Student Union President Ethan Clay last night announced and quickly condemned Student Activities Office director Carolyn Norris’ rejection of his appeal of a Tribunal decision made four weeks ago striking down the constitutionality of his constitutional review committee.
Clay’s speech came at a weekly Union Senate meeting pushed back from its normal time to allow for the Union’s executive board election debates.
Clay had condemned the original clarification made by Tribunal at a Senate meeting in early March and said last night that he still rejected Norris’ new clarification. He asked senators to create an amendment he called the ‘Hope Amendment,’ which would make it possible for the current committee to continue working, regardless of both Tribunal and SAO clarifications.
‘I disagree with [Norris’] response to my appeal,’ he said. ‘If it is going to be mandated, it should be by the Senate.’
Clay said all senators should be involved in the Union constitution reform process and Tribunal should not be involved in the constitution ratification process, a step he said they created with their early-March clarification.
The amendment was pitched last night with the intent that would be voted on by the Senate at next week’s meeting.
After discussing his amendment, Clay went on to defend his actions surrounding this year’s elections, after a senator questioned him as to the timing of this amendment in relation to the campaign of ‘True 2.’
‘That slate has nothing to do with that document,’ he said. ‘That slate has nothing to do with me.’
Clay admitted his actions could be construed as working in favor of the ‘True 2’ slate, a slate which contains four current executive board members, which he denied.
‘People think that the time in which I made my decision to run was in collaboration with the slate,’ Clay said. ‘That my efforts were to hoodwink everyone in here it was not to hoodwink you.’
Senators also allocated all $200 requested by Students Infecting the Community with Kindness for a pizza party the group is planning for a local retirement facility.
The Model U.N. club asked senators for $500 for a conference in Chicago. The Financial Review Board recommended rejecting the request, saying the group currently has $10,000 in their SAO account.
No motions were made and the allocation failed.
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