The only thing on Bush Acar’s agenda at 9 p.m. every Tuesday night for the last four years has been hall council.

Acar, a senior communications major, found the Residence Hall Association’s hall council a great outlet to gain skills for the future, while also meeting with others he generally wouldn’t meet.

“My appeal to be involved with hall council was because it gave me a chance to meet with people outside my hall and allowed me to practice communication skills and practical ideas I will be able to use in my life outside of college,” he said.

Hall council is made up of the student body that lives within the residence halls. Each residence hall holds its own meetings weekly, in which students are able to have a say in what goes on in their hall. Students get to vote on issues such as hall improvements and programming ideas.

In the past, floor representatives have asked the council for dry erase boards, water filters and even a pool table for a floor in Grant Towers.

Those who want a bigger say in their hall may decide to run for an executive position on the council.

Students can then be nominated by their peers to hold one of the executive board positions. Once elected, they will sit on a committee with members of their respective positions from the RHA executive board.

There are eight board positions, including president, administrative vice president, programming vice president, treasurer, secretary, public relations and a believing in culture representative.

“Hall council is the student government within the residence hall. It gives residents a chance to come out and tell us programs and hall improvement ideas that we can use in the future,” said Jaime Besonen, national/Illinois communications coordinator for RHA.

Others, as Acar did, found the same appeal in hall council and began to join the weekly meetings.

“The fact that hall council allows you to get your voice heard by all of NIU, including the administration, is appealing to students,” RHA Treasurer Andy Sears said.

To encourage student involvement from the floors, many of the halls give their hall council a boost with theme nights.

Hall council themes have gone from Huskie spirit, or red and black, night all the way to a “bling-bling” night where students were encouraged to wear flashy jewelry.

Like Acar, students say the hall council has made an improvement in their life by allowing them to make a difference at NIU.

“Hall council is one of the little things on campus that can make a big difference in your life by just attending,” Sears said.

Hall council locations

Meets at 9 p.m. every Tuesday

Douglas – C/D cafeteria

Grant North C – Formal lounge

Grant South A – Formal lounge

Lincoln – A/B lower lounge

Neptune – dining hall

Stevenson North – multipurpose room

Stevenson South – smart classroom