students at large.
In the weekly senate meeting this Monday, senators began the process of committee appointments for non-senators as described in the recently passed amendment. As a first step, the senate selected six non-senators with committee experience to sit on the new Appointments Board: Julia Fox '07, Grisel Gamboa '07, Noah Isserman '07, Anoop Menon '07, Spencer Robins '08 and Jake Thomas '07.
That board will review student
applications for open committee seats and pass along their recommendations to the senate by the end of the semester. Applications, due May 1, are available online and in student mailboxes for the nine available committees: Dining Services, Committee on Priorities and Resources, Committee on Educational Policy, Admissions and Financial Aid, Library Committee, Physical Education and Athletics, IT Policy and Residential Life.
Continuing the process of minor constitutional reform begun by the Judiciary Council (JC), Senator Andrew Gehring '06 presented three new constitutional amendments for consideration by the senate. The first sought to add campaign rules requiring candidates to sign a pledge to abide by the campaign finance limits-$15 for senate campaigning and $30 for executive board races-and turn in receipts for review by the JC. The senate voted 15-5 to put the amendment to a student referendum.
A second amendment to campaign rules would have made write-in candidates ineligible for reimbursement for campaign expenses. Concerned that such a measure would discourage write-in candidacy, the senate voted the motion down 3-13.
The final amendment of the evening would have set up restraints on
e-mail votes by the senate body outside of a regular meeting, requiring that such votes be scheduled during regular meeting and that 24 hours notice be given before an email vote. Many senators were concerned that such measures would constrain the necessary flexibility of such e-mail votes, defeating their very purpose.
"This binds our hands," said Senator Daniel de Zeeuw '08, speaking for a number of senators, "and anything it solves can be left to the discretion of the vice president."
The senate voted the motion down 0-20.
Due to an accident involving the sailing team, the senate van is undergoing repairs and will be unavailable for requests.