At yesterday’s Student Government Association meeting, the Senate voted to amend students’ meal-plan contracts. New legislation bars students from decreasing their plans after the second week of the semester. The Senate also seated a new senator and heard plans to reorganize the Chartered Student Organization Suite in the Busch Student Center. The Senate passed a bill that changes an important detail of the student meal-plan contract. Previously, students could change their meal plans at any time during the semester by paying a $25 fee. The new contract prohibits students from decreasing their meal plan after the second week of the semester. Senator Jeff Bigner, a junior representing the Cook School of Business, said the change was necessary because some students decreased their meal plans several times during the semester. These fluctuations made it difficult for Chartwells Dining Services to balance its budget; the new contract will allow Chartwells administrators to concentrate on improving services, Bigner said. Students who experience a major financial hardship or medical problem during the semester will still be able to request the cancellation or reduction of their meal plan. The meeting also included a special presentation by Senator Lindsay Ryan and SLU TV President Andrew Clifton. They explained plans to reorganize the Chartered Student Organization Suite, which is located in BSC 247 above U.S. Bank. According to Ryan, the space was intended to house offices for student groups, but mostly goes unused. The reorganization plan would give SLU TV control of most of the suite; they will use it for equipment storage and will set up a control room and editing suite. In return for taking control of the majority of the CSO Suite, SLU TV will compensate other student organizations by offering them access to equipment and free airtime for announcements. Some space in the CSO suite will remain available to student organizations, including filing space for archives. The Senate welcomed a new member yesterday. Jonathan Morton, a senior in Parks College, will represent his school for the remainder of the year. Morton, who has been active in the Society of Automotive Engineers and Students for Exploration and Development of Space, has already met with Parks College’s interim dean. Morton will serve on the Committee for Information Technology and the Committee for Academic Affairs. The Senate also gave Emily Farinacci, a new senator representing Notre Dame Hall, a seat on the Committee for External Affairs. With SGA elections coming up next week, President Cari Johns took an opportunity to speak on the campaign and The University News’ endorsements of certain candidates. “Remember that endorsements aren’t the end of the world or the end of your campaign. A lot of people who have been endorsed didn’t win, and a lot of people who weren’t endorsed ended up taking the position,” Johns said. Johns also delivered a written report from Pat Devney, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences and SGA’s ambassador to SLU’s campus in Madrid, Spain. While praising the campus’ computer labs, Devney said that library space was inadequate. He also shared some of his impressions on Spanish culture, including the Spaniards’ love for ham and their practice of taking a siesta every afternoon.