Technician
tuesday march
23 2010
Raleigh, North Carolina
technicianonline.com
Student Senate seats remain unfilled Senate applications closed making appointments necessary Adam Hughes Correspondent
21 seats remain open in Student Senate after filing for N.C. State Student Government positions ended at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 8. Sarah Center, Student Senate secretary said she believes the reason the seats remain empty is partially due to the time commitment. “It consumes a lot of time, and many students aren’t willing to put that much into one organization,” Center said. Center said it is difficult for students who are already overloaded with academics and other extracurricular activities to become involved. She said in the past few years, the Senate has seen low participation from certain areas of the University. The University’s graduate student population is a prime example, Center said, of a group of students who have little free time to serve in the Senate. “Some seats are always open, especially grad student seats,” Center said. Joey Andolsen, sophomore in chemical engineering, said that students in the College of Engineering were often preoccupied with co-ops, internships, homework, and other time-consuming activities. “Because engineering is such a demanding major, students are too busy to hold a position in Student Government,” Andolsen said. Lindsey Pullum, chair of the Elections Commission, said she is disappointed that some elected senators do not serve out their full terms, resulting in even more empty seats. “I’m not involved in Senate, but it is disheartening to see those who worked hard to get elected not continue the journey,” Lindsey Pullum, chair of the Elections Commission, said. Center said the Student Senate had recognized that there may be a problem with the
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Jonathon Smith from CALS addresses the N.C. State Student Senate Feb. 24, 2010 in Witherspoon Student Center. He and Senate President Kelli Rogers spoke of the need for the individual colleges of N.C. State to become more unified. To the college student senators, Rogers said “Don’t fight to the death for your college, because if you do that, you’ll sacrifice the university.” Smith also asked the senators to not always put the needs of their colleges first, but consider the interests of the university as a whole. “Ask yourself: is eveybody treated equally and represented equally?” Smith said.
apportionment of seats and recently read a bill that would reapportion these seats. However, she said, after discovering that it would go against the Student Body Constitution, Student Senate had the bill edited. In regards to the empty seats, Center said any student could fill any Senate seat regardless of their class or college. For example, she said, a sophomore in CHASS could hold a distant position, like an Engineering-Senior Senate seat, as long as they represented the seniors in the College of Engineering instead of CHASS sophomores. “The Senate President can appoint students to unfilled seats at any time throughout the semester,” said Center
This provides, Pullum said, an entry to students who were formerly uninvolved with the operations of Student Senate. “It brings a great opportunity for students who haven’t gotten involved on campus to make a difference for their community,” Pullum said. If all goes accordingly, Pullum said, next year the Student Senate will have active senators who, although they may have not been elected in the spring, perform their duties and represent their constituents well. “I’m hopeful that the seats will be filled with passionate students next year,” Pullum said.
senate seats without candidates Position
seats
CHASS Senior
2 seats
Engineering Sophomore
2 seats
Engineering Senior
2 seats
Graduate
9 seats
Life-Long
3 seats
Natural Resources
1 seat
Textiles
1 seat
Veterinary Medicine
1 seat
Source: students.ncsu.edu/vote
Midnight Kickoff for General Student Government Elections
Prom dress drive to benefit underprivileged locals
Candidates reveal a large set of unique campaign platforms
CSLEP sponsors drive to relieve financial stress of local girls
Rachel Port Staff Writer
Many of the candidates running in the 2010 general student government elections spent the early hours of the morning setting up signs, fliers and chalking the sidewalk in preparation for the next two weeks of campaigning. In addition to covering the campus with campaign slogans, several candidates said they are also planning to make themselves available to students in the dining halls, the Brickyard, the Court of North Carolina, and Talley in an effort to reach out to students. This year, Lindsey Pullum, the elections commission chair, said, “we want students to know who their candidates are, not just recognize names.” Candidates also said they have created facebook pages and built interactive websites to make themselves more accessible. The line up for student body president include: current chief of staff Kelly Hook, current CHASS senator Scott Goldsmith, current chair of the NCSU College Republicans Charles “Ches” McDowell, a senior in aerospace engineering Zach Lego, current chair of the Union Activities Board Matt Woodward, a senior in electrical engineering Jimmy Dieffenderfer, and a senior in plant biology Matt Gromlich. Hook said she wants to shift the mentality of the university away from administration and back to students by simplifying transportation and access to online courses. “We tend to be focused on administration instead of what tends to make life more simple for students,” she said. Instead of focusing on specifics, McDowell said, “I’m out to bring ac-
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countability and transparency back to student government. I want to make sure student government is working for the students as it’s sole constituency.” Stephen Kouba, one of the three students running for Senate president, said he wants the Senate to have a better presence at student organization meetings. “I want the senate to have a prevalent role in campus life,” he said. Sarah Center said her role as student senate president will be to have senators out on campus and have them interacting with the students. Michael Robinson, the third candidate for Senate president, said he wants to “build a coalition” between the student executive branch, senate, and the University administration. Both of the candidates running for student body treasurer said they are concerned about making the appropriations process more simple and transparent for students. Kyle O’Donnell said he would make sure to attend in full all senate sessions, university student center’s board of directors meetings, and appropriations meetings; meetings that past treasurers have neglected to attend even though it is part of their job description. Buddy Bryson said he wanted to ensure that as much student fee money as possible goes back to students and also that he would hold all of student government to a high standard of ethics when dealing with student money. Both of the candidates running for student body chief justice, Monica Noble or Diana Tingen, said they have not put up signs around campus. However, both said they will be around campus talking to students over the next two weeks. Noble said her goal as chief justice is to make the student conduct board more active within the NCSU community. She said when students
2010 Election Candidates:
Student Body President: Scott Goldsmith Charles “Ches” McDowell Matthew Gromlich Matthew Woodward James Dieffenderfer Zachary Lego Kelly Hook Student Senate President: Stephen Kouba Michael Robinson Sarah Center Student Body Treasurer: Eagean “Buddy” Bryson Thomas “Elmo” Lamm Kyle O’Donnell Student Body Chief Justice: Diana Tingen Monica Nobel Student Centers President: Marycobb Randall Union Activities Board President: Scott Richardson Ikenna “Kenny” Obi-Onuoha Ridhdhi Mehta William Lamb Senior Class President: Margo Sauter Kristy Craig Source: http://students.ncsu.edu/ vote/candidates.php
think about student government, they should recognize the conduct board as a part of student government. Tingen also said she wants to make the student conduct process better known to the rest of the student body, but that she intends to focus on alcohol education. “I want students to be more aware of the possible sanctions they will face if they abuse alcohol,” Tingen said.
“We are hoping for around 100 dresses so hopefully we will get the same number of girls attending,” Neal said. “The church will be nicely Ann Polk decorated and the girls are invited to Staff Writer come in and try on dresses, leaving The Center for Student Leadership, with their selection free of charge.” She said the committee is putting Ethics, and Public Service’s Community Outreach Service Leadership on the drive based on the suggestion Team is sponsoring a prom dress of one of their members whose high drive, Dresses for Dreams, for un- school had done something similar in derprivileged local high school girls the past. “Our committee is meant to reach and will be accepting dress donations from now until April 9th. Students are out to others and build up families and teens in the comasked to bring their munity. We talked gently used formal about the importance dresses to the Talof prom in a girl’s life, ley Student center what a big event it where a drop-off was,” Neal said. “Some box is located on girls aren’t able to go the main floor near because it is so expenthe stairs. sive so we wanted to Committee relieve a little of their member, Marilee stress surrounding Neal, freshman in Caroline Gilbert, sophomore in that.” psychology, said communications Caroline Gilbert, the committee has sophomore communispoken with five local high schools and six agencies cations, said the drive is a great idea that help underprivileged teens and because everyone should get to attend families who will recommend girls prom, regardless of financial status. “Prom is a rite of passage and money to the event. She said donated dresses will be picked up by the prom-goers shouldn’t prevent anyone from enjoyon April 10th and volunteers are need- ing it,” Gilbert said. “It was a great way ed for this event, to be held at the Hope Community Church in Raleigh from prom continued page 3 1 to 4 p.m.
“Prom is a rite of passage and money shouldn’t prevent anyone from enjoying it.”
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$6.00 T-Shirt Sale @ NC State Bookstores All Soffe brand t-shirts Reg. 2 for $20
Personal online information not as private as some may think See page 5.
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