At Wednesday night’s Student Senate meeting, members discussed campaigns for the second week in a row
Once again Student Senate talked campaigns at the Wednesday night meeting.
Members rejected a resolution to institute a 16-day passive campaign period, which would have been an addition to the current 14-day active campaign period.
Senate voted to shorten the campaign period from 24 days to 14 at last week’s meeting. This means that candidates can now only table, chalk and debate, among other campaign activities, for two weeks.
Passive campaigning, which would include announcing a candidacy, launching a website with information about the platform or participating in Board of Election-sanctioned debates, was opposed because it would be “difficult to distinguish and monitor,” said Megan Marzec, president of Student Senate.
Senate passed three resolutions allocating funds. Some of the money will go toward tickets for the International Dinner on Nov. 15 and to senate’s Off-Campus Life Commission.
“I feel like it is very difficult for students to access money, and we’re very fortunate,” said Caitlyn McDaniel, vice president of senate. “With senate, we’re in a position where we can use the funds that we have to benefit students. It’s ultimately student’s money, it comes from the general fee, it doesn’t just magically come out of thin air.”
Student Senate’s website, www.ohio.edu/studentsenate, is now running. The website features a current senate roster, archived resolutions and senate’s constitution. McDaniel said she hopes to be able to post current resolutions to the website as well.
No students spoke out at the meeting. This time is typically reserved for students to voice their concerns.
“I guess this proves that senate general body meetings are not enough,” McDaniel said of the lack of student participation. “We need, and we’re working on building more platforms for students, that are run by students, where they can come forward and have a voice.”
Also at the meeting, senate’s graduate assistant, Katie Gunderson, who is in charge of purchases for senate, said that the controlled value card she was issued by the university, through JPMorgan Chase, had been compromised. She said other university-issued cards had also been compromised. Gunderson said she did not know what individual cards or how many were affected and that information was not available by press time.
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