SGA meeting leaves issues unresolved

SGA’s senatorial meeting lost its quorum April 3. After an upset student and an unexpected objection, the meeting ran 20 minutes longer than usual, causing the group to adjourn without completing its business.

Sara Duke, VOX at VCU president, stood in front of 31 senators stating her concerns about the Student Government Association’s leadership. She told the senators they inadequately represent the VCU community.

“I really care about the VCU community,” said Duke, a first-year urban-planning graduate student. “I was coming forth as a concerned student-concerned with the functioning of the SGA. It is not functioning at its best.”

Her statements, she said, come after various incidents with three student leaders whose demeanor and attitude, Duke said, do not reflect VCU. She mentioned being “physically intimidated” by a student leader who pointed and shouted at her.

“Do they adequately represent VCU. or adequately represent bullies?” Duke asked the Senate.

Eddie O’Leary, student body president, said later that he disagrees with Duke’s stance on the SGA.

“I think that knowing Sara Duke and the situation she was talking about and being a founding member of the way SGA is now, I don’t share her views,” he said.

Concerning Duke’s complaint about encountering some “physical intimidation,” O’Leary said he witnessed that particular incident. Duke, he said, used profanity when talking with a senator and the senator shouted back.

“I’ve had a lot of experience with Sara Duke,” he said. “Things usually surround her getting money for VOX.”

O’Leary said he wishes Duke didn’t feel this way, but SGA has continually addressed her problems.

“We do so many things on a large scale, but no matter what we do with Sara Duke we’ve been unsuccessful,” he said. “This has been going on for approximately three years. It’s consistent.”

Duke said she hoped that by presenting her concerns to the student leaders they can learn to collaborate better with each other and treat students with respect. Also, she hoped the senators would reflect on themselves as senators.

In other business, Emad Maghsoudi, vice chairman of the Senate, objected to all appropriation budgets scheduled to be passed by the Senate.

“The biggest decision the Senate makes is passing the budget,” Maghsoudi said. “It affects 140 student organizations. Six-hundred-thousand dollars is a lot of money to just rubber stamp.”

Maghsoudi said he wanted to ensure that the senators reviewed each line item on the budget before passing it.

In a later interview, O’Leary said he understands the purpose of the objection and thinks Maghsoudi’s intentions were good.

“I think his fear is that the Senate isn’t scrutinizing the budget enough,” he said. “It never hurts to take a second look.”

Bruce Vann, director of SGA’s appropriations committee, said he considers Maghsoudi’s objection invalid and against Appendix C of the appropriations guidelines that Vann wrote. Appendix C stipulates that an objection must be submitted in writing with a specific line item and amount by the next Senate meeting.

“The guidelines state any objection should be submitted before this meeting,” Vann said. “He does not provide a written reason and an amount, so I don’t think this is a valid objection.”

Maghsoudi asked the Senate for an additional week to reread and re-evaluate the budget. Because of a lack of quorum the group tabled his request. By tabling the discussion, the senators achieved the purpose of Maghsoudi’s objection.

Jessica Lee, chairwoman of the Senate, reminded the senators about the SGA student help desk at the kiosk across from the Career Center in the Student Commons. She said the senators needed to fulfill their responsibilities in helping man the desk.

The desk, Lee said, allows students to voice their complaints, concerns and questions to SGA.

“It will help us have a face on campus,” she said.

Students can visit the help desk from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.

The agenda for the next Senate meeting lists two items of unfinished business:

 voting on candidate E.J. White for associate justice

 voting on the Operation Ram the Streets bill