Senate
debates resolutions, event funding
By
Joseph Serna
Online Forty-Niner
Assistant City Editor
Associated Student senators started questioning where their representation
for the student body begins and ends Wednesday, as a resolution chastising
the United States’ handling of the Iraq war and its detriment to higher
education was introduced.
“
I would like to see this thing thrown out right now,” said Sen.-at-Large
Guido D’Onofrio. “It’s not worth the paper it’s written
on.”
D’Onofrio’s statement began a debate among the senators over their
role in ASI.
The Senate questioned whether resolutions and policies should be limited to
student specific issues, as Sen.
Justin Toderoff, College of Health and Human Services suggested, or should
they encourage discussion and debate about topics where even a senator’s
own constituency may disagree, as Sen. Elissa Herrera, College of Education,
believes.
“
I’m not afraid of bringing debate to ASI. I’m not afraid of opening
a can of worms,” Herrera said. “When one [military] chopper could
provide every single person here with a scholarship, that effects us.”
The “Resolution for invasive, unorganized, unjust Gulf War II,” resolves
in the preliminary draft that ASI demands Congress to divert funds from the
war to education needs, and that ASI send the resolution to appropriate federal
governments to make its stance visible.
Already on the table to be changed is the use of the word “demand” and
to whom the resolution should be sent.
Discussion on the resolution will resume at the Senate’s next meeting,
April 19.
While it is stated clearly in the ASI Bylaws not to endorse any religious stance
or fund a religious organization, Rabbi Yonah Bookstein of the University Interfaith
Center implied past funding of an unnamed religious organization’s event
bordered on going against the principle of separation of church and state.
He spoke about appeals for ASI funding expected to come at the meeting, as
they prepare to approve the 2006-07 budget in the coming weeks.
In a stirring speech that evoked applause from the Senate, Bookstein concluded
by telling the Senators, “You have the power to take the right step,
to move in the right direction. And I beg of you, I pray, that when funding
comes in front of you today that does not seem to fit the bill of separation
of church and state, that you will vote in the right direction. I thank you
very much for your time…and God bless.”
Zahra Billoo, secretary for System Wide Affairs and member of the Muslim Student
Association, to which she said Bookstein was referring, responded.
“
I would challenge you to approach me and tell me I was ever trying to convert
you [to Islam],” she said to the Senate.
While she admitted MSA events have been aided by ASI funds, those events are
centered on education and not spreading or converting people to Islam.
“
They promote an environment of learning, they do not ask you to pray with us,
they do not ask you to preach with us,” she said.
Following their comments, Academic Sen. James Davis appealed to the Senate
for between $6,000 and $8,000 for Christian themed events, such as a “Gospel
kickback,” where students can learn about gospel music and culture.
In other business, the Senate delayed passing a resolution that falls in line
with a state act changing the age cap for financial aid from 24 to 27. They
also sent two resolutions amending ASI Bylaws to the Documents and Bylaws committee
for editing, and passed a resolution demanding all items on the agenda and
their attachments be available at least 72 business hours before a Senate meeting.
The Senate also delayed passing a resolution on plus-minus grading until their
next meeting after, spring break.
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