The Inter-Residence Hall Association voted to help fund the Nigerian Student Union’s celebration of Nigeria’s 43rd Independence Day.

Olamide Shadiya, president of the Nigerian Student Union, asked for IRHA to co-sponsor the event.

The funding from the bill would primarily go toward publicity and decorations for the event, which is scheduled for Nov. 15.

Shadiya said the bill would benefit students in the residence halls because it would expose them to new cultures and educate them.

She also said the event may go toward credit in some multicultural classes.

After Shadiya’s speech, the IRHA committee voted unanimously to approve funding for the Nigerian Student Union.

“I feel great because I’m done raising funding for the event,” Shadiya said.

“The event can now take place because we have all the money we need.”

Carl Carlson, director of finance for IRHA, said there have been about five bills seeking funding for various reasons so far this year.

“It seems we have been funding more bills this year than last year,” Carlson said.

“We’re a bit more free to help people in the residence halls get the activities they want.”

He said funding the Nigerian Student Union event was a good cause because the event is free and open to all students.

“We’re entrusted with the resident’s money, and they saw it as an appropriate way to fund it,” he said.

“It’s an activity they can partake in and get something back from.”

Matthew Goodman, candidate for the at-large seat of the Ames City Council, also spoke at the IRHA meeting.

He passed out brochures to help raise awareness of his campaign.

Goodman said he would be a good candidate because he sees a miscommunication between the City Council and students at Iowa State, and hopes to improve it.

The election is Nov. 4. Deadline for registering to vote in Story County is 5 p.m. Oct. 24.