Members consider election deadline, parietals measure
By LAURA ROMPF
Assistant News Editor
The Student Senate extended this year's deadline for the election of class officers from March 1 to March 3 Wednesday at the request of John Bauters, Judicial Council's vice president of elections.
Bauters said candidates would not have adequate time to campaign, and the Judicial Council would have a difficult time compiling ballots if the elections had to completed by Thursday.
If the deadline was extended, he said, the primary election for class officers would be held Wednesday with a run-off on Friday.
Carroll senator Jessie Flores said the senate could amend the constitution if the election bylaws were changed first. Flores asked to pass an amendment which allows the senate to change bylaws after petitions are handed out, but only with a 3/4 vote.
"This is a temporary solution to the problem," Flores said. "We have a situation we didn't have the foresight for ... We must handle this with efficiency and practicality."
After passing the amendment which allowed the senate to change election bylaws, the senate unanimously extended the deadline. The class officer elections will be held next Wednesday and Friday.
Sorin Hall senator Kevin Berchou and St. Edward's Hall senator Seth Whetzel informed the senate that a referendum on extending parietals would also be included in next week's elections. The referendum asks whether to make parietals later than 12 a.m. on weeknights and earlier than 10 a.m. in the mornings.
"There were many different groups working on the parietals issue and this is the culmination of communication between these different offices," Whetzel said. "A lot of work has been down and hopefully changes are on the horizon."
Student body vice president Brooke Norton said the referendum does not mean action must be taken by the administration, but student input is crucial for change.
"The numbers will show a lot," Norton said. "If students vote they way we think they will, we could see change."
Berchou said the senate did not want to put specific times or days on the referendum in case negotiations had to occur.
"The victory is going to come on the weeknights,"Berchou said. "We'll see if we can win this battle before we take on more."
In other senate news:
u At the senate's February 14 meeting, the Residence Life Committee announced that St. Edward's senator Seth Whetzel was elected co-chair of the committee.
u Meg Julian was unanimously approved as a member to the Judicial Council Executive Council.
uAndrew Oxenreiter was nominated as 2001-2002 assistant Student Union treasurer.
u St. Edward's senator Seth Whetzel was elected as a senate member to the Campus Life Council.
u The Student Union Board presented nominations for next year's officers: Paul Krivickas as board manager, Kathleen Hammond as director of programming, Jacquelyn Gelzheiser as director of operating, Gabriel Brownas director of creativity and Melissa Kane as chief controller.
u The senate approved Jennifer Wolf as Student Union treasurer and Katie Hogan as assistant Student Union treasurer.
All News Stories for Thursday, February 22, 2001
