Each year, Guilford’s hall councils receive thousands of dollars to improve residence life. Senate gave Bryan and Milner hall councils over $2,000 each this year to spend on residence activities. Binford has nearly $1,500, whereas smaller halls received closer to $500. Alternative houses and the apartments received approximately $100 each. These funds come from annual student activity fees, using $5 per student.

Hall councils fund activities such as cookouts, movies, dances and Easter egg coloring. They have held pizza parties and birthday celebrations. They guide community living by setting standards for kitchen use and purchasing extra trash cans.

Possibilities abound for future activities. Hall councils can purchase items for hall use, such as VCRs or video game systems. Hall Councils can set community standards regarding litter and quiet hours. They can organize events during Serendipity as well.

Anna Molnar, a sophomore Bryan resident, said “I think the kids here do enough social wise, but I think things like dorm beauty would be more comforting and more lasting than a one-night event.” She would like her council to use some funds to “do something with plants or art.”

The hall councils are revamping this year, choosing the way they will govern themselves in the future. Each dorm will elect representatives, who will then write a constitution outlining the purpose of the council and the procedures they intend to follow for future elections and council meetings.

They have been disorganized in the past because leaders would move on and residents had no underlying structure to fall back on, according to senior Josh Brown, a member of Community Senate.

Brown, former president of the English hall council, said that with enough effort, hall councils could hold elections, make up offices and write a hall constitution this year. “Then students might see the funds they spent on student activities put to good use,” said Brown.

The Student Residence Council (SRC), a Senate committee, oversees and assists hall councils. Endowed with over $8,000, SRC can organize events involving multiple dorms, provide additional funds to active halls and serve as a bridge between Senate and hall councils. Melissa Starr, chairperson of SRC, hopes to assist the hall councils in becoming self-governing bodies this year, and serve as an additional resource for the councils in the future. SRC convenes following the Senate meeting on Wednesdays.

SRC is working hard to set up council elections because no organized hall councils currently exist. Students can apply for council positions through SRC. Applications will be available in Founders Nov. 7.

For this year, Starr said “My main hopes are to get the councils established, to have them write up constitutions so that next year’s SRC and hall councils will have an easier time of setting things up, and to have each hall put on at least one program or event this year.”