Northeastern U. SGA votes to ban Chick-fil-A from Student Center

by Hannah Clay Wareham

Bay Windows

Saturday March 3, 2012

The Student Government Association (SGA) of Northeastern University voted 31 to 5 denouncing a proposal to add a Chick-fil-A fast food restaurant to the Student Center after learning of donations the chain made to anti-gay organizations.

"I think this body came to the correct conclusion," SGA President Michael Sabo said after the vote on Feb. 27. "I will sign this, I will deliver this to Student Affairs tonight and they will be aware of what we decided."

Planned renovations to the Student Center will bring new food vendors this September, reported the Huntington News, Northeastern's independent student newspaper.

The WinShape Foundation, founded by Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy and supported by the restaurant chain, contributed more than $1.7 million to anti-gay causes -- including Focus on the Family and Exodus International -- in 2009, according to EqualityMatters.org.

"It is the Sense of the Senate that the undergraduate student body supports Chick-fil-A on the basis of its food alone, but more strongly supports the principle of people over products, and out of respect for the values of the Northeastern community, does not support the addition of Chick-fil-A as an on-campus vendor," reads the Sense of the SGA Senate.

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