HHR agreed to pass the resolution stating it would “allow resident assistants to hang any poster or other publicity that they deem appropriate for the health and safety of their residents.” HHR heard comments on the issue from Students for Choice representative and senior Ildi Hrubos and WISH representative and junior Leo Maloney.

Hrubos was against the removal of the posters. “One parent was unhappy, but how many were happy that we have these posters?” Hrubos said. “If you are telling students [sex is] not something you are supposed to talk about [by taking down the posters], how do you expect them to ask their RA for a condom?”

Maloney represented the opposition to the resolution, but was not opposed to the motion of replacing the condom posters themselves. “I have opposition to the language with which the proposal is written,” Maloney said.

He said he would have preferred the resolution to allow the “collective residents” to decide what was appropriate to be hung in their hallways rather than just the RA “I think it should be more democratically decided,” Maloney said.

However, Coordinator of Fraternities and Residential Leadership Jerry Whitmore, Jr. said that the RAs have to follow guidelines by Residence Life, Residential Services and Student Activities in order to post anything in their hallways. “They have to work in collaboration with us as to what actually gets posted up in the hall for community building,” Whitmore said.

The representatives decided that there were enough restrictions on RAs to ensure the appropriateness of hallway content and keep residents concerns in mind.

The hearing marked the overturn of the removal of condom posters from residential hallways and proved HHR to be a body for policy change. “Our goal is two-fold,” HHR Prime Minister and senior Noah Zaves said. “It is to allow RAs the freedom they deserve to decide what to put up in their dorms. And second it is to solidify our influence and pave the way for future hearings.”

Many students were pleased with the results. “I think it is important for students to be able to access whatever protection they need to back up whatever choices they are making in their lives,” East House representative freshman Heidi Hall said after the hearing.

Similarly, many felt that HHR was right in placing sexual health as a part of the agenda. “HHR made the right decision … I think that the real issue is about student health and safety, and sexual health falls under that,” said Westside representative and sophomore Karen Libby. “We need to make that a priority.”

Full Disclosure: Noah Zaves, the HHR Prime Minister, had no influence on the creation or publication of this piece. Its editing was supervised solely by the managing editor and news editors.

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Audio of the meeting available here:  HHR Hearing