It is starting again. Our Student Assembly seems marked with an endless state of bickering and disarray. Reform SA! representatives and others, elected last spring to de-politicize the Assembly, have decided to throw the SA off course before work has begun.
They have done this by challenging the constitutionality of Nicole Artzer's appointments to her executive committee.
The committee to reform the SA Constitution, which I chaired in the spring of 1992, sought to end the chaos and set up a structure to deal with real student concerns.
The constitution, while silent on the subject in question, was intended to allow the president to appoint non-Assembly members to the executive committee. In fact, it is her duty to appoint the chair(s) of the Assembly committees who comprise the executive committee. Precedent has shown that non-elected members of the Student Assembly can indeed serve as committee chairs and executive committee members.
The president should be allowed to shape the executive committee to reflect his/her goals for the Assembly. Nicole Artzer appointed a wide variety of students to her executive committee, including class presidents, Co-ed Fraternity and Sorority Council representatives and other student leaders. Her commitment is to a student agenda, and her commitment is clear.
Give Nicole Artzer a chance. The purpose of the Student Assembly is to provide students a voice in effectively influencing decision making processes of the College, to articulate and represent student interests to the College administration, faculty and Trustees and to initiate activities to benefit the student body.
