SGA Beat Bumps in the road

Author: Mario Ariza

Although Student Government Association (SGA) President Bobby Joe Smith has proved to be an efficient executive thus far, this week the SGA hit its first speed bump of the semester. Whereas the previous week's debate was orderly, and that meeting's movement from topic to topic organically but timely, this week witnessed the presentation of two intractable issues that brought the SGA senate to a standstill and required the calling of an emergency session to be held this Tuesday.

As previously announced, new Library Information Services Dean Mike Roy sat in on the meeting. Roy, though new to the school, wishes to establish an LIS committee much like the successful dining services committee. Though Roy wished to touch on several topics, ranging from wi-fi - which may soon be available for Ross and Atwater Commons - to the printer situation on campus, the SGA senate found the committee question to be a difficult one. At issue were Smith and Roy's requests that the committee be a function of the SGA, associated with its special services committee and mentioned in the constitution.

Many senators adamantly disagreed. Arguing that the SGA need not take on any more obligations than it already has, these senators engaged in a protracted debate that failed to follow procedure or heed the direction of speaker of the senate Vrutika Mody. When the meeting passed the hour mark, the senators took up Mody's suggestion to table the discussion until a piece of legislation could be presented.

The next item that the senate deliberated was a proposal by Molley Kaiyoorawongs '09, to rehabilitate a clause in the student handbook that would allow the college to fine students $35 for every plate found in their possession outside the dining hall. The $49,000 a year that dining services loses in dishware is considerable, and an issue that requires urgent attention. However, a majority felt that fining students neither fell within their purview as legislators nor would solve the problem.

Because of the prolonged debate, no legislation was brought before the senate, but they held a meeting on Oct. 7 to continue deliberating the points raised on Sunday.