Graphic for “RHA May” featuring a purple textured background with scrapbook-style photo frames taped onto the page. Three photos show groups of students smiling and spending time together outdoors, including two students holding ice cream cones in front of an ice cream truck and a group of friends posing together. Decorative elements include a bright yellow sun illustration and a pink ice cream cone graphic, creating a fun, summery theme.

RHA Celebrates the End of the Year with Summer Fun and Sweet Treats

by Residence Hall Association | May 11, 2026

As the Spring 2026 semester comes to a close, the Residence Hall Association (RHA) helped students finish the year on a high note with two events centered around fun, connection, and a little bit of summer energy before finals and move-out season began. Funded by the Student Enhancement Fee, the programs gave students a chance to step away from academic stress, spend time with friends, and enjoy the kind of moments that make campus life memorable.

RHA kicked off the month with its Summer Kickoff event on Friday, May 1, transforming the Soda Center plaza into a lively space filled with food, games, crafts, and activities both indoors and outdoors. Students spent the evening enjoying burritos, slushies, chips, dirty sodas, mocktails, popcorn, cotton candy, and snow cones while rotating between activities across the venue. Sierra ’29 appreciated the variety the event offered, sharing, “I really liked that there were both indoor and outdoor activities! The food was also great.”

Outside, students raced through a bouncy obstacle course and gathered around lawn games like giant Jenga. Craft tables on the plaza stayed busy throughout the night as students customized tote bags with iron-on patches and paint pens, made friendship bracelets, and bedazzled claw clips. An indoor movie gave students another way to relax and unwind while still being part of the larger event atmosphere. Diana ’29 said, “Loved this!! Great way to get in the summer mood! Especially loved the patches with the tote bags and the food options.”

Many students shared that the mix of activities helped the event feel welcoming and easy to enjoy with friends. Mary ’28 added, “I had a great time at this event, there were lots of crafts to partake in and the food & drinks were great!!”

The following Friday, RHA continued the celebration with Soft Serve Day on May 8, bringing the Penguin Soft Serve truck to campus just in time for warmer weather. Students lined up throughout the afternoon to choose from vanilla, chocolate, or swirl soft serve with toppings and dips including rainbow sprinkles, Oreo crunch, M&M Delight, peanut cone, cherry dip, and chocolate dip. Natalie ’29 shared, “Getting ice cream with my friends between classes honestly made my whole day better. It was nice seeing so many people outside just hanging out together.

For many students, the event offered a simple but appreciated chance to pause during a busy part of the semester. Evelyn ’27 added, “It felt like the perfect way to celebrate making it to the end of the year. The soft serve was amazing, but I also just loved being able to relax and spend time with people before finals started.”

Both events reflected RHA’s continued focus on creating opportunities for students to connect outside of the classroom. Weekend and late-night programs play an important role in helping students build friendships and feel more connected to campus life, especially during stressful points in the semester. Whether students came for the crafts, the games, the food, or simply to spend time with friends, the events created spaces where students could feel welcomed and included.