Although she heard complaints about Sen. Jessica Roy’s performance, Sen. Leah Wentworth was surprised at the motion to have Roy removed from her position as chair of the Violations Inquiry Committee and thus as Senate parliamentarian.
“I had heard there might be a vote of confidence,” Wentworth said, though she had not anticipated the action.
Wentworth said much of what she believed spurned the action happened at a Senate meeting that she had not attended. In particular, interrupting Sen. Dorn McMahon repeatedly, and not being responsible for a student group constitution that was accepted without her reviewing it.
Although the plan among senators to oust Roy had only been formulating during the week, Wentworth speculated, “There has been discontent possibly longer.”
At a meeting two weeks ago, Wentworth herself called Roy out of order. “It is an anomaly for a parliamentarian to be called out of order,” Wentworth said.
“It is extreme that people would vote that loudly,” Wentworth said about the vote.
Wentworth added she was tempted to say the removal of Roy was orchestrated by one of the factions within the Senate but was convinced the vote would not have passed if it was merely the politics of a faction.
“Zeke [Sen. Ezekiel Kimball, who made the motion for Roy’s removal] is too new to be part of a faction. … For nine of the 13 members of the Senate to say something together … there is not voting block that large. I am surprised that nine people could vote on anything together.”
Wentworth does not believe that Kimball initiated the action in order to win the seat for himself. “Zeke stated repeatedly that he is not interested in being parliamentarian.” However, she is impressed with his encyclopedic knowledge of the Senate constitution and Roberts Rules of Order despite being a new Senator this semester. “It’s unusual for anyone to be well-versed on the Senate constitution.”
Wentworth was not sure who might succeed Roy but speculated that McMahon may be interested if he has the time, Sen. Joshua Dolby if he dropped his stipend position at Student Legal Services, or Sen. Benjamin Hoffman who has been parliamentarian in the past.
Elise Adams can be contacted at [email protected]