After waiting a week to reconvene a meeting that lost quorum, the SGA Senate failed Wednesday to make quorum again, leaving next year’s senators to deliberate unresolved legislation in its first August meeting.
The Senate broke quorum last week six hours into its meeting, leaving nine pieces of legislation unsettled, including the 2008-09 budget.
“It’s disappointing we don’t have a budget for next year yet, but SGA will go on,” newly-elected Senate Chairman Tyler Powell said. “I look forward to next year, and hopefully we can do some meaningful work for the students.”
Senators set a time to reconvene last night at 6:30 p.m. Powell told the body at about 7:45 p.m. the meeting would not start.
Former Senate Chairman Justin Biassou said Provost Marlene Strathe gave permission to the organization to hold its meeting during dead week. The Senate needed 23 senators for quorum; about 19 senators attended.
Powell said he looks forward to the Senate not running into quorum problems next year.
Committee on Student Organizations Chairman Austin Linton said Senate failing to make quorum reflects that members of the body are disenchanted with long meetings.
Linton said he thinks attendance would be higher if individuals did not think they were giving up their night.
“If the senators felt they were doing something productive, they would stay longer, but because of the energy wasted on trivial issues, people who want to make a positive change get discouraged because the body is not efficient,” Linton said.
“If a couple of egos could be deflated, the body could move efficiently.”
Ben Stukenborg, the Student Commission Alliance Committee Chairman, said even though senators did not make quorum, it was good to see the number of individuals who took time out of their dead week to show up.
“It shows the commitment of Senate when we have a meeting during dead week, and senators sacrificing their time in the midst of projects and tests for students,” Stukenborg said.
He said not meeting quorum was somewhat disappointing, but only because the Senate looks forward to its meetings and will have to wait until the fall to try to make a difference on campus again.
Stukenborg said this year has been a period of refinement for SGA.
“The commitment and motives of senators have been tested and put to the fire,” Stukenborg said. “Consequently, only those with a genuine heart for students are continuing to serve. Going forward, we are only excited. With a solid foundation now laid and an ardent desire to serve students, we will do the unprecedented and unparalleled.”
For more information on the OSU Student Government Association, visit http://www.osusga.com.
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