By Jonathan Smith, Editor in Chief
The Students’ Association showed support for the controversial American flag displayed during Opening Day Ceremonies in Chapel.
Anxious to respond to a petition that circulated last week against the size of the flag, Congress passed a resolution showing its approval of the flag and its size.
“Students from other countries do not have a problem with the flag,” said Mabee Hall Rep. Jeremy Pond, freshman journalism major from Burkburnett, concluding that the student body as a whole would also have no problem with it.
However, some members of Congress did have a problem with the resolution, questioning whether enough feedback from students had been collected to make that decision.
Pond said he and other members had collected more than 90 signatures supporting the size of the flag in a couple of days, about equal to the number of signatures collected last week against the flag.
Accounting for the number of signatures from both petitions plus the number of Congress members at the meeting, about 250 students have had the opportunity to voice their opinion on the flag-a number several members said was too low to have an accurate view on student opinion.
Some, although they might have supported the resolution’s intention, tried to refer the petition to SA’s constituent relations committee to do more research and poll a more significant percentage of the student body. That motion failed, however, and regardless of dissenters, Congress passed the resolution 37-10 with four abstaining.
Congress also unanimously approved the creation of a new committee to study the university’s contract with ARAMARK Food Services and determine what possibilities and suggestions could be made regarding student meal plans.
Sen. Daniel Gray, sophomore social work major from Collierville, Tenn., who suggested the committee to Congress, said Tommy Butler, last year’s Biblical Studies Building representative who graduated in May, had studied meal plans last year, and Gray wanted to continue that work.
He said he has heard several complaints this semester, specifically about the Bean more strictly enforcing its policy not to allow students to use two of their meal plans at a time to let another student into the Bean.
“We might not completely rectify the situation, but we can see what we can do for the students,” Gray said.
He said he hopes the 11-person committee can begin meeting as soon as next week to brainstorm possibilities about what it can do.
Congress also filled a Biblical Studies Building representative seat, unanimously approving the appointment of Adam Smith, junior youth and family ministry major from Whitehouse.
