The Student Assembly last night passed a resolution asking the administration to reconsider its decision not to allow the annual Pow-Wow be held on the Green. It also passed four resolutions that made recommendations to change the way Committee on Standards members are chosen.
The Pow-Wow is an annual celebration of Native American culture that, until last year, was held on the Bema. This year, the festival is to return to the Bema, but Native Americans at Dartmouth is circulating a petition that asks the administration to permanently allow the change of venue.
The Pow-Wow on the Green resolution, sponsored by Case Dorkey '99, Dominic LaValle '99, Robin Nunn '99, Assembly Executive Vice President Kelii Opulauoho '96, and Jonah Sonnenborn '99 and Simone Swink '98, passed unanimously.
The resolution states that the Assembly should urge the administration to support the Pow-Wow on the Green this year and in future years. It also asks the administration to reevaluate the current policy that allows only a few groups to hold events on the Green.
"The Green should be student space," LaValle said,
The first COS resolution, which passed unanimously, calls for all students interested in running for COS to attend a mandatory information session about COS responsibilities and requirements prior to having their names placed on the ballot.
Dorkey said Undergraduate Judicial Affairs Officer Marcia Kelly has endorsed this suggestion.
The Assembly passed a resolution calling for freshmen to be allowed to vote for members of the COS.
Currently, only members of the sophomore and junior classes can vote for COS members for the upcoming year each Spring.
The third COS resolution the Assembly passed calls for three students to be required to serve on each COS hearing-panel, as stated in the handbook, instead of the usual two who are currently appointed.
Each panel should include three faculty members, three students, and two administrators, according to the College Handbook. But only two faculty members, two students and one administrator are need for quorum.
The fourth resolution, which passed by one vote, calls for sophomores to be eligible to serve on the COS.
"Rules are rules, and they aren't going to change based on how long you have been here," said Rex Morey '99, who supported the resolution.
But Katie Kirwan '99 said she dissented because she thinks being at the College an extra year gives students more experience and would make them better members of COS.
"I would rather be judged by juniors and seniors," Kirwan said.
Dorkey said he has been putting together a report this term that will include the resolutions passed last night. He said the report will go to Dean of the College Lee Pelton.
Dorkey also presented two resolutions about the COS that did not pass.
The first called for students on COS to be in residence for three of the four terms in which they would be considered a member.
Dorkey said he supported the resolution because it would ensure a large enough pool of COS members existed each term to hear cases.
But Ben Hill '98, an Assembly member, said there are many things students get excluded from for continuity reasons because of the Dartmouth plan and COS should not be one of them.
The other COS resolution failed. It called for the Dean of the College to appoint six of the 12 COS members in consultation with the Assembly's Membership and Internal Affairs Committee.
Currently, Pelton appoints six members on his own and students elect the other six.
Dorkey said the resolution favors the appointment process with student input to ensure diversity of membership.
"This resolution sucks," Assembly President Jim Rich '96 said.
Rich said he did not approve of the resolution or the status quo. He said the dean should not appoint any members to COS because he appoints members of the administration, while the faculty appoints faculty members. He said students should choose all COS members.
Opulauoho said if the dean wanted student input, he could ask for it. "The fact we can vote for six members is a gift," he said.
