By Kelsi Peace, Managing Editor
The Students’ Association discussed Chapel, dipped into the Congressional discretionary fund and created a temporary Chaplain position on Wednesday in another marathon meeting.
Dr. Jean-Noel Thompson, vice president of student life, fielded responses from Congress members, telling them now is the time for change in Chapel.
“We’re really trying to understand what will connect for you,” Thompson said.
A recurring theme throughout discussion was the need for speakers and messages to challenge the student body.
“We need it to be worth our time,” sophomore senator David Vanderpool said.
Some representatives lauded Tuesday’s campus conversations for the hard-hitting discussions, but many agreed the constant change left them slightly baffled and feeling they had no place to go.
“Chapel to me has become a moving class,” Rep. Tony Godfrey said.
Representatives also called for a return to campus-wide Chapel more often in Moody Coliseum, agreeing that the sense of community created there becomes an invaluable memory at ACU. Some blamed the stringent attendance requirements for the lack of attention, while others said the often-repeating messages and themes that skirt tough or taboo issues bores students.
“You make each individual big Chapel be as powerful as it can be,” chief development officer Matt Greenberg suggested. “Those speakers that keep the crowd quiet – those are the ones you want.”
Representatives suggested inviting more speakers from outside the university to speak, and members of Congress applauded when one representative suggested allowing women to take a larger role in Chapel.
Thompson and Dr. Jeff Arrington, associate dean of campus life, will compile the responses and, Thompson said, plan to make adjustments for next semester as while as longterm. Administrators will meet Nov. 14 to discuss Chapel as well, Thompson said, part of what he called a continuing dialogue on Chapel.
Congress created a temporary chaplain position to be implemented immediately and continue in the spring semester. President Matt Worthington will appoint the chaplain, who cannot fill any other position on Congress. Congress must approve the nomination by a two-thirds vote. Next fall, Congress will vote to keep the position, terminate it or make it permanent.
The move comes after senior senator Nathan McKenzie presented a bill to amend the Constitution and create a permanent Chaplain position. Congress tabled the bill until the next meeting, and after representatives raised concerns about a permanent position, McKenzie withdrew the bill.
“I think this will be a positive thing,” McKenzie said, presenting the new bill to Congress.
The bill created the position but did not include specific job duties, an ambiguity proponents say allows for experimentation. In previous discussions, McKenzie suggested the chaplain should work with class and club chaplains, and seek unity among the spiritual leaders.
Several representatives expressed concern over the lack of structure given in the bill, and said they were unsure how Congress could evaluate the temporary position without a standard.
“This can be a testing period,” Rep. Kyle Moore and an author of the bill told Congress. “But I think now you should look at this testing period to see what is for or what it can be.”
“It will allow us to get a grasp on what this is going to entail,” said an author of the bill and senior senator Seth Copeland.
Senior senator Perry Harrison also authored the bill, which passed with 34 votes supporting, one opposing and seven abstaining.
In a festive move, Congress passed Rep. Charles Gaines’ bill to appropriate $300 from the congressional project fund to purchase Christmas lights for the trees skirting Edwards Residence Hall.
As the Edwards Hall representative, Gaines will be responsible for the lights, which will then become property of the residence hall for future use. “The inside [of Edwards] is already decked out,” Gaines said.
Congress passed the bill with 34 votes supporting, six opposing and two abstaining and with no debate.
Keeping with the holiday spirit, Congress unanimously passed a bill to provide $220 from the discretionary fund to purchase Thanksgiving meals for four families through the Service-Action Leadership Team’s meal delivery project. Junior senator Kelline Linton and Rep. Samantha Popp initially requested $110 to sponsor two families, but Congress amended the bill.
SA still has $3,500 budgeted for conferences with none on the horizon and the majority of the $250 class budgets.
