As we move into second semester, the FUSA Senate has absorbed growing tension with the administration.
In a Senate meeting on Sunday, Chair Tim Rich ’08 presented two letters. One he wrote to Dean of Students Tom Pellegrino, dated Dec. 7. It outlined his meeting with Jason Downer of Residence Life regarding housing issues and a request for a follow-up meeting between FUSA senators and the dean.
Rich also presented a response letter from Pellegrino, dated Jan. 4, in which Pellegrino referred the matter back to Downer.
But much of the Senate discussion on Sunday was devoted to a different housing topic: off-campus housing. Because the OCB debate has recently heated up on campus, the senators discussed the possibility of removing the current system altogether.
Senior Sen. Michael Meehan said, “One of the main concerns for the administration is that they lose [the involvement] of seniors when we go down the beach.”
“It seems like most people, when they come here [to the Senate meetings], give really nice presentations, but really nothing happens,” said newly inducted Sen. Mark Amsbaugh ’08.
Sen. Dan Lamendola ’09 requested that the Chair write a letter to Deb Cady, deputy dean of students and director of Residence Life, to present on the issue.
A review of the Senate house rules has revealed a clerical error made in the handling of a confirmation hearing last semester.
In a Senate session from Dec. 9, Rich issued a closed session on the debate and vote of Darryl Brackeen, Jr. ’10, a nominee for secretary of communications.
Article 2, Section 3 of the Senate house rules states that the meeting’s minutes must reveal the vote of each senator for public review. Rich called for a secret ballot and, therefore, cannot produce the votes.
Rich said the senators’ votes will be recorded in future situations.
In a response to the closed section, Brackeen said he felt that he should have been able to represent himself.
“I don’t feel bad about the closed session. … I just feel knowing who voted is our right as students,” he said.
Brackeen said that no closure has been brought to the issue as FUSA is still operating without a communications director.
The position was left vacant when Kara Ackerman’08 left last semester.
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