'Hell' and the student government
Jake Nash and Gregory Royal Pratt
Issue date: 10/5/09 Section: News
The Undergraduate Student government met last week amidst much controversy and debate over the proposed abolishment of "constituencies" in USG. Besides the usual tension that comes with government debates, there was much discomfort in the room over a video posted to the Internet the night before by a former USG member about a current representative.
Last year, former USG Assemblyman Zachariah Wiedeman pushed through a proposal that would create "constituencies" for representatives in USG, so that some seats would be "at-large" and held by anyone but that others would be reserved for people from different sections of the university. This year, Assemblywoman Megan Calcaterra has led an effort to excise constituencies from the constitution.
Wiedeman argues that constituencies are in place in order for USG to stay connected with the student body as a whole as well as to distinguish between the needs of different student groups at UIC. He also claims that if constituencies are existent, voter turnout on Election Day will likely be higher due to the fact that students would recognize that their potential needs are in the balance.
A central concern about constituencies is the interpretation of the constitution that students who are members of more than one have the opportunity to vote for a candidate of each constituency to which they belong, whereas a student who is a member of only one has but one vote. Others have criticized constituencies as being an unwieldy and unnecessary structure.
Wiedeman argues that the students who are members of more than one constituency have the choice of which constituency they will vote in.
The resolution to amend the constitution failed to receive the 2/3rds vote necessary to pass. However, a resolution to suspend the standing rules regarding constituencies was passed, effectively putting the rules under review by a committee established for this purpose. This move has been criticized by Wiedeman, who says that the Assembly does not have the power to do that.
Last year, former USG Assemblyman Zachariah Wiedeman pushed through a proposal that would create "constituencies" for representatives in USG, so that some seats would be "at-large" and held by anyone but that others would be reserved for people from different sections of the university. This year, Assemblywoman Megan Calcaterra has led an effort to excise constituencies from the constitution.
Wiedeman argues that constituencies are in place in order for USG to stay connected with the student body as a whole as well as to distinguish between the needs of different student groups at UIC. He also claims that if constituencies are existent, voter turnout on Election Day will likely be higher due to the fact that students would recognize that their potential needs are in the balance.
A central concern about constituencies is the interpretation of the constitution that students who are members of more than one have the opportunity to vote for a candidate of each constituency to which they belong, whereas a student who is a member of only one has but one vote. Others have criticized constituencies as being an unwieldy and unnecessary structure.
Wiedeman argues that the students who are members of more than one constituency have the choice of which constituency they will vote in.
The resolution to amend the constitution failed to receive the 2/3rds vote necessary to pass. However, a resolution to suspend the standing rules regarding constituencies was passed, effectively putting the rules under review by a committee established for this purpose. This move has been criticized by Wiedeman, who says that the Assembly does not have the power to do that.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Calcaterra the Hypocrite
posted 10/05/09 @ 6:32 PM CST
Calcaterra said " I believe that university employees should conduct themselves with more dignity". How about our student representatives? Doing what she did is completely void of dignity. (Continued…)
maple
posted 10/06/09 @ 5:16 AM CST
MapleSEA has always been about maple story the same level as GlobalMS. MSEA got the Knights of Cygnus, GMS got Koc, MapleSEA got the Pirate class firstmaple story mesos,then we got it. (Continued…)
kowalski
posted 10/08/09 @ 8:34 AM CST
strange kids
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