The UA's Residence Hall Association has won the bid to host the 1997 Inter-Mountain Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls Regional Conference for leadership training, an RHA spokeswoman said.

After failing to receive the bid in November 1995, a 12-member team from RHA used a strong presentation to outbid a team from Colorado State University at this year's conference held on Nov. 17, said Becca Smith, RHA's vice president of services.

The University of Arizona's RHA will host about 400 to 500 students from 30 to 32 schools, Smith said.

"The conference will re-energize the association, and the rest of the university will get a chance to recognize the good work we do throughout the region," said Kim Bowie, RHA's conference adviser and an area coordinator for the Department of Residence Li fe.

Smith said the conference will allow students to build better RHA communities and deal with campus issues.

The three-day conference is scheduled for Nov. 13-16, 1997, Smith said. She said it will emphasize leadership training, which is completed through a series of programs designed to educate residence hall leaders and give them ideas to take back to their in dividual campuses.

Smith said part of the conference will consist of six program sessions with 10 to 15 different programs per session. The programs will focus on campus issues like stress management, group building, sexual assault, eating disorders and security, she said

The theme of the conference is "How the West is Fun," and additional activities like a hayride and square dancing are in the works, Smith said.

She said 40 to 50 volunteers will organize the conference, but each school will provide the different programs.

Conference participants will stay at the Ramada Inn University and Conference Center, 1601 N. Oracle Road, while all programs will be held on campus, Smith said. She said RHA is hoping to use the Modern Languages or Economics buildings because both are ne ar the Memorial Student Union.

Smith estimated the conference's cost per student at about $130, but that figure does not include travel expenses. The fee includes room, food, local transportation, activities and entertainment.

The 1996 conference was held at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, Smith said. She said it was the third straight time the regional conference was held in a cold-weather area.

RHA capitalized on Tucson's warm weather by including the sun in every picture in its slide show presentation, Smith said.

An informational meeting for students interested in volunteering will be held Jan. 22 from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Memorial Student Union Rincon Room, Bowie said.

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