Wong, Nicholeen sight strained
ERIN LaRUFFA
Associate News Editor
Susan Wong and Nicholeen DePersis announced their resignation Wednesday night from their positions as co-vice presidents of Peer Advocacy, part of the Judicial Council.
"Due to events that occurred over the course of the Fall Semester of 2001, we now question the strength of our relationship with the staff of Residence Life, thereby causing us to question our ability to continue to properly serve the student body," Wong and DePersis said in a letter they submitted to the senate.
As vice presidents of Peer Advocacy, Wong and DePersis helped students deal with disciplinary cases involving the Office of Residence Life. In their letter, Wong and DePersis said they relationship with that office was once "strong" but has become "strained."
Following their resignation, Judicial Council president Tim Jarotkiewicz nominated Kathryn Anderson and Ricky Sadowski to replace Wong and DePersis. The senate unanimously confirmed the nominations.
The senate also considered a resolution submitted by Audra Hagan to increase the annual student activities fee that students pay. The fee would initially increase by $10 to $75 for the 2002-2003 school year, and would increase by $5 a year thereafter.
Hagan told senators that the increase was necessary to keep up with inflation. Otherwise, student organizations such as the Student Union Board would have to cut its programming.
"If we had extra money, we'd at least be able to maintain the same level of funding for clubs and activities," Hagan said.
However, some senators questioned whether students were really willing to pay the extra money. One of those senators, Nikki McCord, said she discussed the proposal at her dorm's hall council meeting last night.
"The ladies at hall council in [Pasquerilla East] last night told me that they didn't want me to vote for this," McCord said.
The senate voted to table the resolution to allow all senators the opportunity to discuss it with their hall councils.
Another resolution, which called for the Office of Student Affairs to post in each dorm the steps a person should take if sexually assaulted, unanimously passed the senate Wednesday night.
According to Breen-Phillips senator Anne McCarley, the current brochure the University publishes is too confusing.
"It's very difficult for students to use as a resource," she said.
"I've looked at the brochure and it's ridiculous. If you're in an emergency situation, you're going to be really confused," said off-campus senator Matt Smith. For that reason, he said, it was important for students to have access to a simpler version like the one proposed in the senate resolution.
In other senate news:
u Academic committee chair Pat Hallahan encouraged senators to read Wednesday's Observer article about Tuesday's Faculty Senate meeting. At the meeting, the Faculty Senate called for more faculty representation on the University's Academic Council.
"They voted to dissolve themselves last year in a very childlike way," said Hallahan of the Faculty Senate. He added that if a group that acted in such a way deserves more representation on the Academic Council, students also deserve more. Currently, there are three students on the council out of 40 members.
"The Student Senate has been very patient with the administration," said Hallahan. "We don't have the representation we deserve."
All News Stories for Thursday, February 7, 2002
