Posted on March 22, 2006
The Student Senate granted several clubs funds Tuesday night amidst heated debate concerning SGA’s role in freshman orientation.
The Executive Council and staff orientation bill, authored by sophomore Vice Pres. Jeff Watson would make those in executive or staff positions ineligible for participating in freshman orientation.
“There is no effective planning and leadership when everyone is unable to meet during the summer,” said Watson. “This is discrediting to SGA because we serve the students.”
Watson does not feel this would hurt either organization.
“This is not limiting, because even though there are good leaders in SGA, there are other good leaders outside of this organization,” he said. “Executive staff is the most serious position in SGA, and with that comes serious time and commitment.”
Sen. Tommy Bluestein (Soph.) agreed.
“It would make people think long and hard if [they] want to be in Orientation or SGA,” he said. “This could give us better candidates because people would want to work really hard to win and follow through with their platforms.”
Despite the points made to pass the bill, there was an overwhelming majority against the amendment.
“JMU is all about opportunity; there are over 300 organizations because everyone wants to get involved and dabble and feel everything out,” said Sen. Heather Shuttleworth (Soph.). “If someone is committed enough and feel like they have enough determinism to take on both roles, why not let them prove it?”
Sen. Geary Cox (graduate student) also voiced his opinion against the bill.
“I recognize the leadership and commitment it takes the orientation staff to give themselves to the freshman class, and we shouldn’t limit the strongest members of this organization to be FROGS or OPAs,” Cox said. “This bill regulates too much personal responsibility, and that is nowhere else in the constitution.”
Watson said he understands that orientation ends in September, but said the bill is focused on work done during the summer.
“The chief of staff is getting paid, I don’t think its right for them to have a job on campus and not properly do it,” he said.
Many senators felt that being leaders in other areas than SGA is vital to help build character and get in touch with the rest of the student body. Other points were brought up in opposition, such as the fact that SGA could possibly restrict a student having a job during the summer in order to fulfill his or her SGA duties.
Student Body President, Brandon Eickel said that executive members particpation in orientation 2006 created a disjunct in executive council and staff.
“We didn’t start to build those relationships and staff was not properly trained by exec,” Eickel said.
The bill, which would have taken effect in 2008, was moved to a roll-call vote and did not pass.
Note-oriety, the first all-female a cappella group established at JMU, was granted $1,000 from contingency funds to record its fourth CD. The recording of this CD would be done professionally, unlike the previous three, by James Gammon Productions, located in Charlottesville.
According to Note-Oriety, there has been at least one single from every album JGP has recorded that has been given national recognition.
“We went on tour up the northern East Coast and now teachers have been contacting us saying their students have an interest in JMU,” said Jo Lewis, Note-oriety’s co-president. “This CD could bring a lot of recognition to JMU.”
The Students for Minority Outreach, which recruits and retains minority students at JMU, received $800 to rent a bowling alley for their annual Bowl-A-Thon.
“We are responsible for a number of programs under the minority spectrum and this event will let us expose our organization and let people know we exist on campus,” said Ladaisha Ballard, the entertainment and talent co-chair of SMO. “We have done a number of fund raisers, but it is not enough to cover the bowling alley costs due to our prospective student weekend.”
The Clean Energy Coalition was granted permission to include a referendum in SGA’s election ballot to poll the student body without bias or outside pressure. The referendum will poll students on their willingness to support a $9 per semester increase in student fees to improve energy sustainability at JMU.
“This an important question because students will be able to get their word in,” said Julianne Maguire (Sr. – ISAT). “They are basically advertising for elections and it will show the Board of Visitors and administrators whether or not students will support this increase.”
