Senators rejuvenate sluggish USG

Several Undergraduate Student Government senators are saying their former vice president's proposed overhaul of their government has rejuvenated a seemingly sluggish senate, which they say could be measured by the increased number of amendments and resolutions.

With the threat of a new organization looming over their heads, senators sprung into action this week writing 11 amendments and resolutions, an increase of eight from the previous meeting.

Senator Andy Fruth, whose proposed changes to some of the organization's funding principles, were passed Wednesday night, said the past few weeks have led many senators to reexamine their priorities.

"There is kind of a fire lit underneath USG," Fruth said. " It motivated some people to action. " We were just awakened - we saw the light."

Despite the increased senate action, only 23 senators attended the meeting. But, only 33 of the 58 senate seats are filled. Fruth's proposed amendment is intended to speed up the funding process he said seems to bog down the senate's ability to address issues that affect students on campus.

USG president Tequia Hicks said she noticed the change in people's actions at the meeting. After Brown's proposal, she said senators began formulating resolutions and working behind the scenes to understand the issues that government faces with more clarity.

"Nate's proposal put some people's actions into perspective," Hicks said. "It's proof that people are waking up." Brown officially resigned Wednesday after announcing the Association for Undergraduate Students, his newly proposed governing body, will attempt to address student issues that the USG was unable to tackle.

Senator Cody Chullen, who proposed three new resolutions at the meeting, said Brown's proposal is not what is sparking this initiative within the senate. Instead, Chullen believes the senators have always had the motivation to get resolutions passed. Chullen was one of several senators who asked Brown for his resignation.

Chullen's proposals, if approved by Hicks and then reviewed by the Provost John Dunn, would require professors to post midterm grades so students would know where they stood at the halfway mark through a semester and extend the course drop date to 12 weeks instead of eight weeks.

"I have always given a lot of time to the students, researching a lot of things and posting fliers," Chullen said. "I don't think Nate's proposal had much to do with the resolutions."

Senator Natalie Pereles' resolution came about after she couldn't reach her deaf friend at home from the dorms. Pereles said the 711 number she has to dial to reach the teletypewriter that allows her friend to communicate over the phone does not work.

Pereles said the senate is just beginning to warm up and they will continue to function and pass resolutions because the senators understand their jobs better. "We are still going to be doing our jobs whether or not this new body gets put out," Pereles said.