Undergraduate Student Government President Yaser Alamoodi vetoed the USG Senate's approval of the mandatory meal plan proposal early Monday while drinking his morning coffee.
"I wanted to maintain the students' best interests," he said. "The meal plan, as proposed, is harmful as it stands."
Alamoodi's veto comes the same day the meal-plan committee passed the proposal on to Vice President of Student Affairs Sally Ramage for approval. The meal plan does not need USG's consent, but does need Ramage's OK, before going to the Arizona Board of Regents for a vote.
USG and the Residence Hall Association - a group that represents on-campus residents - were asked to examine and vote on the proposal to show student support.
The proposed plan passed in the USG Senate without changes last week, but Alamoodi vetoed it because it is "flawed structurally," he said.
"The meal plan doesn't extend to students with financial hardships," he said.
Alamoodi said he was also disappointed the proposal had only two installment plans -- one lump sum or three payments -- and did not have a monthly payment option.
"It's a great deal of inconvenience to students," he said.
RHA also passed the plan, but gave the meal-plan committee several recommendations geared toward meeting
students' needs at its meeting last week.
Aimee Gipper, student chair of the meal-plan committee, said the committee incorporated RHA's suggestions and added an additional option for freshmen.
The new Plan E consists of 80 meals per semester and $1,150 maroon and gold dollars. The plan would cost $2,700.
Gipper believes this option will add flexibility for students.
"Students will still purchase a meal plan, but at one meal a day and more M&G, it's their prerogative how they eat," she said. "They can eat at Taco Bell every day if they want to."
In USG, the meal plan will go back to the Senate, where it must receive two-thirds of votes to override Alamoodi's veto.
"I seriously doubt it will be taking place," Alamoodi said.
Even if the Senate does override the veto, Alamoodi said he would not give up.
"If I don't see a proposal I'm happy with, I'll veto it and take it all the way to [ABOR] if I have to," he said.
If the mandatory meal plan is forwarded to ABOR, the regents will vote on it during the March 2006 meeting.
Reach the reporter at kristi.eaton@asu.edu.
