SENIOR SENATORS

A

BC

Am 1

Am 2

Men’s

Sailing

Dems

Budget

Rania Arja

X

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

N

Y

Rob Cobbs

X

Y

N

N

Y

Y

N

Y

Andrew Gehring

X

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

David Gottlieb

X

Y

Y

Y

N

N

Y

A

Caitlyn Phan

U

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jessica Rothschild

U

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mira Serrill-Robins

X

Y

N

N

Y

N

N

N

Emily Silberstein

U

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JUNIOR SENATORS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Avi Das

X

Y

Y

Y

A

A

A

A

Janice Djabatey

X

Y

N

N

Y

Y

N

Y

Andrea Gyorody

X

Y

Y

N

Y

N

N

Y

Charmel Maynard

X

Y

N

N

Y

Y

N

Y

Jordan McKay

X

Y

N

N

Y

Y

N

Y

Gloria Monfrini

X

Y

N

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Ashley Rose

X

Y

N

N

Y

Y

N

Y

Tim Zeiser

½

 

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

SOPHOMORE SENATORS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patrick Benson

X

Y

N

N

Y

Y

N

Y

Adam Bookman

X

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Raj Borsellino

X

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Daniel De Zeeuw

X

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Julie Kim

X

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Jason Kung

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Samantha Siegal

U

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Josh Stein

X

Y

N

N

Y

Y

N

Y

FRESHMEN SENATORS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jacqueline De La Fuente

X

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

N

Y

Anneliese Koehler

X

Y

Y

N

N

N

N

Y

Paul Nielsen

X

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Y

Nicholas Pastan

U

 

Y

N

A

A

A

A

Jelani Lundy-Harris

X

Y

N

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Michele Tran

X

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

Ayyappan Venkatraman

X

Y

Y

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

Shantel Watters

X

Y

Y

N

Y

Y

Y

Y

EXECUTIVE BOARD

 

 

Mike Simmons

U

 

Noah Isserman

X

 

Richa Bhala

X

 

Ryan Smith

X

 

Austin Yim

X

 

AAS Senate Meeting Minutes, Transcript-style

Monday November 28, 2005

Table of Roll Call Votes

 

 

 

Explanation

Attendance: X – Present; U – Unexcused Absence; E – Excused Absence; ½ - Half-Absence

BC – Motion to pass the BC Recommendations fully

Am 1 – Motion to amend the Motion to Amend the Bylaws

Am 2 – Motion to Amend the Bylaws

Men’s – Motion to Fund in full Kilmartin honorarium for Men’s Project

Sailing – Motion to Fund in full Coach’s salary

Dems – Motion to Fund in full Poster funding

Budget – Motion to Approve the Spring Semester 2006 Budget

 

Meeting Called to Order: 9:10PM

Approval of Minutes: Approved

Officer Reports

Committee Reports

Announcements

Senate Orders

1.  BC Recommendations

a.  {Discussion LOST}

b.  Motion to PASS BC Recommendations

  i.  Roll Call Vote;

  ii.  Motion PASSES

2.  Budget for Spring Semester 2006

a.  Bhala: Some requests were not considered

  i.  FLICS – did not meet with BC Representative

  ii.  Men’s Volleyball – not recognized

  iii.  Art of Living – not recognized

  iv.  ALFI – not recognized

  v.  Amherst Feminist Alliance has approached BC about anomalies

b.  Questions of a General Nature:

  i.  Question: can the affected clubs submit budget now? Response: nothing has been submitted

  ii.  Bookman: No Men’s water polo in budget; Response: probably not submitted

c.  Motion to Approve the Budget

  i.  Club Representatives

1.  Fencing/Karate: just here to make sure recommendations are approved in full

  ii.  Das: Motion to remove WAMH Concert request; Motion seconded

1.  Das: originally felt to be used for a band, but band has not responded, probably better to keep the money free

2.  Arja: Call the Question; no objections

3.  Voice vote; Motion PASSES unanimously

4.  WAMH Concert recommendation REMOVED

  iii.  Spencer Robins, Democrats: DEMOCRATS would like more money for posters

  iv.  Alicia Fazzano, Riding: RIDING would like more money now instead discretionary; Response (Das): better to wait out rather than hastily fill in the percentage requirements of the money

  v.  Men’s Project Rep: Agreement with Das

  vi.  Bhala: DEMOCRATS did not specify the poster usage, RIDING also not specific enough

  vii.  Koehler: Question of percentages

  viii.  Monfrini: Motion to INCREASE funds Altar flowers for NEWMAN CLUB Budget to full; Seconded

1.  McKay: Problem in general with religious organizations; similar cuts had to be made for other groups as well

2.  Das: Against this motion; would rather table and amend bylaws first

3.  Voice vote; Motion FAILS

  ix.  Robins: DEMOCRATS make introductory posters at beginning of semester; also with table tents

  x.  Cobbs: Motion to amend Bylaws such that

  xi.  Das: Motion to Table until later in the meeting

  xii.  Voice Vote: Motion PASSES; Motion to Approve the Budget is TABLED to a later time

d.  Cobbs: Motion to amend Bylaws concerning BUDGET PERCENTAGES (Bylaw II) to make exception to Spring Semester 2006 (Exception Clause)

  i.  Cobbs: Rather not change percentages in long-term, but would also like to get around the issue right now; this is an exceptional case

  ii.  Serrill-Robins: Against this motion; every year is exceptional; Constitution should have at least some respect

  iii.  De Zeeuw: Agreement with Serrill-Robins; possible that this may happen later years

  iv.  Das: As noted earlier, some Clubs have not submitted budgets by some error; it seems unfair to punish these clubs by depriving them of the potential money; see no problem

  v.  {DISCUSSION LOST}

  vi.  Bhala: Currently, right at border;

  vii.  Benson: Not much of a problem with keeping the $2000

  viii.  Djabatey: Must draw a line;

  ix.  Cobbs: If wiggle room is changed, then we must change it back later

  x.  Stein: Pass

  xi.  Nielsen: Motion to amend bylaw to make it long-term to 5% (5% Amendment); motion seconded; Objected as unfriendly

1.  Nielsen: Change to long-term necessary so that future will also abide by that

2.  Das: To note: it’s not that the BC decided to put it at bottom edge; it just happens that the recommendations came to the bottom end; not intended

3.  Gottlieb: no need to worry about Cobbs’s concerns if BC adheres to general aim to keep percentages

4.  Yim: probably have BC keep the 3%; Senate could have more wiggle room

5.  Serrill-Robins: potential to bite people back

6.  Cobbs: that the BC does not aim for a higher or lower threshold does not matter; need more evidence to show that the new percentages are better; won’t filibuster this action, but true long-term thinking is needed; urge is to have the motion pass and then revert to original

7.  Stein: remember that more often the high end is the problem; frequent amendments may be a problem

8.  Bhala: originally against this because a thorough debate is needed; rollover is huge every year; if discretionary fund is bigger, BC is busier, but money is spent more; the amendment does not go into the fundamental problem of the current budgeting process

9.  Gottlieb: shouldn’t have a constitution that specifically defines budget percentages;

10.  Das: Move the Question; Seconded

11.  Voice Vote: Motion PASSES

12.  Motion to Amend the Original Motion

13.  Voice Vote: DIVISION

14.  Manual Vote:

15.  Roll Call Vote: Motion to Amend PASSES 16-11

  xii.  Motion AMENDED to remove Exception Clause and add 5% Amendment

  xiii.  Cobbs: Straw Poll

  xiv.  Das: Ready to prepare a report with ad-hoc committee; having said that, should just pass the Spring Budget as is

  xv.  Nielsen: Amendments are meant to amend; urge to Move the Question

  xvi.  Serrill-Robins: think it’s awful to amend the bylaw; rather have the Constitution respected and do something to show that

  xvii.  Bookman: in agreement

  xviii.  Benson: in spite of liking to keep the $2000 for discretionary funding, in agreement with Serrill-Robins; if clubs wanted money, then they should have showed up

  xix.  Das: in that spirit: elaboration of WAMH concert; urge to reinstate the WAMH funding

  xx.  McKay: Call the Question; no objections

  xxi.  Voice Vote: DIVISION

  xxii.  Roll Call Vote: Motion FAILS

e.  Arja: Motion to Bring Motion back from Tabling

  i.  Voice Vote PASSES

f.  Motion to Approve the Budget

  i.  Bhala: Fund in full speakers if necessary

  ii.  Das: Motion to REINSTATE WAMH Concert Funding; Seconded

1.  Das: Might as well keep a BC-discussed funding recommendation

2.  Bookman: Agree that many clubs are here; {MATTER LOST}

3.  Bhala: Reiterate: fund a partially-funded item fully first before

4.  Djabatey: {LOST}

5.  Serrill-Robins: Call the Question; objection

6.  Pan: Agreement with Das, with reservations

7.  McKay: Should not fund the $2000 just because WAMH did not have a band ready; was a problem in BC

8.  Isserman: Request for a Straw Poll

9.  Serrill-Robins: Move the Question

a.  Voice Vote: Motion is MOVED

10.  Voice Vote: Motion FAILS

  iii.  Das: Just for clubs present: the Senate cannot add additional funding to those clubs whose requests have already been filled in full

  iv.  Arja: Passes

  v.  Stein: Passes

  vi.  Fazzano: would have gone to discretionary for additional funding, but Budget amendment can also work

  vii.  Bookman: Passes

  viii.  Bhala: RIDING will most likely get discretionary funding approval, prefer something else

  ix.  Borsellino: Motion to fund in full MEN’S PROJECT speaker honorarium for Chris Kilmartin ($1800 in addition to original $1000)

1.  Serrill-Robins: Call the Question; Objected

2.  Benson: would be for the funding, but others

3.  Yim: note that $11.80 extra must be funded to meet percentage threshold

4.  Gyorody: would rather fill that gap

5.  Arja: Motion to Amend Motion to add $150 to SAILING; withdrawn

6.  Cobbs: Move the Question

a.  Voice Vote: Motion is MOVED

7.  Roll Call Vote; Motion PASSES

  x.  Arja: Motion to fund in full SAILING coach salary ($150 in addition to original $850)

1.  Gyorody: Consideration of time the coach is present; SAILING originally didn’t have problem with original recommendation

2.  Das: As a member of SAILING: while the number is flexible for Senate, the difference is made up by the dues of the Team

3.  McKay: Passes

4.  Arja: In considering coach’s fee, probably not just based on amount of time present on campus; skills or teaching should factor too

5.  Cobbs: Moral objections? Urge to call

6.  Nielsen: Move the Question;

a.  Isserman: no speaker present, rather Call the Question

7.  Roll Call Vote: Motion PASSES

  xi.  Benson: Call the Question; Objected

  xii.  Tran: Motion to fund in full DEMOCRATS’ poster funding

1.  Tran: Robins was here to discuss

2.  Serrill-Robins: Against full funding

3.  McKay: Call the Question; no objections

4.  Roll Call Vote; Motion PASSES

  xiii.  Gyorody: Call the Question; no objections

  xiv.  Roll Call Vote:

New Business

1.  Das: Motion to fund SUDAN DIVESTMENT $200 to send 450 letters to Congress

a.  Serrill-Robins: Reluctant about the speed of this motion; difference between this and next week probably isn’t great

b.  Benson: Disagree;

c.  Stein: Would rather fund this whether or not this makes a difference

d.  Gottlieb: Should have been submitted to BC;

e.  Rep: Bill for Darfur Awareness and Accountability is up for vote December 12;

f.  Simmons: The main issue is the $50 million for the African Union; congressional business has moved too quickly

g.  McKay: Motion to Commit to the Budgetary Committee; seconded

  i.  Get more info, get around the Senate precedent problems

  ii.  Das: withdrawing the Motion

h.  Motion is WITHDRAWN

2.  Maynard: Dean Moss

a.  Simmons: Dean Moss is the Senior Class Dean and this is her last year here; would like to make note on Kwanzaa event on Sunday; urge everyone to attend

b.  Serrill-Robins: would be nice to put a bench in a communal area with a plaque dedicating Dean Moss

c.  {Das, Simmons discussion LOST}

3.  Maynard: Meeting with Dean Boykin-East about HBO

a.  HBO is too expensive: $5000/month; Residential Life probably against it; Senate could use own funds

b.  More progress on the matter; would like input on the $5000/month

c.  Would about trading channels? Response: Cannot be done

d.  McKay: Pirating?

4.  Simmons: CAP Report

a.  President Marx’s meeting with Students was today

b.  Go to http://www.amherst.edu/~cap for experiential report

c.  Concern about tenure decision in American Studies Department

  i.  Das: If AAS endorses tenure decisions, then problem of bias may result; student petition for general student body would probably be better

  ii.  Gyorody: AAS endorsement is inappropriate

  iii.  Gottlieb: many in the Senate do not know the professor in question; what about for everyone else?

  iv.  Borsellino: motion should not be made; endorsement should be done in generalities, not for a specific professor

  v.  Simmons: has been a CAP matter as well, but not discussed well among student body and Senate

  vi.  Stein: in agreement with Borsellino

  vii.  Cobbs: Motion to Adjourn; ruled OUT OF ORDER

d.  Serrill-Robins: Passes

e.  Gyorody: Motion to Adjourn; ruled OUT OF ORDER

f.  Serrill-Robins: perhaps something should be written out; use discretion

g.  Bhala: Commendation to BC

h.  Lundy-Harris: would like a specific motion; Motion to Pass a Resolution

  i.  Something about endorsing a professor in Latino Studies

  ii.  Nielsen: not sure about how to vote on this

  iii.  Das: urge Simmons to send an e-mail to Senators, and solicit responses to make an appropriate statement

  iv.  Zeiser: endorses the professor in question

  v.  Borsellino: would rather not do this; rather should solicit opinion with constituents

i.  Gyorody: reiterate the position that AAS and the Senate should not endorse this business

j.  Djabatey: if it doesn’t hurt or help, why not?

k.  McKay: senators do serve in various committees; probably qualified in some respect

5.  Cobbs, various: Motion to Adjourn; seconded

Meeting Adjourned at 11:28PM