Student Senate Gears Up for Elections
Photo credit: Gettysburg College
By Katie Oglesby, News Editor
The first Senate meeting of April began with a discussion about technocratic elections as well as presidential and vice presidential elections. They began to accept applications for technocratic positions on Tuesday, the same day as the forum for the presidential and vice presidential elections.
Student Senate President Kurtis Grey ‘21 announced that student organizations are allowed to host outdoor gatherings of at most 25 students and that they’re trying to expand capabilities for groups to gather within the five miles (such as battlefield walks) while still following state and College guidelines for transportation. Indoor gathering locations have also increased occupancy according to state guidelines; for example, Mara Auditorium has been expanded from 43 to 53 as the maximum occupancy. He also said that the College has made it easier for students to register travel for a COVID-19 vaccine by adding it as an option on the travel request form.
Parliamentarian Lauren Browning ‘22 brought forth the amendments on the table during the meeting. The first amendment indicates that “[a]ll statements of purpose will be included for candidates running for popularly elected positions on election day.”
The amendment passed.
The second amendment Browning brought forth was an amendment ensuring that two events of election education programming occur in both the fall and spring semesters each year. This amendment also successfully passed. The third amendment changed the requirement of signatures on petitions to the College to be 350 rather than a quarter of the student body—this brings the percentage down to an eighth of the student body in support of a petition for it to be brought to the College administration’s attention.
“The vice president will have some role in making sure that everyone understands that petitioning is a valid form of access that people can have to try to get things to change,” Browning said. This amendment also passed.
The final amendment said committee chairs must draft and publish reviews of their committee’s work to be published on the Senate website. Discussion was brought up over whether the committee reviews should be published in The Gettysburgian or other news sources on campus, as well, pending approval by said news sources. The amendment passed with language saying it would be published on the Senate website and in college news sources.
Abby Hauer ‘21 brought up the petition she, Miranda Zamora ‘23, and Daniel Jones ‘22, created asking the College for a third wellness day with more than 24 hours of notice.
“It reached the 350 threshold [for a petition to be sent to the College]…within 30 minutes,” said Hauer. “If this doesn’t get anywhere and we don’t get a third wellness day, I think it’s essentially the administration putting out there that they don’t care about our mental health and thus they don’t care about our success and they don’t care about the prestige of the institution. So let’s hold them accountable for their preaching of mental health and let’s get a third wellness day because it’s what we deserve.”
Chair of Budget Management Committee Connor Heath ‘23 presented the request of Rachel Main ‘22 on behalf of the American Cancer Society for $1,061 in prizes for virtual activities of Relay For Life. The budget request was passed in the full amount.
Browning introduced another amendment to ensure that executive board members will not be allowed to represent clubs and affinity group leaders are only able to represent clubs within their affinity group. It also emphasizes the role of spectator members in that they aren’t allowed to vote, but can participate in discussion and are representatives of their club’s interests. The amendment was tabled.
The next amendment introduced was about the “Inclusion Outreach Document” and what definitions the Inclusion Committee would be using for diversity and inclusion. The amendment said that they would use the Inclusion Committee’s definition rather than the College’s, which they deemed wasn’t broad enough. It was tabled as well.
The following amendment would allow seniors to serve half-terms in Senate. Juniors are already included because they typically go abroad during part of the year. Since some of the senior class typically goes abroad and more may be going abroad next year because of COVID-19, seniors will now be allowed to serve half-terms according to the amendment. After discussion, it was amended to include the sophomore class as well since some sophomores also go abroad. This amendment was tabled.
The fourth and final amendment introduced at the meeting was to include the Inclusion Officer as a popularly elected position rather than a privately elected position, like Parliamentarian and Treasurer with the intention of allowing the student body to have a “voice represented through the vote of this position itself” according to Jones. Like the others, it was also tabled.
The meeting moved into student concerns and committee reports. Chair of Opinions Committee Giacomo Coppola ‘22 addressed two opinions: one recommending the DPS Officers no longer possess tasers and another that the 2021-2022 winter break be extended from four weeks to five weeks to allow for a J-Term.
Senate will meet again next Monday, April 12.
