By MATTHEW EPSTEIN
News Editor
 

RA member Ewan Wolff '01 asked that the body consider handling resolutions that thanked individuals and offices for something that they have recently done be voted on during the discussion meeting that take place on alternating weeks, rather then the legislative meetings, which are prone to backlogs of unaddressed business.

"I fear that this body will become one which is perceived as given to flattery and pandering... are we remaining serious, or are we just going to come in here and thank people all the time and bow and curtsy? I'm not interested in doing that... I come in here every day and I want to raise my hand and give a personal privilege and leave, because I'm not getting anything done," said Wolff.

Although others agreed with Wolff's statement that "I think that the proliferation of thanking resolutions is wasting my time," his proposal to keep them from coming up during legislative sessions was indefinitely postponed by the body. With the resolution now "on the table," a majority vote would be required before it could even be reconsidered.

This week the RA thanked the printing office for its help with the RA Times, and the Art Museum for an exhibition that it recently put on.

Last week there were five thank you resolutions.

Also passed this week was a "Bill to Build a Better Resolution," which mandates standards for the presentation of thank you resolutions, trying to make them more meaningful. They will now be sent to the applicable party on official RA letterhead.

The concern of Wolff and others was that, while generally the resolutions are warranted, they take up valuable time, and are being used when a thank you note from an individual RA member would probably suffice.

In other business, the RA held a moment of silence in honor of professor Robert Branham, who died last week.

Two committees were also dealt with. The Budget Committee's new officers were seated, and a committee was created to investigate whether or not the college needs to add more security call boxes to the campus.

The next RA meeting will be this Monday at 7 in Skelton Lounge.