The University of Maryland’s RHA Senate voted against establishing a hall council specifically for Prince Frederick Hall at its final meeting of the school year Tuesday.
A resolution to separate Prince Frederick Hall from the North Hill Area Council — which includes dorms such as Anne Arundel, Carroll and Dorchester halls — failed 11-25.
Some argued that the resolution shouldn’t be considered until next year.
“This resolution feels a little bit premature,” said former Residence Hall Association president Dana Rodriguez. “There are other solutions that we have not pursued that we could pursue next year.”
The meeting was the first one led by the new executive board, but former executive board members still attended and gave input on its resolutions.
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Rodriguez, a senior finance and government and politics major, argued RHA could advertise better and work more closely with resident directors to make sure they reach every hall in North Hill and ensure equal representation.
There are fluctuations in representation on the North Hill Area Council from year to year, said former national communications coordinator Valerie Kologrivov. Some years, she added, Prince Frederick participates more, and some years the other buildings in North Hill participate more.
If Prince Frederick had its own council, it would ensure equal participation, said Kologrivov, a junior economics and government and politics major.
However, newly elected President Bryan Gallion said there would not be enough support to fill both councils and back up the new council.
“If we were to vote this through, one [council] would fill and one would fall, and there would be a large population left unrepresented,” Gallion said.
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Kologrivov said the council should have been split, as Prince Frederick’s needs are different from the needs of other North Hill buildings.
Prince Frederick, which opened in 2014, houses about 462 students, according to the Department of Resident Life’s website. The other nine halls on North Hill range from about 100 to about 170 residents.
“There’s a pretty big difference in the amenities between Prince Frederick and the other buildings,” Kologrivov said.
The RHA also voted 30-7 to remove the voting rights of non-elected executive board members.
Since members on the executive board do not represent a specific body, they should not get a vote on resolutions, said Rachel Hanrahan, a North Hill senator.
“I think it’s very important that we represent someone when we walk in this room,” the sophomore economics and government and politics major said. “Even if you have good intentions and a lot of knowledge on the issue, you can share that through speaking during senate.”
This resolution will take away the right to vote on resolutions from all executive board members, except the president and vice president because they are elected by the senate, according to the resolution.
Kologrivov said when she was an executive board member, she did not represent a student body and abstained from voting on resolutions because of it.
“I was not elected by this body,” she said, “and I was not appointed to represent anyone.”