Student Government Association passed two bills on Sept. 19 in their first meeting of the year.The meeting opened with a report on the Interfaith Alliance’s progress with President Obama’s Interfaith and Service Campus Challenge. The IFA is in participating in the challenge for the second year and hopes to build events such as the bus tour, which was held last year, and interfaith prayer service at college services.
After introductions from the students running for committee chair positions, the meeting moved on to the two bills on the agenda.
The first bill passed at 25 senators.The second bill was a resolution to support Flex to Feed, an initiative started by School of Medicine Senator Tarek Adam.
Flex to Feed is a program meant to donate 10 percent of leftover Flex Dollars from students to the St. Louis Foodbank. Adam came up with the idea for Flex to Feed last year and worked with the former SGA president Matt Ryan and Paul Taylor, the regional district manager of Chartwells.
“A portion of [Flex] is used to improve campus dining, but the majority of it goes to Chartwells bottom line,” said Tarek.
Six hundred students signed a petition in support of Flex to Feed and Chartwells agreed to participate.
Parks College of Engineering, Aviation & Technology Senator Parry Draper expressed concerns about Chartwells taking money from what could be used to improve dining and putting those funds toward Flex to Feed instead. Tarek responded that he did not know what Chartwells plans were, but given their interest in the program, he didn’t think it probable.
Multiple senators asked if the percentage agreed to was enough. Tarek noted that 10 percent was more than zero, and said “if we donate anything to the St. Louis community, that’s already an improvement.”
The bill passed.
