UCSB will follow last year’s strong showing at a major residence hall conference by hosting it this year.

Delegations from 42 schools will attend the annual Pacific Affiliates of College and University Residence Halls Conference. Over 450 delegates will come from schools in California, Alaska, Nevada, Oregon and Washington to share programs and compete for awards.

Events will take place throughout the weekend at campus venues including Campbell Hall and the Humanities and Social Sciences Building. An awards banquet will be held Saturday at the Events Center. The theme of the conference is “Catch a Wave: Surf to Success.”

UCSB earned the privilege of hosting this year’s conference at last year’s residence hall conference at California State University at Chico. Representatives from each of the schools in the Pacific region chose UCSB’s “Catch a Wave” bid over UC Berkeley’s “Mystify Your Mind” entry.

“We had to present a bid with all the planning and logistics worked out,” senior English major and spirit chair of the UCSB delegation Sheveeta Shephard said. “Now we just have to carry it out.”

On Saturday, schools will present ideas for programming and organization. The other delegations will evaluate each presentation, with the top 10 earning recognition. UCSB won two top-10 distinctions last year for its “Get a Life” diversity program and the HIV/AIDS Safer Sex Program’s peer-training manual.

As host school, UCSB is ineligible to win any awards this year.