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Who is Syracuse 2019

Lily Verbeck: President of Residence Hall Association uses position to inspire change

Lily Verbeck: President of Residence Hall Association uses position to inspire change

By Molly Gibbs

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Editor’s note: “Who is Syracuse?” is a series that runs in The Daily Orange every spring. It highlights individuals who embody the spirit of Syracuse. Members of the community were encouraged to nominate people they thought fit this description. This series explores their stories.

L

ily Verbeck spends her Thursdays working at Syracuse University’s College of Law, running to meetings with student leaders and organizations on campus, and trying to find time to eat between classes and conferences. But at 7:00 p.m., Verbeck can be found in a tiny room with bare walls and minimal furniture. Headphones over her ears, Verbeck pulls the microphone closer and takes a deep breath. 

“You’re listening to Alt 88 HD3 on WAER Syracuse. My name is Lily, thank you so much for tuning into another Thursday show.”  

Verbeck is a part-time alternative radio show host at WAER, a full-time student and SU’s current Residence Hall Association president.  

RHA at SU is the governing body of all residence halls on campus. The executive board is made up of 12 members who oversee the organization and work with campus administrators to enact change.  

“We’re the voice of all residents on campus,” Verbeck said. “If they want to see changes within their residence halls, we’re the ones they go to.”  

Verbeck became involved in RHA her freshman year when she lived in Lawrinson Hall. Her residence advisor, Nedda Sarshar, was the previous year’s RHA president, and encouraged Verbeck and the rest of her floor to join the organization. Verbeck joined the Lawrinson Hall Council as the programming chair that fall. The following spring semester, she and her friend, Hanna Nichols, became co-national communications coordinators on the RHA Executive Board.  

A year-and-a-half later, Verbeck became president.  

Marq Houston, the advisor for the RHA e-board, said Verbeck transitioned into the role as the organization underwent immense changes, including restructuring the entire organization and redefining the role of RHA’s president.  

“When she became president this year, she was kind of responsible for creating a new idea of what the president was supposed to look like,” Houston said.  

Verbeck, Houston and other members of the e-board were in charge of rewriting the organization’s constitution for the first time in years. They read through the 40-page long document section by section during hour-long discussions, not moving on until everyone’s feedback was heard. They added a mission and vision statement, came up with a new set of values and created a new e-board position.  

The director of diversity and inclusion position was added in response to the Theta Tau incident that occurred on campus last spring, Verbeck said. SU’s chapter of Theta Tau was expelled from campus for the creation of videos deemed “extremely racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist, and hostile to people with disabilities” by Chancellor Kent Syverud in a campus-wide email. 

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Molly Gibbs | Photo Editor

In response to the video, Verbeck and other members of the e-board attended as many open forum meetings as they could, taking notes and listening to students. Verbeck said she and other RHA e-board members asked themselves how they were promoting diversity and inclusion on campus, and decided to create a position dedicated directly to those values.   

Verbeck has faced challenges throughout her RHA career. She spent months working on a bid with Nichols to host a RHA conference in Syracuse, only to not get it in the end. She also said recruiting new members was one of her primary goals as president, but that has proven to be a struggle as well.  

“Unfortunately not very many people know about our organization,” Verbeck said. “The students that are looking to be involved in student government are going to seek out SA first and they don’t really know what RHA is.”  

Verbeck’s positive outlook and love for the organization is something Nichols admires most about her. Despite the challenges that come with leading an organization, Verbeck said she’s never thought about leaving.  

“This is my community on campus,” Verbeck said. “I feel like this is where I’m the most understood. Even when times are rough these people are my friends, my family on campus and I would never desert them and I know they always have my back.”  

Verbeck’s favorite RHA memory happened at a National Association for College and University Residence Halls conference at Arizona State University last year, where she presented a rebuttal to a piece of legislation that would remove the co-positions of national communications coordinators.  

 

“I feel like this is where I’m the most understood. Even when times are rough these people are my friends, my family on campus, and I would never desert them and I know they always have my back.”

– Lily Verbeck

 

Verbeck argued splitting that position between two people was crucial to learning from one another and working side-by-side to enact change.  

After presenting her rebuttal, Verbeck remembers the entire room snapping in approval. She was presented a Silver Pin from one of the regional board of directors, recognizing her passion and hard work within the organization.   

Verbeck was recently named President of the Year for RHA’s northeast region and is one of eight regional presidents nominated for NACURH’s RHA president of the year.  

It’s the same passion and dedication she has for RHA that she channels into her work at WAER. 

As a radio show host and DJ, music has been a way for Verbeck to create deep connections with people, including her current vice president, Sadia Ahmed.  

Ahmed will take over next year as president of RHA, as Verbeck will graduate in May. Verbeck will then head to George Mason University to attend law school in the fall. She was accepted into five law schools, but the choice came down to SU or George Mason.

“It was definitely one of the most challenging decisions I’ve ever had to make,” Verbeck said. “Syracuse has what I want short-term — my friends are here, I’ve got connections with the faculty members. But long-term goals, George Mason was just the best fit.”  

Verbeck already has some songs in mind for the drive home as she leaves SU: “Oceans Away,” “Mr. Brightside” and anything by The Chainsmokers reminds her of Syracuse.  

As the clock ticked closer to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Verbeck started to wrap up her show. 

“I have one last song for you tonight,” Verbeck said. “See you right here next week, signing off for now.”   

Photos by Molly Gibbs | Photo Editor

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