On Campus — November 2, 2009
RHA appoints freshman to external vice chairwoman position
Freshman Natasha Desai was named the External Vice Chairwoman for the Residence Halls Association for the 2009-2010 academic year.
“When I interviewed for MUTV, that was my stepping-stone into RHA,” Desai said.
There were many candidates interested in leadership positions within the RHA, and two exceptional candidates were interested in becoming the MUTV Liason, Speaker of Congress Blake Lawrence said.
Not wanting to turn anyone away, Lawrence said he offered Desai the position of external vice chair, a position that is new to RHA this year.
Lawrence said External Vice Chair Desai’s job will be to assist External Committee Chair Jural Vinegar in organizing the agenda, and to keep other members of the cabinet up-to-date.
“I love what external has done so far,” Desai said. “I’m really excited to get to know people, and with everything that’s going on in RHA. I’m excited to hang out and have a good time.”
RHA tidies their by-laws
In an effort to ensure that its meetings run more efficiently, Michael Crawford, Policies and Rules Sub-Committee chairman, introduced Residence Halls Association House Rules into the RHA Constitution.
The Residence Halls Association by-laws, a document enumerating the process by which RHA meetings will be held, will now include an additional chapter outlining the House Rules.
The House Rules will make official the amount of time given to representatives speaking in Congress.
There was debate over how Congress would change the RHA House Rules should future changes be necessary.
RHA Representative Peter Jones proposed a movement to change RHA rules to match the two-thirds majority vote in U.S. Congress in order to change the Constitution.
The movement failed, and both bills concerning the RHA House Rules passed in Congress.
FSU facilitates discussion regarding body image issues
Feminist Student Union discussed positive body image Monday at 5 p.m. in the Center for Social Justice.
Topics included stereotypes, the media’s portrayal of those who are overweight, personal stories and ways to obtain a positive body image.
Leading the discussion were Women’s Center staff members Lauren Olson and Rachel Post. Post and Olsen loosened up the fellow FSU members and encouraged them to talk about themselves.
The atmosphere was honest, with members sharing stories and experiences fluctuating between their highs and lows.
The discussion centered around the members wanting to be strong by loving their bodies but still battling psychological factors one member described as “terrifying”.
A subtopic of the discussion was how people’s body image affects life choices, such as job interviews and where to shop. Members talked about stores such as Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch where sizes ran smaller than other stores. The consensus was the sales tactic potentially feeds negative body image.
The opposite side of the spectrum was touched on momentarily as attendees spoke of exercising and dieting excessively.
FSU meets again Nov. 16. Members hope to continue exploring body image, focusing more on veganism and stereotypes.
