By Paul A. Anthony, Editor in Chief
Class officer positions will be changed for the second time in three years under a Constitutional amendment passed by Student Congress Wednesday now pending student body approval.
The amendment, Bill 81-19, would eliminate class president and vice president positions, naming instead five senators of equal power to class office in the Students’ Association.
“That means our pool of candidates for Congress will be more strong,” said freshman vice president Dustin Talent, who presented the amendment.
The amendment, which needed a two-thirds majority of total Congress members to go to the student body, passed 29-8 with one abstention. To amend the Constitution, it must be approved by two-thirds of voters in the executive officer elections.
Another amendment, Bill 81-20, which creates positions for chief financial officer, chief communications officer and chief development officer, passed unanimously, 34-0. The chief financial officer, already a position appointed by president Jeremy Smith, assists the treasurer in handling SA money and allocations. The CCO would be in charge of intercollegiate contact, SATV and any Campus Center tickers that would be installed.
The CDO would act as parliamentarian during meetings and as an editor for proposed bills beforehand.
“It’s streamlining what’s already happening right now,” said junior class senator Erin Baldwin.
Congress also passed Bill 81-10, amending the By-Laws to outline new requirements for voting members of Congress, which are:
* Attendance at 80 percent of meetings;
* Voting on all proposed legislation while present;
* Working in the SA office at least 30 minutes each week;
* Signing or co-signing at least one bill or resolution each session;
* And serving on at least one executive committee and attending 80 percent of its meetings.
With no discussion, the bill passed 33-4 with four abstentions.
The moves came in one of SA’s most productive meetings of the year: Four bills were voted upon, one more brought for discussion and a new representative for Smith Hall was named.
The fourth bill, to change the SA meeting time from Wednesday at 5 p.m. to Thursday at the same time, was rejected. Being a proposed amendment to the By-Laws, it needed 28 votes, or two-thirds of Congress, to pass. The bill received only 17, with 16 against and eight abstaining.
President Jeremy Smith was absent from the meeting, dealing with “personal issues,” according to vice president Jeremy Gordon, who chaired the meeting. The meeting was notable for continuing SA’s growing emphasis on parliamentary procedure; Gordon sometimes referred to a clipboard to make sure Congress was within the Rules of Order.
All students are members of the Students’ Association and have the right to attend its weekly meetings. SA meets every Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Room 114 of the Biblical Studies Building.
