SGA Student Senate in disarray

This Tuesday, the 2007-08 Student Senate met for a meeting that did not happen. Out of the 21 senators the Student Government Association has, only nine showed up. One from each class needs to be present and 11 are needed to have quorum-the minimum number of members needed to conduct business.
When asked why he believed the Student Senate has consistently not made quorum, SGA President Carey Ash responded, “I don’t think that I can fully blame the senators. In short, many of the senators have become disillusioned. Countless times meetings have been scheduled and the same meetings canceled, some even hours before, by the leadership of the Student Senate.”
Despite October 9 being the last documented senate meeting by the DIGEST, the senators claim there have been other meetings held, although minutes have not been published via Blackboard.Stasha Rhodes, junior senator from Napoleonville, was very displeased with the lack of commitment from the other senators.
“I’m not pointing fingers, but they [the senators] were elected to be here rain, sleet, hail or snow.” In the meeting, Rhodes urged the senators who attended to meet as many times as possible to make up for the past two semesters.
Recently, Senate President Channing Blake has been under heavy criticism for his lack of leadership skills and being under qualified. Although he has missed several meetings and has had to reschedule, the senior from Houston said his presence is not the only factor in the Senate’s stagnate two semesters.
“Certain things, like not enough senators to reach quorum and a new constitution have hindered us. During the fall semester, not enough senators passed the constitution, so the class presidents have had to appoint senators.”
He also said he does not think experience within the Senate as a senator equates to being an effective leader.
Junior senator Sasha Steib, one of the nine senators who regularly attends the meetings said she and Rhodes have been actively trying to get the other senators involved.
“I have tried to call the missing senators for the meetings but they have not called back. We have committee meetings that need to be held…no bills have been written. This has a lot to do with leadership,” said the Vacherie native.
Although the Senate is supposed to meet twice a month, they have failed to meet their requirements and according to Steib, no disciplinary actions have taken place. Ash said he proposed an amendment during his time as a student senator to provide a solution to this problem.
“During last year’s [2006-07] session of the Student Senate, as president pro-tempore, I proposed an amendment that would have placed the governing authority of the student government in the executive branch if the Student Senate failed to carry out its duties; it was defeated.”
With Southern University facing serious issues: searching for a new chancellor, a decline in enrollment, severe budget cuts and freezes, Ash believes the students should have a voice in the direction the university is heading in. But unfortunately for them, the Senate has not been capable of hearing their concerns.
“The students’ voice can not be heard unless the body that represents it speaks loud and clear; that body is primarily the Student Senate, and due to its shortage of leadership, I sincerely believe that that voice is slowly being drowned out,” added Ash.
Rhodes agrees with Ash and has pushed for the Senate to meet as much as possible during the month of April. As of today, meetings have been scheduled for the 1st, 9th and 22nd.
“Blake is new to this…he doesn’t know the legislative process. The senate is loosing interest because they don’t believe in his leadership,” commented Rhodes.
Although the SGA constitution gives Ash the authority to call the Student Senate into special session, he chose not to.
“For me to have to continuously call the Student Senate into special sessions for every time that it was supposed to meet on its own would have made it appear that the leadership of the Student Senate was incompetent. The SGA vice-president, with the advice and consent of the Student Senate, has the responsibility of setting the regular dates, places, and times of senate meetings, not the SGA president.”