A senator for the College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences resigned on the Senate floor and was nominated to an associate justice position in the final meeting of the Student Government Association’s 53rd Administration.
Senators additionally approved a student appointment to the Activities Funding Board and heard legislation to require the SGA president to keep records of his administration’s accomplishments for the purpose of presenting to the Student Fees Advisory Committee. Throughout the meeting, senators and executive members reflected on their experience in the organization and gave advice to those stepping into their positions on April 1.
“The next administration will be different than this one and that’s okay,” said SGA Director of External Relations Delaney Cattletstout. “It should be better than us. We should be continuing to try and make our organization better, and I hope that whoever is in my position does a better job than I did.”
SGA Chief of Staff Robert Comer similarly said he was drafting a four page letter of advice to the next person to hold his position.
“I want to leave this organization better than I found it,” Comer said. “I think that some of you who are leaving — again, enjoy your time here — just consider putting in a couple of extra hours and helping someone do more than you were able to do.”
In the only scheduled item of new business, the Senate voted to confirm computer information systems junior Stephen Cunningham as a voting member of the Activities Funding Board.
There are three AFB meetings left, said SGA President Shane Smith, and the vice chair is currently having to fill in as a voting member to compensate for the open position.
The Senate voted to allow the addition of two additional items to the meeting agenda: the first reading of a bill to ease the SFAC request process for future SGA administrations and an associate justice appointment.
In the final action of the 53rd Administration’s Senate, CLASS Sen. Jacob Kratavil was appointed an associate justice after handing in his resignation on the Senate floor.
Kratavil said he chose to switch to SGA’s judicial branch after hearing members of the organization, throughout the year, say the judiciary only gets involved during election season.
“There are a lot of issues where the Senate actually can use the judiciary,” Kratavil said, “and we’re under-using that branch. I’d like to see it used more and I’d like to be part of it.”
The incoming 54th Administration, headed by President-elect Winni Zhang, will meet for the first time on April 5.
