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Greensboro, N.C.
Volume 92, Issue 11
■ www.guilfordian.com
December 2, 2005
Senate President Ali Stewart (left) and Senator Bryan Cahall (right) disagree on the organization’s election process.
Student Senate legitimacy questioned
Further inquiry complicates the issue
Dan Etter
Staff Writer
"I resolve henceforth to utilize
my senatorial privilege and block
every decision made on the Senate
floor, regardless of its appeal, on
the grounds that it is illegitimate,"
wrote Senator Bryan Cahall in his
editorial, "Guilford College
Community Senate breaches
social contract," in the Nov. 18
issue of TTte Guilfordian.
Cahall's strong accusations
caused not only a great deal of
controversy and discussion in the
Guilford community, but strong
emotions as well.
"Bryan's article was an out
rage," said Senator Wesley
Coming.
Cahall wrote in his article that
the Senate is now a "mouthpiece
for developing administrative
policies,” and should cease all
activities other than creating new
election procedures.
"There should be no 'represen
tatives’ and therefore no elections
for Senators," said Cahall in an
interview. "Privileges should be
extended to the entire student
body without condition."
Accusations first came at an
earlier Senate meeting when a
financial issue could not be set
tled. The Guilford College
Cooperative Association (GCCA)
representative requested $2,000 to
fund a retreat in which the group
would create its by-laws.
No agreement could be
reached on the floor, and
Community Senate President Ali
Stewart recommended a special
committee to settle the matter
comprised of GCCA leaders, the
Steering Committee, and both
groups' advisors.
The rejected recommendation
stemmed from an agreement
made by the GCCA and Senate
last year. Senate provided the
GCCA with two loans to cover
start-up costs, but agreed to free
the GCCA of their ^ancial obli
gations if the GCCA did not
request more funding.
Senate decided to terminate
GCCA funding because the
Greenleaf, the GCCA's biggest co
op, is the only organization on
campus that brings in revenue;
and the Greenleaf has filed for
non-profit status, making them
independent from Guilford
College completely.
"The recommendation from
[Stewart] was to go to a smaller
group of people who had already
made their decision," said Cahall.
"The vote on the floor was one-
third for, one-third against, and
one-third undecided. If the whole
Senate was undecided, how can a
small group of representatives
accurately represent the consen
sus of the entire student body?"
The timing of the accusations
led some to question Cahall's
motives.
"It's awfully funny that Bryan
decided to challenge the validity
of Senate at a time when his
organization was asking for
money that it looks like foey're
not going to get," said Stewart.
"He was Senator last year and we
used the same means of electing
Senators as this year, yet it wasn't
until now that he has a problem
with it."
Senate by-laws permit a 24-
hour period following elections
when objections can be voiced. No
objections were voiced following
last year's uneventful elections.
C5nly one ticket appeared on
the ballot for Senate Executives
last year, and the Guo/Jesus ticket
received the most write-ins with
three votes.
The winning ticket - comprised
of President Stewart, Vice
President Leise Gergely, Treasurer
David Unger, and Secretary Lili
Sharpless - then held a two-week
period for students to nominate
themselves or others for open
Senate positions. These nomina
tions came in the form of applica
tions for committee leaders, col
lectively known as the Steering
Committee.
The two-week period ended
with many positions still open
and only a handful of positions
with multiple applicants. The
Senate Executives, following their
by-laws, then filled the empty
positions with one of the candi
dates in a race for another posi
tion. Part F of section 3 in article B
states, "In the event that positions
remain unfilled, at the conclusion
of fall elections, all open positions
become appointed positions."
Applications were made avail
able for Senate Representatives -
which must be held by someone
involved in the group they wish to
represent. The Steering
Committee and the Senate
Executives then appointed appli
cants to representative positions,
as was the procedure the last three
years.
Cahall believes that electing a
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