The Students’ Association voted to provide recycling bins for Edwards Hall in their meeting Wednesday.

Blair Agan, Edwards Hall representative, introduced the bill to Congress. Agan, sophomore communications and political science major from Lake Jackson, addressed the lack of recycling opportunities for Edwards residents with Area Coordinator Curtis Smith and fellow Edwards Hall Representative David Sanderson. Ultimately, Agan decided Edwards would best be served with a formal set of recycling bins that cost about $350.

“I’ve talked to some of the residents that live in Edwards and they said that if they did have bins, then they would recycle,” Agan said. “They have no reason to recycle now, because there are no bins there.”

On Nov. 8, Congress members voted to allocate $550 to Morris Hall for recycling bins. While the bill passed overwhelmingly, students did raise concerns over consistency with other bins on campus, transportation of disposed recyclables, the high cost of recycling-specific bins and the possible futility of the grassroots recycling efforts on campus. Agan’s bill received similar push-back.

Several students said they would prefer a top-down recycling effort backed by the administration. Andrew Saucedo, Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building representative, said it is SA’s responsibility to encourage a change in university policy.

“I think there’d be more efficient ways to do this, but since there’s nothing being done, let’s do something about it,” said Saucedo, junior biochemistry pre-med and Christian ministry major from Tyler.  “That’s what we’re here to do.”

After discussion and debate, the bill passed by a wide margin. SA now has $500 remaining in the congressional project fund.

Mark Lewis, who has served as assistant dean of spiritual life and chapel programs for 18 years, also joined the meeting for a general discussion about Chapel.

Chapel has been conducted daily since Sept. 11, 1906. Originally, students met Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m. and were allowed 15 absences. Comparatively few universities in the United States still have daily, required chapel. Lewis said chapel is but one aspect of what defines a university as Christian-oriented.

“Chapel is not what makes a university Christian,” Lewis said. “It has been an intentional part of forming faith in students, as well as in faculty and staff, to have a daily chapel program.”

Much of the conversation revolved around faculty participation in chapel. Faculty and staff are required to attend Chapel on Mondays and have reserved seating in the lower-third of Moody Coliseum, but many Congress members expressed desire for increased faculty-student assimilation. Lewis said he would be interested in possibly modifying faculty chapel requirements and seating arrangements, but praised President Phil Schubert’s decision to involve faculty at all.

“I thought it was really a wise decision not to say, ‘You must go to Chapel five days a week like the students.'” said Lewis. “That seems very reasonable. As a result, it seems the majority took that very seriously.”

SA meetings are open to all students. Meetings are conducted on Wednesdays at 5:15 p.m. in the Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Building Room 114.

Absent members:

Gabe Elorreaga, senior class vice president

Simon Jowett, senior class treasurer

Asim Dobani, McKinzie Hall representative

Stevon Carr, COBA representative

Emily Dosa, Gardner Hall representative