The four and a half hour Student Senate meeting on Friday was filled with heated debate.
CONCERNS
The meeting began quietly as Sen. Mike Barden commented on the number of vending machines with defective card swipers. Kathleen Pease, coordinator of Student Senate Operations, told senators that a repairman fixed all the vending machines. Sen. Gretchen Chesley asked that vending machines include supplies such as pens and disks.
Sen. Daryl Morazzini commented on the recent “Teach In For Peace.” Morazzini said it was “quite mind-numbing” because of the length but was nonetheless successful. He was disappointed at the lack of student attendance. Morazzini wished the Senate’s name had been attached to the event.
Sen. Dorn McMahon told the Senate that the chair of the Gorham Events Board (GEB) does not receive a stipend and is running out of work-study funds. McMahon said the attendance of events in Gorham have risen dramatically this year. Pease told the Senate that the GEB chair is a work-study student for Rodney Mondor, assistant dean of Student Life, assigned to the GEB. Pease suggested the GEB sends a letter to the Personnel Review Board to change the policy. Sen. Tyler Stanley said the GEB chair would make more money as a work-study student than through a stipend. A stipend for the GEB would be around $50 a week, noted Stanley.
THE LETTER
Sen. Ezekiel Kimball asked the Senate to read a prepared statement. The letter spoke of the recent violations and interruptions of Senate members, whom he didn’t name. The letter ended by asking for the removal of Parliamentarian Jessica Roy from the Violations Inquiry Committee (VIC), thus removing her from her position as parliamentarian.
Roy left the table to compose herself. Stanley said he couldn’t believe someone who had been on the Senate for two weeks could make this accusation, referring to Kimball. “Give me a break. The Student Senate should not just kick people off for no reason,” Stanley said.
Kimball said he had seen a pattern of Roy’s behavior at the Board of Student Organizations (BSO) and looked through old minutes of Senate meetings.
Sen. Joshua Dolby said the executive board was moving in a different direction than the rest of the Senate. Dolby said he “caught attitude” from Roy and then called her attitude “demeaning” and “obnoxious.” Dolby said Roy had not done her job in regards to the Honors Student Organization’s constitution. Roy then interrupted Dolby, saying she did her job. Morazzini said Roy was in violation of the BSO code and Senate policy by neglecting to re-read the Honors student group’s constitution.
Chesley said she respected the concerns of her fellow senators but this was the first time it was brought to her attention. “If this was such a concern, why hasn’t it been brought up before?” asked Chesley. She then inquired if Kimball was interested in the position of parliamentarian.
Quinn said Roy is the chair of the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC) and her job is to read proposed changes to student groups attempting to alter their constitutions. Roy had not read the constitution for the Honors Student Organization which had submitted changes. Quinn said Roy was not doing her job. “If this is not dishonesty, it is incompetence,” he said. Quinn also said Roy was secretive and made herself unavailable to other members of the Senate.
“Her lack of professionalism, lack of knowledge of parliamentary procedure and her constant interruptions are the basis of the decision,” Quinn said. The parliamentarian needs to be impartial and fair, noted Quinn. He said he made numerous attempts to resolve the issue with Roy. “Instead we get attitude, disdain and nothing can be resolved through that,” he said. Quinn now hopes for a productive year. “This will be more conducive to the Senate to remove the parliamentarian.”
Roy stated in her defense that she tried to fix the Honors constitution with the group’s assistance. She lost the old one and received the same constitution back but did not read it because she thought it was the same one.
Kimball said he was not yet interested in the position of parliamentarian. He had written the Honors constitution himself and never had any discussion about resolving the issue.
McMahon stated she had been interrupted twice by Roy during last week’s meeting. “That is over the top,” McMahon said. “If I have the floor, I should not have to remind the parliamentarian.” The parliamentarian’s job is to keep the Senate in order.
Morazzini stated he voted for Roy for parlimentarian. In the BSO, Roy “over-shouted her authority,” Morazzini said. He also noted the parliamentarian should be “capable of justice, be impartial, and polite.” He asked, “Will she change? I don’t know. Is she capable of justice, fairness, impartiality? I don’t know.”
Sen. Ben Hoffman inadvertently attempted a filibuster. While Hoffman was undecided on his vote, he said this was an excuse to remove Roy from her position. Hoffman said he didn’t vote for Roy nor did he think she was doing a good job. He felt the executive board is not supporting itself.
“The greater concern is the parliamentarian not doing her job,” Hoffman said. He stated the move was “an attempt to remove one person to adjust four,” referring to the rest of the executive board. Hoffman brought up the rift within the executive board, saying, “Removing one person from the board, what will that do if the other four don’t talk to each other?” Hoffman noted that while the chair and the parliamentarian make mistakes, the “attitude and behavior [from Roy] I do not enjoy.”
Sen. Mike Barrs said the argument was a personality conflict and not about job performance. “This stinks of being staged,” said Barrs. He felt the proposal was not brought up with the students in mind.
Quinn reminded senators he had no intention of being on the executive board or pursuing the position of parliamentarian. He reminded senators that this was not a turf war, though it might look like it to some. It was a decision based on professionalism, he said. Quinn brought up instances where he attempted to communicate with Roy, but she told Quinn that he did not need to know certain things. Quinn said he had made an effort to communicate with Roy, but now there was no other choice. “The parliamentarian encourages secrecy in meetings, makes people aware that they are not welcome at meetings and are whisked out of rooms,” said Quinn.
Stanley said he thought the motion to remove Roy stemmed from a personality issue. “Get over it,” he said. Stanley added that Wentworth was as partisan as Roy. He then called the motion “childish.”
Dolby said the difference between the executive board and the rest of the Senate is they get paid for doing their job. The Senate is not getting the leadership it needs from its executive board. Dolby stated that it was a turf war between people who wanted to do something with their power and those who did not. “Take that money you are given and use it, be here for meetings,” Dolby said.
Roy then had the opportunity to defend herself before a secret ballot was taken to vote on the motion. Roy said it was a “complete attack” on her. The motion was unfair because no members of the executive board are neutral. Roy said she is being used as a guinea pig since there are many problems with the Senate’s executive board. She stated she only does things that are fair and apologized for the disrespect she might have given to other senators.
Morazzini made a motion for a secret ballot “for fear of retribution for actions.”
Roy then left the table to compose herself yet again. Stanley made a remark about Roy leaving the table to blow her nose. “Maybe we should just kick her off because she left the table,” Stanley said.
Wentworth then announced the motion passed.
VOTE OF CONFIDENCE FOR CHAIR
Chesley asked for a vote of confidence to demonstrate the voice of the Senate. In a vote of confidence, members decide whether or not they have faith in their leaders’ abilities. Each member of the executive board is subjected separately to a vote of confidence. First, a member reads the job description of the position, then comments are made on the leader’s performance. From there a secret ballot is cast.
Wentworth went first and said she felt she has done a “good to excellent job.” She said she treats others with respect and is open to suggestions. Hoffman began with his comments about her job performance.
Hoffman said she has not done a good job and has an inability to communicate with others. Citing Wentworth’s use of Roberts Rules of Order, Hoffman said, “[They] are not to be wielded as a hammer.” Hoffman felt Wentworth is young for the position and lacked experience on the Senate. This is Wentworth’s second year on the Senate.
Dolby said he supported Wentworth. McMahon said she respected Wentworth. Quinn said he supports her as well. Morazzini noted the good and bad qualities of Wentworth. He felt the University officials respected her and she admits when she’s wrong. He also added that she tries to work with the executive board “even though people show up hung over and stoned to meetings.” Morazzini felt she needs to take charge.
The secret ballot was tabulated, and the vote was 10 votes of confidence, two of no-confidence, and one abstention.
VOTE OF CONFIDENCE FOR VICE CHAIR
Next up was Vice Chair Stanley. He stated he thought he had done a good job last semester but had “slacked off” this semester. He added strength is his diplomatic abilities. Though his interest has waned, Stanley said he is not resigning and he would try to do better this semester.
Roy told Stanley he has done a fabulous job. “He is the strongest person on the executive board,” said Roy.
Morazzini said Stanley is likable. “You cannot be around him and not want to hug him,” said Morazzini. He said Stanley was loyal to The FREE PRESS and WMPG, not the Senate.
Hoffman said Stanley does not do a good job as a leader. Quinn supports Stanley yet he would like him to be in the office more.
The vote was then tabulated to a vote of no-confidence for Stanley by a vote of four confidence, six no-confidence, and three abstentions.
VOTE OF CONFIDENCE FOR SECRETARY
Chesley was critical of herself as secretary. Though she is not in the office during office hours, she was in the office during the early morning and at nighttime. As for her leadership, she said, “I suck at that, too.” She noted she is a procrastinator and never has any repercussions for her actions. Therefore, she does not fix her actions.
Morazzini said if she starts to improve her leadership, Chesley has a lot to offer the Senate. Hoffman said he would like Chesley to be in the office more. Quinn said she was articulate in her weaknesses but would also like her to be in the office more as well.
Chesley received nine votes of confidence and zero votes of no-confidence.
AGENDA
Barrs asked the Senate why the vote of confidence was taken after the removal of the parliamentarian. Barrs said the number of office hours a senator holds each week does not accomplish anything.
Dolby asked the Senate for the election of a new parliamentarian to be held off until next week.
Stanley said he had no faith in the vote of confidence, saying it was related more to personality issues than to performance. It was planned by the group, he said. “If Sen. Anthony Pergola and Sen. Mike Norton were here, the parliamentarian would still have her job,” Stanley said.
Quinn asked for Roy’s stipend to be paid until Feb. 7 since Roy would still be signing checks until a new parliamentarian was sworn in.
O’CONNOR’S WORDS OF HOPE
Chris O’Connor, assistant to the Dean of Student Life, said this was a tough process. He encourages that this is a point to grow. He asked the senators to ask how they can do better. “It seems crippling, yet this is a developmental process,” said O’Connor.
The rest of the agenda was suspended until the next meeting because of time constraints.
Nicolette Harding can be contacted at [email protected]