broke a record for how many awards the RHA has received at the conference. Last year, they won six awards setting a record then.

They won a slew of awards including the Student of the Year award given to Kadie Peterson, a junior family and consumer sciences major, and the Rookie of the Year award given to RHA Secretary Katie Mokry. Molly Ferris, a psychology major and another delegate, won National Residence Hall Honorary Member of the Year.

From the bids for nomination, Peterson and Mokry proved themselves by staying involved and always helping.

Mokry said it was a big surprise to both Peterson and her. They were not aware they were bid on.

The RHA also won the Best Large Banner award, the Most IRHA Points Award (given when delegates mention the conference periodically) and the most spirited delegation, which became as a surprise to both the Eastern delegates and the Western Illinois University delegates.

Christina Lauff, the RHA national and Illinois communications coordinator, said it was a fun competition between the two groups of who would win. Eastern delegates were sure Western would win.

“They usually get most spirited delegation and when they won they were all looking at us across the banquet,” Lauff said.

She said they were very quiet when Eastern received the award. In fact, Lauff said after receiving a couple of awards, most of the people stopped cheering from monotony,

Lauff, said RHA members sent 17 people, 13 of whom were RHA delegates to represent Eastern. The other four were advisors and communication coordinators.

RHA President Patrick Morrow said he was shocked they received so many awards especially with the young delegation that attended. Other than a few, many of the delegates had never been to the conference or any like it.

Jarad Jarmon can be reached at 581-2812 or jsjarmon@eiu.edu.