Khiyah
President: Arielle Kramer
Khiyah House, a women's residence hall house, began in the 1994 fall semester at the middle level of Tess Morgan Hall's north wing. The house was created due to the expansion of residence space for women with the reopening of Walker Hall that fall.
On the day the house's members were scheduled to select a tentative name, house president Kristi Hettrick told English faculty member Barbara Hiles Mesle that she wasn't excited about any of the proposed names. Mesle suggested the name "Khiyah", which means "Mother Earth" in Hebrew (and which the Mesles were originally going to name their daughter, Sarah). The word is also similar to a Swahili term meaning "season of beginnings".
The house symbol adopted during the first year involved three interlocking diamonds (a Nordic symbol for heavenly power), promoting Khiyah's environmental theme. Hall colors selected the first year were burgundy and silver.
Original house council members were Kristi Hettrick (president), Brendan Edwards (senator), Sarah Baughman (intramurals), Jennifer Hankins (COSA), Jana Booth (SAC), Nina Guidry (Crescent), and Heather Abramson (chaplain).
