Senate Coverage

by Lucy Morris

Tuesday March 7, 2006

Senate Meeting #3
When senators took their seats at the February 22 meeting of Student Senate, they were greeted with a packet containing, as usual, the meeting’s agenda, as well as two surprises. One was a copy of the last meeting’s minutes—the first time minutes had been taken in my Senate tenure and, judging from senators’ remarks of surprise, much longer. They also found a list of seemingly random questions: What is your ideal ice cream sundae? If you could have one super power, what would it be?

Sophomore Sara Tunick had opted to begin her first meeting as Senate Chair with an innovative introduction: more laughter, as suggested by sophomore class President Lauren Palmor during a discussion earlier this month on the state of Senate. In a trial exercise to that end, Tunick instructed senators to break off into pairs and interview each other using the provided questions.

Judging from the laughter, the exercise proved a success. Junior class President Davin Searls and junior Hillary Hampton bonded over a shared appreciation of the Smashing Pumpkins. Senior Nicholas Schroeder told first year Secretary Samantha Scala that he wished for the power to "transcribe dream dialogue." Sophomores Amina Sariahmed, Senate Treasurer, and Richard Hempel discovered they had the same birthday. First year class President Neil Makhija prefers mango sorbet to ice cream sundaes, and if granted a super power, he would like "not to have asthma or allergies." Senior class co-president Alexandra Conboy and senior Anthony Gambol, interviewing Dean of Student Affairs Mary Spellman, realized Spellman’s predilection for pastel colors. "We decided," said Gambol, "[her color preference] means she is blonde."

For the first and focal point of the meeting, Senate heard a proposal from Queer Variety Coalition co-chair Christopher Pastor on the topic of the upcoming Sleaze Week, the theme of which will be "Mrs. Lawrence’s Sexual Finishing School." Upon commencement of discussion, Conboy, Searls and Gambol stripped to various states of undress and remained thus for the remainder of the meeting. "I’m not gonna lie," said Tunick, laughing. "I [was going to] propose we have a naked meeting for Sleaze Week."

Sariahmed presented the Student Activities Subcommittee’s recommended reforms to the QVC’s original budget. SAS slashed $45 in funding for a "Sinful Sophistication" movie night on the grounds that the requested DVDs could be acquired from students or the library for free, and cut $20 for water bottles for a "Let’s Get Physical" workout event. SAS also suggested halving two $600 sums, one for the hire of a DJ for the Sleaze Ball and one to pay the leader of two sex workshops, saying that suitable professionals could be hired for both events for lesser sums. They recommended funding QVC $1,765 of the requested $2,435.

Discussion of the topic centered mainly on the cost of the workshops, one on sex toys and one on BDSM practices, both to be led by a representative from Rage Sex Toys. Noting that the leader of the BDSM workshop during last year’s Sleaze Week was hired for $60, some senators wondered if there might be a cheaper solution. First year Secretary Samantha Scala wondered if employing an educator rather than a store representative might be cheaper. Pastor was amenable to searching for a less expensive choice but was adamant about finding a quality instructor. "[We] need a professional to teach people to tie each other up," he said. "I don’t think BDSM should be taken lightly."

Schroeder moved to fund QVC $2,185 for Sleaze Week, including $400 for the workshops on the condition that if Pastor didn’t find a viable option for that amount, the full $600 would be granted. The measure was passed by 15 of 16 senators. Before he left Pastor said, "If you have Naked Senate, let me know and we’ll put it on the [Sleaze Week] calendar."

Projekt Rhythm, a student-run "urban culture event production club," then presented a budget for this semester’s events, which include a student show, a film screening and workshops on break-dancing, graffiti and MCing. In keeping with the group’s new theme of "less entertainment, more education," are slated to be two lectures, one by designer Paridee Kositchiranant of clothing label Triple 5 Soul and another by Lyonel Rosemond, an artists and repertoire representative for Mo-Town Records. Funding for the events, $500 and $400 respectively, were supported by a letter from the Career Counseling office, as well as faculty members.

After a short discussion during which Schroeder expressed concerns about what he termed "the implicit promotion" aspect of the Triple 5 Soul event, a measure to fund Projekt Rhythm their requested sum of $1,975 passed unanimously. "I hope we’ll all be able to make it [to the lectures]," said Tunick.

Senate Meeting #4

Sophomore Chair Sara Tunick began the March 1 Student Senate meeting with a quote from Otto von Bismarck: "Laws are like sausages; it’s better not to see them being made." Explaining that much of the meeting would be devoted to discussion of senate bylaws, she said, "I felt [the quote] was appropriate."

The first bylaw change discussed was to the Scheduling and Notification bylaw, 2.2.1 (B) which currently reads, "In the event that a second semester election is necessary, it will be held no later than two weeks after classes begin for the second semester." The Bylaw Committee, represented by junior class President Davin Searls, recommended changing the phrasing of "second semester election" to "special election," and removing the words "held no later than two weeks after classes begin for the second semester." Changes were also proposed for 2.2.1 (D), relating specifically to methods of notifying the student body of senate activities. The modifications "[allow] for a much more clear and cohesive election notification process," Searls wrote in an e-mail to senators prior to the meeting. Both changes were approved without discussion.

Further changes were recommended for bylaws 2.2.6, 2.5.1 and 3.3.1. A new clause (B) was added to 2.2.6, clarifying procedure for filling a vacancy in the senate chair seat. To bylaw 2.5.1, which details the qualifications for Summer Senators, a requirement that senators be available by e-mail was added. For 3.3.1, Appointment of Executive Officers, a clause (A) was added to refer to 2.2.6 (B). A clause (B) was also added to 3.3.1, allowing senate to select a new Vice Chair and Parliamentarian in the case of the Vice Chair assuming the Chair position. Following a motion by senior class Co-President Alexandra Conboy, changes for all three bylaws passed at once.

Next was the Campus Communication Bylaw, 2.4.2 (A), which currently mandates "The posting of minutes of each meeting of the Senate in public areas including Student Affairs and on the Senate web site." The Bylaw Committee suggested changing the requirement that minutes be posted in both places. The proposed altered wording would read, "…Student Affairs and or on the Senate web site."

More contentious was a recommendation to modify a second part of 2.4.2 (A) that currently states, "The Senate Secretary is responsible for completing these tasks in a timely manner." The Committee suggested clarifying the phrase "timely manner," to "by the next meeting." Before a motion for the change was called to question, Dean of Student Affairs Mary Spellman warned senate of the potential challenge of posting minutes with the frequency the new bylaw required. "I think you are holding yourselves to an impossible standard," she said, noting that senate has not recently "been posting [or] even been reviewing minutes."

"I don’t think we should fix something that isn’t broken," said Searls. Sophomore Jen Johnson disagreed. "It’s not getting done," she said, "So in a way, it is broken. Maybe it should be mandated." Senior Anthony Gambol asked, "If no one…cares about it, why are we even arguing about this?" Johnson replied, "Because it’s part of campus communication."

Sophomore Treasurer Amina Sariahmed motioned to change "timely manner" to "two weeks." On Spellman’s suggestion she added, "two weeks after minutes are approved" by senate. Motions passed to approve both changes to 2.4.2.

Following was an appeal by senior Alexander Edelman to re-obtain his seat as senior class Co-President. He was removed, according to Spellman, for having exceeded his allotted number of absences this semester. Spellman noted that Edelman had been absent from five meetings and had not attended the senate retreat or participated in Student Activities Subcommittee meetings. Sophomore class President Lauren Palmor commented that the senior class co-presidents had also neglected to fulfill obligations to the Student Scholarship Fund.

In his defense, Edelman cited bylaw 2.1 (K), which states, "Two class presidents may be elected for the senior class position, and will be allowed to divide Committee assignments. Together, they have only one vote…" The discussion focused on the ambiguity of this clause and on whether co-presidents count as one representative in presence at meetings as well as in vote.

Edelman, who said all his absences were due to theater conflicts, said he had been told that only one of the class co-presidents needed to be present at each meeting. "I have e-mails I can produce in minutes from [former senate Chair Shamara Wyllie and current Chair Tunick] that state it is okay for me to miss these meetings," he said.

Edelman’s Co-President Conboy was adamant that his absences did not merit her colleague’s unseating. "I don’t think anyone can argue that he is not a committed or effective [senate] member," said Conboy. Sariahmed disagreed. "In order to be a good senator, you have to be here at meetings," she said.
Senior Nicholas Schroeder moved to re-instate Edelman on the "various grounds that have been heard." The motion passed with eleven senators voting in favor of re-instatement and three opposing.