APRIL 16 - APRIL 22, 2013 VOL. 80 | NO. 28
the green issue closer than ever you can go green This fall, Georgia State may be nearing their goal to pass a green mandatory fee as the library fee expires in July.
You don’t have to live in a greenhouse to be green. Here are some manageable ways to help the earth.
news | page 4
better campus The Sustainable Energy Tribe looks to improve the Georgia State campus and a green thumb.
a&l | page 12
a&l | page 14
Battery: Code of conduct
violation blocks SGA hopeful C
By Andres Cruz-Wellmann and Jesus Diaz
hristian Hill’s disqualification from the position of Student Govern- Adviser Darryl Holloman. ment Association president-elect and removal from his current posiShe refused to comment on when she found out Hill had been disqualified. tion in SGA was due to a March 15 altercation between himself and If his appeal is unsuccessful, according to the sanctions outlined in the another Phi Beta Sigma fraternity brother, according to records obtained by letter from the Dean of Students, Hill must complete 20 hours of community The Signal. service by May 10, after which he will have 10 business days to complete a In the incident, Hill allegedly pulled fraternity brother Darrell Bazemore reflective essay. from the passenger seat of an SUV near Patton Hall, causing Bazemore to fall SGA President and fraternity brother Marcus Kernizan declined to comto the ground and dislocate his shoulder, which he later popped back into ment on the details of Hill’s disqualification and said he felt the “Election place, according to the official police report filed Commission, or whoever, handled the situation apMarch 20, five days after the incident. propriately.” The altercation was preceded by around 10 For its part, the local Pi Alpha chapter of the Phi During the Dean of Students’ minutes of back and forth arguing between BazeBeta Sigma fraternity released a statement yesterday, investigation and sentencing, more and Hill, who apparently said “folks think saying “we are not defending the actions that took Hill continued to campaign I’m playing with them” just before repeatedly grabplace on March 15th, we are simply saying that in without disclosing any details bing Bazemore’s arms and legs and pulling him out a real family, situations happen. We do regret that of the car on to the ground. about the case. No mention was this situation happened, but immediately following Though the victim declined to press chargit we were able to come together as brothers and talk made of the incident during the es, the incident was referred to the Dean of Stufirst debate on March 28, nor on about it.” dents for disciplinary action via the Student Code Hill has not responded to multiple attempts to the second debate on April 1. of Conduct. The description of the incident in the contact him across different social media platforms police report matches what is seen in a university and email throughout the week and could not be video that recorded it, according to sources within the police department. reached for comment as of press time. Bazemore could not be reached for comment as of press time. However, many students are now calling for a re-election for president A letter from the Office of the Dean of Students dated April 2, a day after and executive vice president. the polls openned for voting, revealed Hill was placed on disciplinary proba“I don’t know how it will affect me,” Junior Karon Franklin said. “[But] tion until April 28. Though Hill initially admitted responsibility for pulling a re-election is the best way to go about it… something needs to be done.” Bazemore from the car, he has appealed the case to President Mark Becker However, for a special election to take place students will have to appeal after Vice President of Student Affairs Douglass Covey turned down his case, the current results with the Student Judicial Board. according to multiple sources. Current SGA Senator and former president James Dutton reiterated that During the Dean of Students’ investigation and sentencing, Hill contin- no final decision has been reached by the Dean of Students on Hill’s case, but ued to campaign without disclosing any details about the case. No mention he thinks there will be no re-election this year. was made of the incident during the first debate on March 28, nor on the secUntil there’s an official ruling, the SGA will proceed based strictly on ond debate on April 1. what the constitution says, he said. However, there is no specific section The reason for Hill’s disqualification was also never announced by the or clause regarding what to do if a candidate becomes ineligible during the Election Committee, though the results of the election posted on April 9 weeklong voting period. showed his name missing from the winning ballot. The possibility still exists that Hill could come back as president-elect and Ashley Epperson, Hill’s former running mate for the office of executive be sworn in if his case is successfully appealed before May 1. vice president, submitted a petition on April 8 to the Election Commission If Becker also rejects Hill’s appeal, it could go to the Board of Regents, to take over as president-elect after Hill’s disqualification, according to SGA though it is at their discretion to review the case or not, according Covey.
Our Opinion: Georgia State deserves a special election
L
ast month saw arguably the most competitive, diverse and engaging Student Government election in recent history. Not only did each executive board position face competition from a range of candidates, but the debates also saw something sorely lacking from previous years: a lively discussion of issues relevant to the student body. But with the disqualification of Presidential Candidate Christian Hill immediately preceding the election announcements, the students deserve another chance to have their voice heard. After all, the president of SGA is one of the most important faces of the student body. A solid reputation and ability to represent the students is a must. It’s even in the constitutional job description. Therefore, it’s only fair the students actually have a say in who represents them before the community at large. And, as it stands, the results aren’t clear whether the presumptive president-elect is reflective of who the students actually voted for.
opinion: Legal Pot in Georgia? Daily news at www.georgiastatesignal.com
News 2
The issue isn’t whether Ashley Epperson, who ran on the same ticket as Hill as his executive vice president, is qualified or not. It’s that they simply didn’t elect her for the top job, leaving the position of EVP vacant until another candidate can be legally sworn in during the fall. Put another way, no one could have predicted the final outcome of the election and the student body deserves a second chance to vote their conscience in a special election. Preferably sooner rather than later. Because, ultimately, Hill’s ticket never should have been allowed to have been voted in. Considering the timeline of events that led to his election and ultimately disqualification (see page 2), it’s clear that either the Election Committee or Dean of Students should have stepped in sooner rather than later, not just after the election was already over.
continued on page 8
Find out what Georgia State students think it will take to turn Georgia into a “green” state.
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