A bill approving Iowa State Dining Service’s new plan to allow “Dining Dollars” on ISU Cards was passed by unanimous consent at the Inter-Residence Hall Association meeting Thursday night.

Stewart Burger, director of Dining Services, attended the meeting and said the $50 that would be given to students from the Department of Residence at the beginning of the year “was not an additional way to raise costs for room and board.”

“The reason we went into [the plan] is because we feel it is an additional service we can provide,” Burger said.

Students will be able to add more money on their account later if they desire, and it will go toward purchases of meals at residence hall dining centers and residence hall convenience stores. Also, if students wish to pay for guests, they will be able to do so with the “Dining Dollars” program.

“We are hoping that with the additional money, students will purchase more money, and we’ll have more sales,” Burger said.

A bill concerning the policy of what materials can be posted on doors in the residence halls was postponed until the next meeting, which will be held March 23, due to legality issues that needed to be included.

In other news, IRHA secretary Seana Brandenburg will be able to type out the minutes rather than write them due to a bill passed by parliament Thursday night. Brandenburg and future secretaries will be able to use an IBM Wordpad, which will be financed by IRHA discretionary. The bill was passed 21-0.

Also, members of parliament discussed a bill introduced at the meeting concerning Hawthorn Court and the upcoming IRHA elections.

Hawthorn Court is intended for undergraduate residents who want apartment-style living. Some parliament members were concerned that it might be hard to create a cohesive student government there due to its distance from campus and from other IRHA members.

IRHA President David Sims said the bill should be passed soon to avoid conflicts in the elections.

Towers Residence Association President Bill Wychulis was one of the representatives who said the apartment-style living would make it difficult for the students to come together as a united government.

“I don’t think it’s easy to create a student government atmosphere,” Wychulis said.