STUDENT GOVERNMENT

When the time came for Student Government to conduct their vote of confidence for Senate President Nathan Davison, some senators felt he wasn’t dedicated enough last semester because he didn’t attend a sit-in protesting Student Affairs Vice President Jennifer Meningall and that he wasn’t severe enough of misallocated money, among things.

“I can’t be everywhere at every moment in time,” said Davison. “But I think I’ve done just about everything I can to be supportive of not just the chairs, but every member of the Senate.”

Davison was not the only one to get flack for his dedication or capabilities. Thomas Green’s election to attorney general Tuesday was surrounded with doubt about whether he could set aside his friendships with others in SG in order to be a nonbiased leader.

“I’m not convinced attorney general would be his best position,” Senator Ralph Reid said during debates about Green. “He’s been hopping around positions.”

Despite back-and-forth debate, both Davison and Green were approved to their positions.

The rest of SG’s meeting was filled with extensive debates between Senators on the approval of both new and residing member positions.

With more than 20 items on the agenda, SG’s meeting, which started at 6 p.m. and was supposed to adjourn at 8:45 p.m., did not let out until 11 p.m.

At the start of the meeting, Senator Cordell Chavis, internal affairs chair, said that an undergraduate council disapproved the plus-minus grading scale proposal.

“Some professors fear grade inflation,” he said.

Chavis said that his committee will be working on data to show that grade inflation is not a reason to oppose the new grading scale and plans to take the proposal to the faculty senate.

If passed, the new grading scale would be put in effect Fall 2008.

Disagreements over bills and confirmation of new members added to the four-hour session.

Guest speakers Jake Trempter, the director of WBUL, and mass communications professor Tim Bajkiewicz proposed a bill to be presented to the budget committee for improvements toward the WBUL facility in the new Marshall Center.

After a 15 minute break, SG President Garin Flowers presented Sabsina Karimi for confirmation as associate justice for the SG Supreme Court.

“I think that she will be a great addition,” he said. “She’ll help make change in a branch and organization that is visible on campus … that students will start to know more about.”

The confirmation of four new deputy supervisors of elections was also conducted during the meeting. The four new supervisors are Jennifer White, Joshua Walker, Matthew Dallarosa and Shiumoy Ajoy. Billy Schmidt was also confirmed as the director of community and government affairs.

The Senate also discussed a resolution that changed the guidelines of the mobile polling stations used for SG elections. A mobile polling station is a wireless computer or similar device used by voters to cast their ballots for the candidates running for various SG positions.

The resolution specifies that active campaigning is not allowed within 50 feet of the polling sites during election days. This ring of protection is to insulate the voters from the candidates, Cassandra Hall, SG supervisor of elections, said.

The resolution also requires that mobile polling stations be set up neither by candidates nor those involved with their campaigns. Organizations funded by the Activities & Services fee, however, are permitted to have mobile polling stations – as long as they are not associated with those campaigning.

“Organizations have more potential when it comes to reaching people,” Hall said.

She also thinks the ease of voting will boost participation.

“People walking to class will not take time out to vote,” but the convenience of mobile stations will draw in more votes, she said.

The Election Rules Committee will also research the organizations and people who apply for mobile polling stations to prevent those associated with candidates from manning polling stations.

The presented resolution was tabled for further discussion at next week’s Senate meeting.