Attendance

AAS Senate Meeting Minutes, Transcript-style

Monday November 7, 2005

 

 

Call to Order: 9:14PM

Approval of Minutes: Approved

Officer Reports

  1. Mike Simmons
  2. Noah Isserman
    1. Remember to check Blackboard
  3. Ryan Smith
    1. PBG Resolution to JC; ready to be sent to Senate
    2. Website; Clubs recognition
  4. Richa Bhala
    1. First night of budget deliberations
    2. “Only” need to cut $100,000 to meet budget
  5. Austin Yim
    1. Recording Secretary needed

Committee Reports

  1. CEP: Silberstein and Gyorody not happy about writing course discussion among faculty; would like to have feedback from students

Announcements

  1. DASAC: Saturday at 5, Sunday at 2, 8
  2. Isserman: Next week’s meeting may start at 8:30PM for more discussion about the 50-year Master Library Plan
  3. Benson: E-mail for help on student spirit, cause, especially with concern with Williams Game; possible tabling
    1. Smith: Comments about Dean Lieber’s e-mail; send reactions to Smith
  4. Das: Stepping down as chair of Dining Services; Space Allocation Committee
  5. Borsellino: Senate Retreat: tentatively February 4, 2006 on campus; it will be fun
  6. Kim: Senate Project: Bonus Bucks – questions about laundry, other use than food
    1. Bhala: Dining Services had control of the money; but now one office handles that
  7. Smith: Senate Project available!
  8. Maynard: meeting with Dean Boykin-East about HBO as part of TV package
  9. Isserman: met with Dean Haynes

Special Orders

  1. Committee Elections
    1. Dining Services

  i.  Pan nomination; accepted

    1. Inter-Departmental Fund

  i.  Nominations: Jelani; accepted

    1. Space Allocation Committee

  i.  Class of 2007

1.  Nominations: McKay; accepted

  ii.  Class of 2008

1.  Nominations: Bookman; accepted

  iii.  Class of 2009

1.  Nominations: Nielsen; accepted

    1. FLICS Representative

  i.  Bhala: No need

  ii.  Nominations: Gottlieb; accepted

  1. BC Recommendations
    1. Bhala: two tabled items from last week
    2. Questions of a General Nature

  i.  Bookman: Prism CD question

1.  Gehring: shortened magazine issue; CD accompanies issue

2.  Isserman: please refer to BC recommendations comments

  ii.  Monfrini: WAMH College Music Journal

1.  Das: CMJ acts like Billboard; what music is being played; provides free music; as a non-profit, required to play new music 1/3rd of air time; the subscription allows fulfillment of this requirement more easily;

    1. Maynard: Motion to approve the BC Recommendations; seconded

  i.  Gyorody: Motion to increase from $801.25 to $1070 for Amherst College Rowing Association (Crew); seconded

1.  Gyorody: Rep provides sufficient reasons for sliders

2.  Gottlieb: the budget is as large as it is; there was talk of moving things from Crew budget to others

3.  Nielsen: Rescinded

4.  McKay: equipment needs to be maintained

5.  Tran: too expensive?

6.  Das: Call the Question; no objections

7.  Roll Call Vote

8.  Motion passes

  ii.  Benson: Motion to cut in half the Karate uniform cost from $120 to $60; seconded

1.  Benson: low dues; not a good idea to pay for uniform

2.  Gyorody: dues are for the instructor; those who go to practice frequently may be able to have something to commemorate experience

3.  Maynard: Passes

4.  McKay: problem with them keeping uniforms; compare with other clubs

5.  Gottlieb: in particular; they were asking for 3 less than normal because 3 seniors had left behind their uniforms; how valuable are going to be these uniforms after 4 years of purchase?

6.  Das: other inexpensive sports that pay for only a coach, etc. still have higher dues; testing is also individual – it’s more individual, not team-oriented

7.  Arja: anything that is purchased by AAS is its property

8.  Stein: disagree with some; team came to BC for 4 uniforms despite need for 7; the remaining 3 are being paid for by the team members; just because other teams have higher dues does not mean this team should either;

9.  Rothschild: passes

10.  Monfrini: inconsistency is a problem

11.  Bookman: it seems silly to fund uniforms for those who do not show up often; those committed would be willing to pay for the uniform

12.  Bhala: this is a tiny amount

13.  Maynard: Call

14.  …

15.  Move the Question; Voice vote ambiguous; Division:

a.  Manual vote: 18 Y, 7 N

b.  Question has been moved

16.  Roll Call Vote; Motion fails

  iii.  Gottlieb: Passes

  iv.  Stein: Call the Question; objected

  v.  Rothschild: YAI funding is unconstitutional since it involves previous year

  vi.  Silberstein: Motion to cut YAI funding to $0; seconded

1.  Silberstein: If unconstitutional, then can’t fund!; also, speaker’s name is not mentioned;

2.  Serrill-Robins: This is the reason why rollover money exists;

3.  Gyorody: number of questionable things in this request: YAI managed to pay for the costs despite them asking for money – how was this possible?;

4.  Das: pretty cut and dry: why BC funded: the fact that AAS has lots of rollover money; so, more lenient; urge to call

5.  McKay: Call; objection

6.  Cobbs: Constitution is not perfect; it gives guidelines; willing to subvert unreasonable parts to make reasonable actions;

7.  Bhala: Problem is that if Senate says it so, then it’s fine; language for check requests is not explicit either; it is at own discretion

8.  Stein: Move the Question; seconded

9.  Voice vote: Motion passes

10.  Roll Call Vote; Motion PASSES

  vii.  Borsellino: Call

  viii.  Roll Call Vote; Motion passes

  ix.  BC Recommendations with amendments PASS

New Business

  1. PBG Resolution
    1. Stein: Resolution to President Marx
    2. Passes with friendly amendments
  2. Rothschild: Senate responsibility
    1. [NOTICE: some matter lost due to distracting business of the Secretary]
    2. Borsellino: About Calling the Question and Moving the Question, one has the right to move the question and object to calling the question as well
    3. Das: Don’t feel like Moving the Question is a bad thing
    4. Maynard: It is difficult for BC members to hear the same arguments made in the Senate as in the BC.
    5. Silberstein: Senate could spend all the time discussing BC recommendations, etc., but moving the question ought to be used
    6. Benson: fine with calls and motions to question, except when opinions may change;
    7. Gottlieb: If a question is not moved, then the most stubborn Senator makes the decision of how long the debate is;
    8. Simmons: small school, with small Senate, and the propensity to take things personally is great; parliamentary procedure is there to make things more efficient; calling probably has no malicious intent; BC recommendations take too much time away from discussing other things
    9. Gyorody: many questions made in Senate may be answered by the BC recommendation’s comments
    10. Rothschild: interesting points: another: (alleged) total lack of regard for the constitution
    11. Serrill-Robins: moving is ok for filibusters, etc.; but otherwise, calling the question should be used; those who know they are repeating should not do so
    12. McKay: passes
    13. Benson: elected to this body because there are 8 senators but only 10 ran; if more ran, then probably not would have been elected; thus respect for AAS Constitution; also, this isn’t the US Senate; AAS Constitution is for the benefit of the student body; if Senate sees a way to benefit the body that disagrees or is not congruent with the language of the Constitution, does not feel a need to be restricted to the bounds of the Constitution; those problems that arise seem to appear
    14. Rothschild: implore to just look at constitution
    15. Das: Cobbs had mentioned that some parts are un-navigable; and those things should be handled; as Parliamentarian, is horrified by the maneuvering of the Senate;
    16. Cobbs: new constitution comments [LOST]; following judicial philosophy recommended: if constitution is reasonable, then follow it; if not, then follow the spirit and not necessarily the words; be careful of getting on the high horse with regard to the constitutionality of the document; be wary of these claims
    17. Lundi-Harris:
    18. Gottlieb: it would be great to take a Constitution seriously;
    19. Nielsen: there is always going to be differences in the Constitution’s interpretation
    20. Bhala: please read it!; there are recommendations, but Senate can override by majority
    21. Yim: AAS is reaction from SGO; many clauses reflect this reaction
    22. Isserman: AAS = declaration of independence from SGO
    23. Arja: let’s stop [ironically, is the last speaker]
  3. Blackboard
    1. If Blackboard is under the impression that documents are not read by 8:30 (or 8:15), then a half-absence will be assigned
    2. E-mail reminder
    3. If BC Recommendations can be obtained at least 24 hours prior to Senate; then problems may happen
    4. 48 hours may be possible.
  4. Library
    1. Plan on being here early

Meeting adjournment at 11:03PM

 

Table of Roll Call Votes

SENIOR SENATORS

Crew

Karate

YAI

BC

Rania Arja

Y

N

Y

 

Rob Cobbs

Y

N

Y

Y

Andrew Gehring

Y

N

Y

Y

David Gottlieb

N

N

Y

Y

Caitlyn Phan

Y

N

Y

Y

Jessica Rothschild

N

Y

Y

Y

Mira Serrill-Robins

Y

N

Y

Y

Emily Silberstein

Y

N

Y

Y

JUNIOR SENATORS

 

 

 

 

Avi Das

A

A

A

A

Janice Djabatey

 

 

 

 

Andrea Gyorody

Y

N

Y

Y

Charmel Maynard

N

N

N

Y

Jordan McKay

Y

N

N

Y

Gloria Monfrini

Y

N

N

Y

Ashley Rose

Y

N

Y

Y

Tim Zeiser

Y

N

N

 

SOPHOMORE SENATORS

 

 

 

 

Patrick Benson

Y

Y

N

Y

Adam Bookman

Y

N

Y

Y

Raj Borsellino

Y

N

N

Y

Daniel De Zeeuw

Y

N

A

Y

Julie Kim

Y

N

N

Y

Jason Kung

 

 

 

 

Samantha Siegal

 

 

 

 

Josh Stein

Y

N

N

Y

FRESHMEN SENATORS

 

 

 

 

Jacqueline De La Fuente

 

 

 

 

Anneliese Koehler

 

 

 

 

Paul Nielsen

Y

N

N

Y

Nicholas Pastan

Y

N

N

Y

Jelani Lundy-Harris

Y

N

Y

Y

Michele Tran

Y

N

Y

Y

Ayyappan Venkatraman

Y

N

N

N

Shantel Watters

Y

N

N

Y

EXECUTIVE BOARD

 

Mike Simmons

 

Noah Isserman

 

Richa Bhala

 

Ryan Smith

 

Austin Yim

 

 

Explanation

  1. Crew: Motion to increase fund to $1070
  2. Karate: Motion to cut in half uniform costs
  3. YAI: Motion to cut funding to $0
  4. BC: Motion to approve BC Recommendations with amendments 1 and 3