Student Congress committee approves funding for new ice machines in dorms

Students living in residence halls on UNC’s campus have come across unlikely surprises in their ice machines — bugs. 

And their complaints have pushed the Residence Hall Association (RHA) to take action.

At Tuesday’s Student Congress Finance Committee meeting, RHA requested $4,800 for two new ice machines, replacing the machine in Kenan Community and the third-floor machine in Hinton James Residence Hall.

“We don’t usually come to student government for grant requests, but our residents have actually brought up a big concern for us, and we don’t have enough funds,” RHA Executive Treasurer Candice Zhou said.

"So we are asking for your partnership in helping us to solve this problem.”

Each new ice machine costs $2,991. RHA would pay the remaining $591 per machine plus delivery costs. 

The new machines would affect 1,631 students living in these residence halls. Student Body Treasurer Brittany Best said the cost — amounting to about $2.94 per student — is worthwhile because of the number of students who will benefit from it. 

“I’m all about encouraging people to love living on campus," she said.

A flier distributed by RHA at the meeting explained that missing ice scoopers had led students to use other implements to collect ice, including bare hands. This might have contributed to the bugs.

RHA President Taylor Bates said the 2003 RHA president bought a printer out of his personal money for a residence hall, which evolved into the CCI Printing program. Bates said he hopes getting the two new ice machines will act as a catalyst to get new ice machines on campus.

RHA was granted its full request by the Finance Committee, so ice will likely reach residence halls before the summer heat.

The flier said the Kenan Community ice machine is the main ice source for students living on campus during the summer.

“This is especially problematic during the summer months since this is when the need for ice is the highest, as well as the spring semester when temperatures increase,” Bates said.

Seventeen more student groups from across campus requested funding for their organizations, including Carolina Economics Club, Sangam and Student Action with Workers.

The Campus Y is the only organization that received more than it requested. The group requested $18,870, and it received $19,240 to share among several subsections within its organization.

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