The Undergraduate Student Government passed a resolution Sunday, April 15, that said the council will not support the proposed housing ordinance or any future ordinance of this kind because it specifically targets students.

Senior David Hackworthy, West Summit Neighborhood Advisory Committee student senator, wrote the resolution after attending the April 12 WSNAC meeting. At the meeting, St. Thomas neighbors and community members expressed their support of the city’s ordinance in its current form.

In his resolution, Hackworthy stated that if approved, USG would not support the ordinance because the city of St. Paul did not consult any undergraduate students in drafting the ordinance.

According to USG, the ordinance also unfairly targets St. Thomas students by applying the ruling to an area only surrounding the St. Thomas campus.

USG unanimously approved Hackworthy’s resolution. Hackworthy said he hopes the resolution will show neighbors that students care about neighborhood relations.

“I think that it will show the neighbors that we are serious about this as students here, about carrying forward with neighborhood relations, improving them certainly and working with them on that matter,“ Hackworthy said.

He also said that USG wrote the resolution because it is dedicated to promoting positive change.

“We aren’t obligated to do this as students, it’s not something that we have to do. It’s just something that as St. Thomas students we care about bettering the community around us,” Hackworthy said.

Hackworthy said that while all other WSNAC members were in favor of the ordinance, the three members of the St. Thomas WSNAC delegation were not.

USG is encouraging the St. Thomas student body and community members to attend a Friday, May 4, public hearing in St. Paul to voice their opinion on the ordinance.

The council also approved both the Photography Club and the UST Futbol Club.

Executive Vice President Jenna Johnson also announced that USG will be handing out purple basketball shorts to promote their digital era initiative. Johnson said students who like USG’s Facebook page will be able to pick up the shorts on a date yet to be announced.

The 2012-13 council was also sworn in during Sunday’s meeting. Mike Orth was re-elected council president and retired the 2011-12 council before being sworn in himself.

Briggs LeSavage can be reached at lesa4364@stthomas.edu.