RHA delays IMU meal point vote

Despite the support of four student organizations, the proposal to have meal points in the Indiana Memorial Union might be postponed if the Residence Halls Association does not approve it.

The IU Student Association, IU Student Alumni Association, IU Dance Marathon and Union Board have all approved the resolution. Andrew Dahlen, president of Union Board, said the RHA still needs to pass the plan.

RHA general assembly met Wednesday night to discuss matters of the resolution. Jessica Schul, president of RHA, said RHA is not backing the resolution yet.

There were many members of RHA who opposed the resolution, she said, but there were still some for it. She said when the general assembly cannot come to a vote, a committee is made to further discuss the matter.

“The committee is made up of members who are both for it and against it,” she said.
Some members of RHA had an issue with the proposal because they thought it was not what students really wanted, Schul said. Two freshmen members stated they would not have been interested had it been available this year.

The committee is going to rework some of the details of the resolution and put it back up to the general assembly to vote on, Schul said. The resolution should be reworked by next week, but will not be voted on until the next general assembly meeting on Oct. 14, she said.

RHA wants all residence halls to back the stance, no matter what it is, Schul said.

“This will affect the residence hall students the most,” she said. “That is why it is very important to us.”

Dahlen said it is very unfortunate RHA has not passed the resolution yet. He said the resolution has been consistent when he proposed it to all other organizations and all of them approved it.

Dahlen said it was stated in the VOICE report that students wanted to see meal points in the IMU. The report also mentioned complaints about the union computer lab, he said, and that has now been fixed.

“I just hope Union Board and RHA along with the union can come to an agreement,” Dahlen said.