Saints building community
It gives the whole region which is comprised of 30+ institutions an opportunity to learn about the Saint Martin's community and also learn about our small but mighty chapter.
- Cheyenne Yap '23
- National Residence Hall Honorary President
On November 18, 2022, Saint Martin’s University hosted a conference for college and university residence hall associations with 30 institutions and 170 advisors and delegates. The Pacific Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (PACURH) is part of the National Association of College and University Residence Halls (NACURH). The conference brings together students who live on college campuses in residence halls to share ideas, resources, and methods to improve their residential communities. PACURH includes associated schools in Alaska, British Columbia, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. A different school holds the conference every year and this was Saint Martin’s first year hosting.
The conference was attended by 30 institutions, including Loyola Marymount University, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Irvine, University of Oregon, University of Hawai’i Mānoa, and many more. It is coordinated by the Saint Martin’s National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH) Chapter, Conference Chairs, and PACURH Regional Board of Directors. Two students, Tatiana Crichton and Cheyenne Yap serve as conference chairs. Saint Martin’s has been attending conferences for the last 10 years, but being a small university, hosting the event seemed unrealistic. However, when September rolled around and PACURH didn’t have a university to hold this year’s conference, NRHH President Cheyenne asked, “Why not us?”
Cheyenne Yap, Saint Martin’s NRHH President and chair on the PACURUH regional board of directors, explains that she had always been involved in NRHH. Yap attended Saint Martin’s in 2019 as a freshman in the Norcia community in Spangler, which NRHH was very popular. She looked up to Kat Gulley, a 2021 graduate, who was a leader in the chapter. They laid the groundwork for NRHH at Saint Martin’s and helped build the chapter, which Cheyenne continued to do after they graduated. She cites Kat as her inspiration to make the residence halls, and even the world around her, a better place. “This fall, with Kat's legacy, and with a strong NRHH team to make a commitment to host, the timing was perfect for us to finally hold a regional conference,” Cheyenne says. “It gives the whole region which is comprised of 30+ institutions an opportunity to learn about the Saint Martin's community and also learn about our small but mighty chapter."
Submitted by Nicole Hirao '23
