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MONDAY February 17, 2014
THE DAILY ILLINI 5he independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871
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ISS treasurer files petition against senate
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Singing to the tune
Petition alleges violation of Ill. Open Meetings Act BY MEGAN JONES
Relevant Illinois Student Senate Constitution excerpts
STAFF WRITER
After a year-long debate regarding the applicability of the Illinois Open Meetings Act to the Illinois Student Senate, Treasurer Kevin Seymour has filed a judiciary petition to the senate’s judiciary branch following an alleged Illinois Open Meetings Act constitutional violation at the senate’s Wednesday, Feb. 5 meeting. “The senate does not follow Open Meetings Act well,” said Seymour, a graduate student. “I think a lot of senators are actually confused about what they should be doing.” The Illinois Student Senate is not technically a public body, so it is not required to follow the Illinois Open Meetings Act; however, within its constitution, student senators bind themselves to it, said senator Calvin Lear, graduate student. Seymour hopes the petition will clarify whether the senate is required to follow the Open Meetings Act, as many questions surrounding the issue have risen in the past, such as the constitutionality of a closed Facebook group, of which several senators were members. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had issues with the Open Meetings Act. We’ve also had other issues with appointments, and this isn’t the last time this is going to happen,” Seymour said. “Since nobody before has really challenged any of the past events with the judiciary itself, I think it’s time that the judiciary actually stepped in and set things straight.” The senate passed a resolu-
According to the Illinois Open Meetings Act, agendas shall be distributed at least 48 hours prior to a meeting.
Article II. The Executive Branch
HEIDY GARCIA THE DAILY ILLINI
A musician performs at the Cotton Club Variety Show at Foellinger Auditorium on Saturday. The show was part of the Black Student Union Week, which also featured a fashion show on Friday.
... Section 2. The President ... B. The President shall: ... 6. Appoint all Standing Committee, SubCommittee, and Ad-Hoc Committee members with majority approval of the Assembly; 7. Appoint the chairmen of all Sub-Committees and Ad-Hoc Committees with majority of approval of the Assembly; 8. Appoint one individual to serve as Chief of Staff. 9.
UI professor Wuebbles addresses audiences at national science conference BY ANGELICA LAVITO STAFF WRITER
Article IV. The Judicial Branch
BRENTON TSE THE DAILY ILLINI
Carol Leff, associate professor of political science, addresses the audience at a roundtable discussion focused around the events that have happen in Ukraine.
Section 1. The Judiciary A. Upon written request of any member of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign student body, the President shall nominate an outside, independent student organization to serve as the Judiciary, with consent of that organization. 1. A College of Law Moot Court Bench shall be the first organization nominated and does not require approval of the Assembly. 2. The nomination of any organization other than a College of Law Moot Court Bench requires a twothirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the Assembly. 3. No member of the Illinois Student Senate may serve on the Judiciary, regardless of membership in the organization appointed as the Judiciary.
SEE CONSTITUTION | 3A
“Making sure that we are open and transparent with our dealings is really important. We don’t want to erode the trust our public has with our institution, and it seems like these days they aren’t too happy with us.” KEVIN SEYMOUR
ILLINOIS STUDENT SENATE TREASURER AND GRADUATE STUDENT.
Violence in Kiev touches home President meets peaceful protestors with force BY STEFFIE DRUCKER STAFF WRITER
The events of the Euromaidan, the wave of protests that have erupted in Ukraine’s capital city of Kiev, have developed unexpectedly for Ukranians. Protestors took to Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the city’s main square, to rally against the president’s sudden decision not to sign a trade agreement with the European Union, and Ukraine’s government responded unexpectedly with violence, cracking down on those who gathered in the square by firing rubber bullets. “This new kind of radical eruption was a surprise for a lot of people,” said Ukraine-native
SOURCE: ILLINOIS STUDENT SENATE CONSTITUTION, ILLINOIS OPEN MEETINGS ACT
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Oleksandra Wallo, a visiting lecturer in the Slavic languages and literature department. “No one really expected to see it happening to Kiev when it did.” Wallo said this violence stands in contrast to the scenes of the Orange Revolution — a large, non-violent protest that took place in Maidan Nezalezhnosti nine years ago — in which she participated. In November 2004, Ukrainians descended on Maidan Nezalezhnosti in response to the results of the country’s presidential elections, which was allegedly corrupted by voter intimidation and direct election
SEE UKRAINE | 3A
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Professor Don Wuebbles educates an audience beyond University students. A leader in the atmospheric science community, Wuebbles travels the country teaching the public and Congress about climate change. “I try to make (people) understand that this is very important to them and that they should be concerned about the effects on their own lives,” Wuebbles said. “But they should also be particularly concerned about the effects on their children and their grandchildren, because it’s only going to get much worse.” Wuebbles spoke to attendees of the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Chicago about research challenges in climate change on Saturday. Wuebbles organized the session and planned on bringing six speakers. Because of the snowstorm on the East Coast, some of his speakers were unable to attend. “The assessment provides the basis for looking at where we’re at in science of climate change, and where are we going ... where should we be by time want to do another assessment?” he said, referring to the Fifth Assessment Report of climate change in which he was a Coordinating Lead Author. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change commissioned the assessment. They recently released The Working Group I Assessment Report 5. Wuebbles spoke to an audi-
ence of about 100 members of the science community and press about the results of that assessment, but he focused on the results of the U.S. National Climate Change Assessment. The results show the global temperature is warming, and scientists think occurrences of severe weather such as floods and droughts are likely to increase due to climate change. When people ask Wuebbles if he believes in climate change, he responds that he doesn’t believe in climate change, but rather he knows the climate is changing. “There is no debate. Our assessments are peer reviewed documents,” Wuebbles said. “Over 97 percent of articles and peer reviewed assessments all agree this is a major issue. The few that don’t say that are proven to be incorrect very quickly.” Wuebbles is a Fellow of the AAAS, as well as a variety of other organizations, including the American Meteorological Society. The American Meteorological Society recently awarded Wuebbles with the Cleveland Abbe Award for Distinguished Service to Atmospheric Science for his “tireless and highly effective contributions to society through rigorous scientific analysis and distinguished public engagement.” “That means your peers have selected you for your knowledge and accomplishments. It’s really a special thing,” Wuebbles said.
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