Union striving to encourage school pride, participation

This weekend’s Student Union and Student Activities Office events proved the success of the Union’s summer efforts to encourage school pride, Union President Carl Woog said yesterday.

Six of the seven Executive Board members spent the summer around campus and Woog said the Union’s number one goal for the year is an “increase in campus participation and better events for students.”

The presence of a Union representative at every orientation session over the summer had already moved toward that goal, he said, with about 3,000 students attending the late night Putt-Putt and Pancakes event at the George Sherman Union on Monday.

“I think we have already seen the results in the sense that there has already been overwhelming participation in campus events this weekend,” Woog said.

The Union has also successfully completed the 24-hour study lounge project that it began work on in the second semester of last year. Though the project was approved last May, it did not take effect immediately. The front room of 1019 Commonwealth Ave. will be open 24-hours-a-day from Sunday night until Friday morning beginning Sept. 20.

While many of the Union’s faces who worked on the project last year remain the same, the way the body runs may change dramatically depending on a proposed constitution and revision to the Senate bylaws.

Although the Senate and seven college governments ratified the constitution at the end of last year, the administration has not yet approved it. Originally two-thirds of the college governments – or eight of the 11 – were needed to ratify the document. But after the School of Management abstained, Senior Tribune Nayan Ranchhod allowed the document to be passed with only seven approvals.

Both SAO and the Dean of Students Office have been considering the approval of the proposed constitution all summer, but neither office would comment on the progress.

Acting Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore, Assistant Dean of Students Allen Ward, SAO Director Carolyn Norris, Woog, Union Executive Vice President Remie Ferreira, VP of Financial Affairs Joe Rollin, Senate Chair Joel Fajardo, each special body chair and a Tribune will attend a meeting tomorrow to discuss the constitution’s approval.

Woog said he felt confident the meeting would resolve the situation.

“It’s a strategy session for implementation of the constitution,” he said. “We’re going to get it done and move onto more pressing matters.”

Fajardo is currently rewriting the Senate bylaws and hopes to finish by the first Senate meeting on Sept. 22, but said the process may be delayed if the administration validates the proposed constitution.

“We’re taking into consideration concerns from previous years that have not been addressed,” he said. “They may also be altered to reflect the upcoming constitution.”

While the position of vice president of multicultural affairs no longer exists in the new constitution, Woog said he hoped the position’s focus would not be completely forgotten.

“I am hoping that the Senate will retain multicultural affairs as a committee during their restructuring,” he said.

But Fajardo said he does not plan to make multicultural affairs a large addition to the new bylaws.

“I believe that some mention of multicultural activities will be involved somehow in the bylaws – not necessarily a committee, per se,” he said.

Woog said the Union would continue to work on improving continually low minority enrollment at BU, despite potential changes to the constitution.

“We have spent part of our summer discussing the matter with administration, and they are well aware of this problem,” he said.

SENATE ELECTIONS

Fall elections for senators will be Sept. 15 to 17. Applications are available in the Union’s office or online at http://people.bu.edu/election and must be completed before the mandatory meeting for candidates on Sept. 10 at 9:30 p.m. in SMG 324.

Students may vote at Warren Towers Dining Hall, West Campus Dining Hall and the George Sherman Union Link.

Two senators are elected to represent each Residence Hall Association as well as each college.

Claflin Hall, Sleeper Hall and Rich Hall will each receive two representatives this year, giving West Campus a total of six. The West Campus complex has only had two senators in previous years.

The Holiday Inn and Hotel Commonwealth will each have two representatives, for a total of 58 Senate seats.

Fajardo said he expects there to be many students pursuing Senate seats this year.

“Last year [there were] a lot of candidates in comparison to previous years,” he said. “I believe the turnout for this year will be equal if not higher.”