■•I
■ Willis says be plans
to move off campus, and
he cites ‘unfortunate
circumstances’with the
university as the reason.
Br Dane SncKNEY
Staff writer
The Residence Hall Association
will have to go on without its devil’s
advocate.
Larry Willis
resigned as the
speaker of the
RHA senate
Sunday. Willis, a*
junior accounting
major, said he is
moving off cam
pus because of
-wifiift “unfortunate con
** flicts with the uni
versity.”
Though Willis would not elabo
rate specifically on those conflicts, he
was known for standing strong, some
times amid conflict, to try to get
things done.
One of his first missions was get
ting representation for his home,
Husker Hall.Three years ago, he
helped get Husker Hall into the asso
ciation, and he has been Husker Hall’s
representative for a year and a half.
Because Husker Hall’s residents
are mainly graduate students, Willis
thought the university was depriving
the hall of certain privileges.
“My main goal for getting
involved was to accomplish things for
Husker Hall,” he said. “We lacked
adequate computers, vending
machines, desk operators and
Ethernet connections. We should
have the same standards that others
enjoy” «
After meeting his goals for 1
Husker Hall, Willis developed goals 1
for the entire organization.
“My personal goal was to bring i
RHA up to a standing where students !
would think of it as an equal to i
ASUN,” he said. “I wanted RHA to be i
more proactive and deal with diversi
ty and equal rights. 1
“Unfortunately, the other mem- <
bers weren't willing to go in that i
direction, but that’s where they need- i
edtogo.” !
Because of his constant efforts to
change RHA’s outlook, Willis said he ;
saw himself as the devil’s advocate of <
the group.
“Programs can be tried,” he said,
“but without the support of the people
backing you, it isn't going to get
done.”
After his first year in RHA, Willis
decided to take a more active role. He
lost the election for president to Ben
Wallace, who won a second term.
Willis later was elected to be the
speaker for the senate for the 1998-99
school year.
“I felt that I could have done more
good as president, but the electors
aian t agree witn me, Willis said.
RHA member Jadd Stevens said
Willis will be missed.
“We will definitely miss his expe
rience especially his expertise in par
liamentary procedure,” said Stevens,
a junior biology and English major.
“1 see Larry as a giving person. He
is always the first to speak up to help
people.”
Last year, Willis offered to match
the amount of money raised for
RHA’s Angel Tree project, which pro
vided gifts to underprivileged chil
dren.
“He knew it would be a lot of
money, but he believed in what he was
doing,” Stevens said.
“When Larry believes in what he
is doing, he won’t back down,” he
said. “That helps to define his charac
er. He doesn’t care what others
hint”
Former RHA President Wallace,
vho resigned along with Willis
Sunday, said Willis' biggest obstacle
vas overcoming his confrontational
mage.
“Larry is a real stick-tflfeis-guns
ype of guy,” said Wallace, a senior
communications major. “Sometimes
tV hard for people to deal with that,
rod consequently, people tend to have
i negative view of him.
“Although he tends to come off as
i harsh person, he has a wonderful
concern for others.”
But Wilis said he has no regrets
«--—
Larry is a real stick-to-his-guns type of
guy. Sometimes it’s hard for people to deal
with that, and consequently, people tend to
have a negative view of him.’’
Ben Wallace
former RHA president
about his sometimes strenuous RHA “I got them to question right and
experiences. wrong and to evaluate themselves and
“I may not have always been liked, their role in RHA. I just wish I could
but I got diem to think,” he said. have done more with my time.”
Wallace resigns as president ofRHA
WALLACE from page 1
hardest things he has ever done and
his friends have made the choice
easier. ^
“My favorite memory is meeting
everyone I’ve met,” he said. “They
are some of my bek Mends and the
epitome of what friendship should
be.”
Though Wallace said he loves
RHA “to death,” it’s time for the
organization to take a new direction,
he said. He said he feels he^s guided
it long enough and thinks it needs to
change under new leadership.
He said he feels he needs to move
on in his personal life, as well, and
resigning from RHA allows him to
do that. The biggest new contribution
he wants to make is as a residence
hall student assistant next year.
Shane Perkins, RHA vice presi
dent, took over Wallace’s presiden
tial duties at midnight Sunday. He
said the organization loses a lot of
experience with Wallace’s resigna
tion, but knows he will continue to be
- lit'
important m lum.
“We’re going to really miss Bra,”
Perkins said. “He’s not dropping out,
just changing his duties, and he’ll
continue to be an important asset”
Feridns said Wallace was a men
tor this year for the rest of the execu
tive boaid. Because the board was all
new, Wallace helped members lean
their duties, Perkins said.
Denise Borton, RHA adviser,
has worked with Wallace for the past
four years and agrees he will be
missed. She knows the organization
will progress, however.
“He’ll be sorely missed,” she
said, “yet people will be able to move
on knowing he’s set some precedents
for RHA. For that we’ll always be
thankful.”
Borton said Wallace contributed
several things to RHA, including a
sense of unity and teamwork. He
tried to establish a balance between
producing a product and having
processes run smoothly, she said.
“Ben worked a lot on getting the
fun back into die organization,” she
said.
Wallace agreed, as he feels he put
the “person” back into RHA. 'Die
most important tiling is the individ
ual person, he said, and once the
organization overlooks that, it has
failed.
“Everyone has a gift,” Wallace
said. “We just have to find it RHA is
about the students in the residence
halls. They’re just as important as the
exec board.”
Wallace said his most important
responsibility as president was being
a source of motivation for the group.
“I owe my exec board this year a
lot,” he said, “and would have liked
to motivate them more. In that sense,
1 didn’t live up to my own expecta
tions.” -
Wallace does not take full credit
for his success, however. He said
working as a team is what makes a
leader successful
“Nothing has been done because
of just me,” he said. “It’s been all the
wonderful people that have become
my best friends.”
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