The referendum question asking the student body if it would like to participate each semester in a non-binding poll to communicate how students want their campus activities fee to be spent each semester appeared on yesterday's ballot. Senators Paris Wallace '04 and Mike Flood '03 returned this week with a petition signed by the requisite 160 students, sufficient to make their proposal to referendum.
Luke Swarthout '04 motioned to overrule Elections Committee Chair Ben Baum's '03 approval of the petition, describing it as having come in at "the eleventh hour." Swarthout argued that anything the entire campus votes on should be well publicized in advance. Recognizing that the senate was constitutionally obligated to put the question a ballot, Swarthout proposed voting on the issue in a fall election.
AAS President Ryan Park '05 said that refusing to allow the question to go to referendum was imposing ex post facto law, since there is currently no constitutional provision mandating that referendum items be submitted by any particular time.
Senator Elan Ghazal '05 also supported the referendum. "I think you're getting a little too messy in something we're not supposed to have our hands on. That's the point of the petition," he said, meaning that senators are not supposed to be able to overrule items brought to referendum when they are supported by 10 percent of the student body's signatures on a petition.
Flood noted that earlier in the same meeting the senate had voted to put another survey question on the ballot without objections of it being too late. "I'd just like to point out how ironic it is that five minutes ago we voted to put something on the ballot," he said.
Treasurer Livia Angiolillo '04 made her last weekly budgetary recommendations of the semester, allotting $3417.43, the entire amount remaining in the AAS budget this semester. After allocating $1470 to various campus clubs that requested funding during the final week of this semester's allocations, the Budgetary Committee (BC) recommended that the remaining $1947.43 be put towards the Take Your Professor Out (TYPO) program for upperclassmen, which the administration is not funding this semester.
Two representative of the annual "Random Party" spoke to the senate, requesting funding for their annual alternative to The Amherst Party (TAP). The organizers plan to hold the"Random Party" in the Marsh House ballroom this year. According to Kim Webster '03, one of the party's advocates, alumni from all over the country, and even the world, have made plans to attend this event. "The party is a way for people of different years in the same social group to come together because most events for alums are organized by years," said Webster.
Senator Mihailis Diamantis '04 motioned to move $500 from the TYPO allocation to the "Random Party."
Ghazal also supported the party. "We never really sponsor anything alternative," he said.
Lincoln Mayer '04 spoke in favor of allotting the full recommended amount to TYPO. "This $500 will qualitatively improve the school more by going to TYPO than this party," he said. He went on to argue that the TYPO program better furthered the "liberal arts atmosphere" at a time when most professors no longer had the capacity to host students in their homes, due to increased time constraints.
The vote was overwhelmingly in opposition to Diamantis's amendment to the BC recommendations. Many senators suggested that the organizers of the "Random Party" ask the Social Council for funding.
The senate's discussion of the constitutional revisions proposed by the Judiciary Council (JC), which AAS Vice-President Bob Razavi '03 said he would limit to 25 minutes, was tabled instead and left for the next senate. Only Ghazal opposed postponing the discussion. JC Chair Andre Deckrow extended a personal invitation to anyone interested in the subject to attend the next meeting of the senate, regardless of whether or not they are still a senator.
Senator Ian Shin '06 presented the survey questions proposed by the committee on dining services, which the senate voted to include on yesterday's ballot. The survey included questions regarding meal preferences, meal plan options, extending the time that Valentine Dining Hall is open to accommodate students' schedules and general satisfaction with dining services.
Only Senator Dan Berch '03 opposed the survey. "It is biased towards people who vote-they will get the meals they like, but the people who do not vote won't," he said.
Senator Will Johnson '03 responded. "If you don't vote it's your problem," he said.
Senator Matt Vanneman '06 told Berch that students were welcome to participate in the survey without voting for student government officers.
Senator Caleb Deats '06 presented the first-year class council project. The senate approved the $250 it will cost to pay a band, "Ultramafic," to play for two hours at the Walk for Life this weekend. First-year senators also plan to set up a booth at which at least one of them will be present for all 18 hours of the event.
After discussing new business, the senators voted to close the meeting to the public. Senators planned to discuss nominations for this year's distinguished teaching award.