The students have spoken, and the residence halls on campus will be in new hands.

Junior Erik Graham was elected the new president of the Inter-Residence Association (IRA) this past week, and he has plans to change the organization.

“I want to make the general [IRA] body stronger, give them some more powers, so that they now have more of a say,” Graham said.

First, the organization needs to be reorganized so that it is more functional, Graham said.

“By building from the ground up, the organization will be much more able to stand on its own two feet, be more effective in representing the students wishes and desires [and] can put on better programs,” he said.

Graham said that, as president, he wants to work hard at getting the name of the organization out so that when students arrive at the beginning of next year, they already see an IRA presence on campus,

“To accomplish this, I will be working very hard with the Public Relations-elect Timmy Weaver,” he said.

IRA’s newly elected vice president, freshman Veronica Butka, said she also wants more student awareness.

“I just want to get hall councils involved more. I want to get the name IRA out there — I want students to know so they can see where their money is going and have more of a say in that,” she said.

Graham said he feels that by working with Residence Hall Council advisors, as well as the assistant residence directors, he can make sure the need for a strong hall council is publicized and that students are encouraged to get involved early in the year.

“IRA is generally stronger during second semester. They are more united, they know what they are doing and they are all trained,” Graham said.

If unity and strength are attained by the beginning of next semester, then we will have an entire year ahead of us to accomplish things, he said.