The Student Assembly last night discussed support for a Korean language program, the upcoming Ivy League Council, results of last weekend's Environmental Symposium and methods for boosting participation of its own members.
The Assembly's attendance problem came to a head last night when it could not pass a constitutional amendment designed to enforce participation because not enough members were present to vote.
A three-fourths majority of all voting members is required to pass a constitutional amendment, but only 55 percent of the group attended last night's meeting.
Because there were not enough people to pass a constitutional amendment, the vote became whether or not to add the rules to the bylaws, which only requires a majority vote. But at about 9:30 p.m., after 10 minutes of debate on the additions, Assembly Secretary John Honovich '97 moved to table the vote and the Assembly decided to close discussion until the next meeting.
"We can see that [there is poor attendance] by the fact that there are not enough people here to pass a constitutional amendment," said Assembly Treasurer Scott Rowekamp '97, who proposed the amendment.
Rowekamp's proposal included automatic removal from the Assembly if a member has three unexcused absences from a General Assembly or standing committee meeting. It also left the determination of excusability up to the president for General Assembly meetings and committee chairs for standing committee meetings.
"Students have mid-terms and there is a general feeling of being overwhelmed, busy and tired all around campus," Assembly President Danielle Moore '95 wrote in a BlitzMail message. "I think attendance will pick up when a definite routine is established and academic commitments lighten for a few weeks before finals."
Earlier in the evening, after extensive debate, the Assembly passed a resolution to support the creation of a Korean language program.
"This resolution would show the SA in support of increasing the diversity of intellectualism on campus," Honovich, one of the co-sponsors of the resolution, said.
He said Assembly support was needed to improve the Korean language program's standing on the Asian Studies program's priority list for new language programs and to give it publicity.
The resolution was prompted by the efforts of the Korean Language Task-force, which has been active since 1991, said Assembly member Yun Chung '97, who co-sponsored the resolution.
She said Dartmouth is the only Ivy League school without some rudimentary Korean language program. She cited the increasing importance of Korea in the business world and substantial student support as reasons for the Assembly to support the resolution.
Members debated over the appropriateness of the Assembly's supporting a single language. Some said they do not support the Assembly favoring Korean over the languages that are prioritized above it.
But Assembly member Grace Chionuma '96 said she does not see the Assembly's support as favoritism but rather as promoting broadening course options.
The Assembly also discussed the upcoming Ivy Symposium, which Assembly member Meredith Epstein '97 said will be titled "Defining Ourselves: Student Activism in the Ivy League."
Epstein said the symposium, which will be funded by the Assembly, will be held the weekend of Nov. 18 and will feature speakers from within the College.
Early in the meeting, Assembly member Miranda Johnson '97 gave a brief presentation on the Environmental Symposium that was held at the College this weekend, emphasizing that there was much more student participation this year than in past years.
The Assembly had given the Dartmouth Environmental Network $2,000 to support student activities during the symposium.
Moore also handed out a report of the meal plan task force, which will be discussed at the next meeting.
