February 23, 2016

The Residence Halls Association passed an act to allow another slate to enter the RHA presidential election during a special session of Congress on Feb. 22.

RHA called the special session of Congress to discuss concerns with the presidential election in response to the [Roberts/Aiken slate withdrawing](http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2016/2/19/slate-drops-out-residence-halls-association-presid/) from the race.

The special congressional session began with a motion to expel Matt Bourke, Martha Pangborn and Emily Aiken from the session. The motion passed, although the majority of representatives voted in abstention.

After the Bourke/Pangborn slate and Aiken left the room, an amendment was presented to allow Congress to change the rules of a presidential election during the election period. The motion passed, allowing congress to discuss a resolution that changes rules for the current election.

The resolution, passed by RHA congress, allows for a reopening of the election process. Bourke/Pangborn will remain on the ballot, but there is now an option for candidates to enter the election as either a solo presidential candidate or a presidential and vice presidential slate.

If a member of RHA chooses to enter the race as a solo presidential candidate, they will have the ability to appoint their vice president.

“I had heard talks about (expelling them),” Speaker of Congress Alex Johar said. “I felt like it was something for the representatives to vote on. It’s their call, and they voted to expel them.”

Advocacy Committee Chair Monica Roselli said that the reason for expelling them from the room was to facilitate open discussion on the amendment and resolution that would be discussed.

New candidates will follow election rules as outlined in the RHA bylaws. Candidates will have until 6:30 p.m. Feb. 26 to collect 50 signatures and be approved as an official slate. The election is not expected to be extended at this time.

Voting will still be open from 10 a.m. March 2 to 10 a.m. March 4.

“It is the ability of myself or Billy to call a special session,” Johar said. “Seeing that they wanted the ability to give input on elections we decided to call it. We wanted to give them the ability to give their input on the proceedings in RHA.”

After both the amendment and the resolution passed with a majority of representatives in favor, there was a motion to bring the Bourke/Pangborn slate and Aiken back into the session to discuss the naming of the next residence hall.

The name decided on at the last Congress, Gellhorn Hall, was retracted as some representatives expressed concerns with Martha Gellhorn’s past, mostly her involvement with the white supremacist movement. The name was changed to Bluford Hall after Lucile Bluford, a journalist and native of Missouri.

_Edited by Waverly Colville | wcolville@themaneater.com_

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