Vote "No" to Unnecessary SGA Constitutional Changes
October 7, 2002

I was looking intently forward to finally writing a column asking students to vote favorably on an issue.

I was willing and ready to jump behind a measure intended for the Homecoming election ballot to ask our Board of Regents to include a student in its membership.

Then the senate had to spoil my plans.

The wording of 12 unnecessary SGA constitution amendments was approved Wednesday night. The way the constitution reads now, Association members (meaning the student body) must ratify the changes. We should be thankful.

If I didn't know better, I would say the changes are a surprise attack on the students of NT and especially dorm residents. I am convinced that the senate doesn't realize the consequences of such changes. Ask yourself if the following measures increase representation or limit it:

-Lowering the number of senate seats. Currently, there is one representative senator for every 750 students. The change would raise the number of students to 1,000. At-large senate seats would go from one per every 1,500 students to one per every 2,000. Also, the proposed changes intend to remove the option of empty college seats automatically becoming at-large seats.

-Eliminating the Residence Hall senate seats. As it stands now, dorm residents who live on campus 24 hours a day have an added voice -- individual residence halls can elect a senator of their own to represent Burcelings, Clarklites and other friendly creatures. Not so if the senate has its way.

-Striking a portion of a clause that allows the senate to choose its own set of procedures until "the last sessions" of the semester. The senate has the right to suspend the time-honored and familiar Robert's Rules of Order in favor of another system. With this change, the senate's arcane "Rules of Procedure" would stand permanently until somebody votes to re-establish Robert's.

-Giving the president power to call a meeting of the Supreme Court and other SGA bodies. In this case, the line between the executive, legislative and judicial branches could be blurred.

-Raising the required number of signatures for a petition to amend the Constitution from 300 to 400, for the recall of an SGA officer from 300 to 400, and for the recall of the president from 1,500 to 2,000.

-And finally, changing all instances of the term "Association members" to "student body" or "members of the student body." Currently, if you are taking classes at NT, you are a member of the SGA. If this change passes, the line between voting student and "common student" is one sentence (Article I section 3).

We won't be here four years from now (most of us, anyway). We have to remember that future generations of students will deal with any changes we adopt. If enrollment continues to increase, we will need more seats to fully represent the Association members (which is all of us, remember?).

Given the higher-than-average attendance at senate meetings and NT breaking the 30,000 mark for enrollment, the logical thing to do would be to add seats and expand opportunities for students to be represented.

And need I remind the reader about the recall of 14 senators last semester? Why should the senate stir up any more trouble? Are they asking for a student uprising?

For the record, the senate spent nearly an hour in announcements and officer reports, and reportedly an hour debating what their T-shirt designs. The senate spent no more than 20 minutes on the changes, and they voted to skip the discussion period (I miss Robert’s Rules)! Is this the sense of priority we expect from our student government?

Elections are Oct. 15, 16 and 17, next Tuesday through Thursday. Vote "yes" to the student regent referendum, but vote "no" on everything else.