Ohio University student senators debated whether executive candidates should be elected in slate at last night's meeting. The motion to change the current rules, which would require the president, vice president, secretary and treasurer to be from the same party, failed by six votes.
This problem where we have one person from another party working with two people from another party is not just a problem this year
said Senator Wrienne Mitchell, who presented the motion. A lot of other colleges run slates and this is part of the reason they run as a cohesive unit.
President Jamie Walter supported the motion, saying that it would ensure cooperation between executives and make the senate a more effective body as a whole. In response to criticism, it would bar independent candidates from running for specific offices. Walter said that all legitimate candidates should be able to find supporters to run with them.
Senators opposed to the motion listed concerns that it would cause the senate to be one-sided, unfair to independents and against the traditions of the senate. Senator Ryan Mick argued that while there may have been problems stemming from the split party executive board this year, it has not always been so in the past.
Katie Simpson, the student-elected vice president at the beginning of this year, was impeached and then removed from office Fall Quarter. She ran in the opposing party of Walter.
Mick said that in the last four years, three vice presidents have been removed or have resigned for various reasons.
It's an integral right for people to have a choice Mick said. This motion failed in rules and procedures committee for a good reason.
The motion failed 18 to 16, with four abstaining votes.
In other news, the senate adopted a resolution to oppose the proposed federal marriage amendment. Only one senator voted against the resolution, which stated the amendment violates the system of checks and balances and the rights of same-sex couples.
The federal marriage amendment as presently worded
is blatant discrimination
said Senator Paul Patton, a sponsor of the resolution.
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Andrea Reeder
