Indiana University Student Association President Sara Zaheer vetoed a resolution passed on Tuesday concerning aggressive panhandling in Bloomington.
IUSA Congress passed the resolution to address student safety in terms of the"aggressive panhandling" near campus. Zaheer overturned the 21-3-1 vote.
"I think the intention behind it was to find a solution," says Zaheer. "And the way it came off kind of got blended into the bigger conversation on campus and with the city of Bloomington."
That conversation began with a student petition calling on Bloomington leaders to find a better location for the homeless than People's Park, located two blocks from campus. Since then, city leaders have put up signs encouraging people not to give to panhandlers, but to donate to charities instead.
Zaheer says it's important for people to see the bigger picture.
"One of the issues is that substance abuse, homelessness, and panhandling - these things don't always overlap perfectly," Zaheer says.
She says IUSA has many young members who may not have fully understood the voting process.
"Students are still new in their roles as congressmen and they don't entirely know how to perfectly navigate parliamentary procedure," she says. "And nobody wants to kill somebody else's resolution."
IUSA will continue working with city leaders to discuss student safety, panhandling, and homeless.