The Interfraternity Council voted unanimously last night to lift most of the restrictions it had imposed on fraternity social events over the past several weeks due to H1N1 concerns. The Council decided to remove its ban on large, open parties but reaffirmed mandatory safety precautions and the prohibition of drinking games.Members of the square table: Interfraternity Council members meet at Willard Straight Hall yesterday where they voted to lift the ban on open parties.

The IFC vote comes after a week of slowed flu-related activity at Gannett Health Services, which had been swamped with calls and visits over the past few weeks.

Skorton announced yesterday that 13 new construction projects have been approved, working past the construction moratorium issued last November that suspended all major construction projects not currently underway.

The moratorium was issued in order to review and prioritize the projects and capital available to the University. According to the statement, the review is quickly proceeding so that approvals can be made on a case-by-case basis while expenditures and debt are carefully monitored.

The statement also announced that information regarding pending projects will be available to the public through CUinfo under “budget resources.” The link will allow individuals to access specific data regarding projects, including the purpose, justification, funding and status.

As the moratorium on construction in Collegetown nears expiration and the planning of the neighborhood’s future remains under debate, more students are beginning to voice their opinions and exercise their influence on the planning process. Last night, members of the Student Assembly attended a meeting of the Collegetown Neighborhood Council, where community members and students discussed the progress of the development plan recommended by Goody Clancy consultants.

The recently passed moratorium on new student groups is an unconditionally deplorable act by the Student Assembly. The S.A. has admitted that its current method of funding student groups on campus is in need of revision, but shutting out new voices and halting innovative ideas from taking shape is more than a cause for concern.

Resolution 21 stipulates that for the duration of the semester, students will be prohibited from forming new groups. Additionally, with the moratorium came the creation of an auditing task force to deter overlap between already existing groups. Both notions were indicative that the S.A. is taking its first steps toward a much-needed overhaul of the organization of student activity on campus. But the S.A. started off on the wrong foot.

Controversy surrounding the Student Assembly Finance Commission’s budget funding process has returned to the limelight since the Student Assembly passed a moratorium on the creation of new student groups last Thursday.

“A moratorium ... will provide an opportunity to adequately assess and audit currently registered student organizations and the method by which they are allocated funding,” stated one of the six clauses in Resolution 21. The ban came into effect yesterday.