Stating personal reasons and time conflicts, three members of the Association of Residence Hall Students resigned last week.

Ed Marflak, former West Halls president, and Steve Mezei, former West Halls representative, resigned at the Jan. 31 West Halls Residence Association council meeting. Rich Tannenbaum, former ARHS advertising director, handed his letter of resignation to ARHS President Melissa Pressler the same night.

Marflak said he resigned for personal reasons and the decision had nothing to do with ARHS.

Tannenbaum also cited personal reasons but said his major reason for resigning was that he wasn't enjoying his job as much as he used to.

"I don't feel I am able to serve the students as well as I had been," he said.

Conflict has recently arisen over an "Operation Desert Support" fact-finding group arranged by Marflak. Group members cannot come to a consensus on the purpose of a poster the committee is designing. But this conflict did not precipitate Marflak's decision, Marflak said.

"Apparently the (Marflak and Mezei) resignations came out of some area concerns in West," Pressler said. "If it was best for the area, then I guess that it was good for ARHS."

Pressler would not elaborate on what those concerns are because she said she had not been directly informed.

Scott Surdoval, who will serve as president until elections in March, said WHRA members came to the area council meeting last week with concerns about how WHRA meetings were run.

Surdoval said Marflak resigned for the benefit of West Halls, rather than to try to work around the problems.

"There is a lot of dedication in this council, and when you have dedication, you have a lot of high pressure," Surdoval said. "Maybe this was the only way to release it."

East Halls President Scott Battaglia said Marflak's resignation took him by surprise.

"Ed is one of the most outspoken, one of the best-spoken members. He always wanted to make everything work well," Battaglia said. But he said Surdoval should do just as well as Marflak.

ARHS members had mixed emotions over the recent happenings.

Tannenbaum said he believes the resignations will make ARHS examine the reasons behind the trend, but that the resignations should not affect the organization's operation.

However, Battaglia said he sees a split developing in the organization.

"I think people are just starting to get sick of each other," Battaglia said.