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Thursday, February 9, 2023 Vol. 76 No. 19
New changes to Student Government constitution, hopes to bring diverse representation to the senate FRANCESCA BOSTON lifestyles editor
After months of revisions and committee meetings, student government put a set of constitutional revisions to a senate vote at the first meeting of the year. The revisions failed to pass, but some remain hopeful the revisions will be in place in time for the spring elections. In November of 2022, the executive board brought constitutional revisions to the senate meeting. These revisions would add more senators who were meant to represent minority and underrepresented groups. In the most updated version of the proposed revised constitution, there would be 12 additional senators. Two international student senators, two non-traditional student senators, one student-athlete senator, one military and veteran affairs senator, one students-with-disabilities senator and five senators who would make up the diversity council. The diversity council would be made up of students who receive two endorsements from registered campus clubs of the groups they are hoping to represent. Student Body President Rahmat Salau said this was to guarantee the people in this position were actively working to advance those groups. Salau said having senators who students can identify with, who look like them, have similar shared experiences and who have understood that student’s plight can provide a sense of comfort for minority students, but to her, it’s more than just providing support. “Apart from supporting the diversity of people on campus, I think minority students on campus need to have a voice,” Salau said. “There needs to be room for listening to the minority population on campus to make sure that we’re actually reaching all students.” Another part of the proposed revisions is the criteria for the creation of new senate seats. Under the revisions, if student government wants to add to the senate population in the future, for that position to be approved, the constituents must make up at least 5 percent of the student population for a period of a least 3 consecutive years, and there must be a campus-wide occurrence that triggered the creation of a group to petition to call for the seat to be created. Salau said that these changes are not a novel idea. Several other local universities, including SI-
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UE’s sister school in Carbondale, have amended their constitution to include senators to represent diversity. According to the SIU student government’s website, the constitution was most recently updated in March of 2021 and includes a Hispanic Student Council and Saluki Rainbow Council. Sophomore Barrett Larkin, who had previously served as the School of Business senator, now serves as the Organization Relations Officer. Larkin was the only senator to vote nay at the January meeting. He said in the first meeting of the year he had tried to pass a motion to put the revisions to a student body vote, but was unable to gather support for the idea. He said that the whole process lacked transparency, which is what made him fight to get the revisions on the ballet. “[The senate] didn’t know anything about it [at the start]. The committee that had been working on it kind of dropped it in a senate meeting and we were all very surprised at how much things were changing,” Larkin said. Larkin said another critique was the idea that some students The proposed constitutional revisions failed to pass, but some hope for the revisions to be | Image courtesy of Izzy Pruitt may have more representation passed by the time of spring elections. than others or that their votes be more persistent, about get- the new senators before the end matter more. He said that he equitable representation. “I think that, unfortunately, ting certain things accomplished of the year. She said she wanted believes that the constitution is strong enough now to represent some students need more repre- that other senator positions can- to introduce the idea of using a all students now, rather than sentation. They’ve been disadvan- not because we have to do too committee to induct the new senators to prevent implicit bias. taged for a long time, and they many things.” making revisions. The constitutional revisions “A selection committee of “So if you are a bi veteran, need this step up to help get on the same are not adding any new paid po- me, the vice president and probaLatino, in p l a y i n g sitions. Senators are unpaid posi- bly some other senators, executive the School field as tions, while students on the exec- members to choose to vote who of Busie v e r y o n e utive board are paid. Salau said the next senators will be,” Salau ness, you else,” Sam- that the only executive position said. “The idea is that we could, have [mulbeing added is an Executive Sec- even while applications are going ple said. tiple] senaApart from supporting S a m - retary, but that position will not on, or regular scheduled elections tors and if ple said make any changes to the student are going, could have those posiyou’re just, a the diversity of she is very government budget or student tions open for appointment.” white nursSalau said that even if the passionate fees. This is because the position ing student, people on campus, I about the had previously been part of office constitution revision ends up on you have think minority a m e n d - support, but will now be an elect- the ballot, which she believes one senator. is unlikely, she trusts the stuments, as ed position. Yes, some students on campus “The executive secretary will dent body to make the choice she believes constituents it is some- now attend our meetings and take for greater diversity within have more need to have a voice. thing that minutes, rather than just serving student government. problems, There needs to be room could be as office support, so there are no Salau said that these constitubut that changes to paid positions within tions are a chance for her, and the good for is a little for listening to the not only the student government office,” rest of the student government awkward to leave their impact that will the student Salau said. to have,” minority population on At the most recent senate change student government for a governLarkin said. campus to make sure ment, but meeting on Feb. 6, it was brought long time. Ju n ior “Senators definitely do a the student up to the senate to approve the Madison that we’re actually constitution and that the new po- good job of it, trying to help peobody. Sample, “ I sition be chosen by a committee. ple who are not members of their Senator for reaching all students.” think it’s According to the student gov- population. But I think there’s the ColRahmat Salau, Student Body President i mpor ta nt ernment constitution, if amend- something better that can be lege of Arts because, as ments are proposed, they must done,” Salau said. and SciThe next student governs e n a t o r s , be presented at a scheduled meetences, Art and Communications, said we can only do so much because ing before being voted on at the ment meeting will be at 6 p.m on Feb. 20 in the Goshen Lounge, she disagrees with that state- we’re stretched so thin,” Sample next meeting. Salau said that she brought where Salau said she is hopeful ment. She said there have been said. “But to have a person who plenty of white straight cis is dedicated to just one group or up this idea because if it does end the amendments will pass, and male representation, and it is one issue, I feel like they can ac- up on the ballot in March, there the senate will approve the comtime to move towards more complish more because they can will be very little time to appoint mittee selection process.
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