By Kara Augustine

After weeks of heated debate, concern from University of Louisville students over the new mandatory meal plan requirement is not dying down.
After the Student Government Association Senate meeting on October 21, another meeting was held for students to address their concerns with the meal plan.
Demetrius Gray, president of the Association of Black Students and a junior finance major, said that this meeting was productive, but was not satisfied with how visiting students were treated by the senate when discussing the meal plan. 
“Some things happened within the senate meeting that we didn’t like,” Gray said. “We were last on the agenda. So we had to sit through the entire senate meeting. Then, we had to be yielded upon to even speak. So, a senator had to acknowledge you in order for you to be able to give your opinion on the topic.”
During the subsequent meeting, Gray said many tasks were achieved,  including a waiver committee. SGA Services Vice President Dani Smith announced at the Senate meeting that she would be welcoming applications to be on this committee.
“We solicited student leaders to find people to sit on that committee,” Gray said. “We also discussed what we would like to see on the waiver, so that those people who would be on that committee could take that as well.”
With regards to the waiver policy, SGA has continued to receive e-mails with concerns from students, according to Student Government Association President Rudy Spencer. He explained that they have received between 100 to 150 e-mails and SGA is trying to sort through them now. At first glance, Spencer noticed a major issue.
“A big concern comes from students who are parents who say that they would rather spend money buying food that they can share with their children instead of having to come here,” Spencer said.
He explained that waivers for situations such as this one will be discussed and SGA is working on the language that needs to be used for the final waiver form.
Along with SGA, Vice President for Student Affairs Tim Moore said the administration is trying its best communicate with students.
“We are always going to continue to listen to students’ concerns and to have a very healthy dialogue with students,” Moore said.
Despite Moore’s sentiments, Gray feels that communication is still a problem. Gray said that the SGA executive board met with U of L administrators to discuss the meal plan issues. He felt like this equated to students still being left out of the conversation.
“I feel like in some ways, you are strategizing with the administrators rather than strategizing with the students,” Gray said.
Spencer said he wants to continue open communication between students and SGA as much as possible though. He is thinking about having a public meal plan forum today or this Thursday so that students who could not make it to the first forum, held on Oct. 27, could attend. Also, SGA is trying to develop an effective communication plan to ensure that students are engaged in the university’s processes and decisions.
Along with SGA and administrative action, Gray believes U of L students need to put in more  effort.
“Students are really concerned about this but it is very hard for students to find a way to have their voice empowered within the system,” Gray said. “We are going to need a lot of student support. Frankly, if we don’t get that, I don’t see any change taking place.”
-Coverage of the meal plan’s success at other colleges will be featured in the Nov. 11 issue of The Louisville Cardinal.