ISU students who feast at residence hall dining services often eat with table tents in front of them, which promote everything from campus groups to Government of the Student Body elections.

However, some changes may be in store due to a negative reaction from some ISU diners about the content of a recent table tent.

The tent, which was titled “2 Heathers,” was sponsored by the campus organization Young Americans Foundation (YAF). Through illustrations, it detailed the birthing choices of two mothers.

One mother murdered her child after birth and was sentenced to prison. The other “Heather” opted for a partial-birth abortion and was rewarded for her choice.

Associate Director of Residence Virginia Arthur said the Department of Residence has received numerous complaints about the table tent, and some people have requested that the department censor some table tents’ content.

“We don’t want to get into regulating the content of table tents. How the program is run right now, if we put one tent on, we have to put them all on,” she said. “The format and graphic design of last week’s table tent was unacceptable. We may end up having to go to nothing on the tables at all.”

Arthur said the Department of Residence does not have a policy to regulate the content of table tents; the determining factor simply pertains to the process of approving table tents for distribution.

“We do not have a detailed process of what information can go on the table tents. Right now, we require that requests be from student organizations and that the information is not offensive. We restrict how many days the tents may be displayed and require submission of the idea so many days in advance,” she said.

Arthur said the most common requests for table tents include advertisements for activities involving student organizations and student government elections.

She also said they receive suggestions for Department of Residence activities and events within the university itself, such as theatrical and musical productions.

John Kramer, assistant manager of food service for Maple-Willow-Larch, said food-service employees have little say on what can be put on the tables in the dining rooms.

“People bring table tents to us, and we ask if they are approved. If they are, they show us the Department of Residence stamp of approval, and then they are allowed to put them on the tables,” he said.

Ben Studenski, president of the Young Americans Foundation, said the members of the group decided to put up the tents. “The table tents speak for themselves,” he said.

Studenski, senior in industrial engineering, said he hasn’t received much feedback from students, but he wouldn’t be surprised if there were differing opinions.

“It’s a controversial issue,” he said. “People have reactions one way or the other.”

Haley Rose, freshman in political science, said she believes there is a certain time and place for some topics to be discussed.

“‘2 Heathers’ is not something that I would like to see while having a meal at food service, but even though I can’t control what is placed there, I can choose not to read it,” she said.

Thea Singleton, freshman in elementary education, agreed that some topics are not appropriate for display in the dining halls.

“I feel that the topic discussed on ‘2 Heathers’ was too pointed to be on a food-service table. It wasn’t what I needed to see while I was eating dinner,” she said.