09.22.2017

Page 1

Volume 115 Issue 06

Trinitonian Serving Trinity University Since 1902

September 22, 2017

starting on page 11

SGA revises constitution, bylaws Student Government Association will discuss changes in a series of meetings KATHLEEN CREEDON

NEWS EDITOR In its Sept. 11 and Sept. 18 meetings, the Student Government Association (SGA) discussed revising its constitution and bylaws. This Monday, the senators unanimously voted to approve the addition of a judicial chair along with alterations to the first four articles, which state SGA’s mission, concern SGA membership and participation, and detail the duties of the president and vice president. Amendments to the constitution and bylaws will be presented to the senate in parts, voted on at the next week’s meeting then brought to the student body for approval. Many of the changes to the constitution are revisionary in nature and aim to clarify the documents’ previous wording. “As we can see in our own government, with a document that is written a long time ago, interpretation is an issue,” said senator Amulya Deva, a junior. The first major change to the constitution is a new preamble: “As students of Trinity University, we have both a vested interest and a responsibility to see that our University operates at the highest level with a sustained interest

From right to left: Senators ENRIQUE ALCOREZA, SIMONE WASHINGTON and JUAN LUEVANOS listen intently at a meeting. photo by CHLOE SONNIER

in providing the best possible Trinity experience for all. In order to fulfill this responsibility and in accordance with the Student Rights and Responsibilities Section of the Trinity University Student Handbook, we as a student body hereby establish the Trinity University Student Government Association. As a recognized student representative organization, Student Government Association will give direction and voice to student concerns, safeguard student rights, and provide a framework for activities and services for students. We do ordain and establish this Constitution of the Trinity University Undergraduate Student Body to direct our governing entity, provided that no part of this Constitution nor any action taken under its authority shall conflict with the policies of Trinity University.” Along with amending some repetition and other unclear parts of the document,

the senators have proposed the addition of a judicial chair, a position they believe will increase accountability and transparency. “The judicial chair will be a member of SGA, but they will have the responsibility of acting independently and impartially,” said senator Callie Struby, junior. “They will be appointed by the Student Conduct Board (SCB) to sit and serve on SGA as an oversight to make sure that we are leading our constitution. What that means in practice is that they will be here mainly for impeachment hearings and for removals from office and also to institute what we’re going to call the demerit system.” The chair will be responsible for interpreting the constitution and deciding whether or not senators offend it in any way. The demerit system will make this process easier. Demerits will be issued when senators act out of line with the

constitution. After five demerits, a senator is considered ‘not in good standing.’ “The process is fair because we’re only going to award demerits when things are so unreasonable they are getting in the way of us conducting SGA business,” Deva said. SGA hopes that this chair will add more transparency and accountability to the group. Although all of the senators voted to have this position in the constitution, the specifics of it will be in the bylaws, which will be voted on after the constitution reviews are agreed upon. “The idea has been pretty well-received by everyone who has heard it. The judicial chair is basically a member of SGA that’s independent, appointed by a body who has yet to be decided yet — we’re hoping Student Conduct Panel. They will make sure people are held accountable for being attentive at meetings, inappropriate dress code, being respectful of other senators,” Struby said. “They’ll be more of a liaison than anything else,” said SGA president Nick Santulli, a senior. Struby and Deva, two of the senators who spearheaded the revisions, emphasized the importance of the senators as representatives for all of Trinity’s student body, not just the class that elects them. “Once you’re on SGA, you represent Trinity as a whole. That’s in the document. You represent all the classes, alumni to a certain extent, you represent the university community as a whole,” Struby said. More information about SGA meetings, agendas and minutes can be found on Trinity’s website or by emailing sga@trinity.edu.

TFL honors 9/11 victims, families

Tigers for Liberty memorial receives positive response from Trinity community KAYLIE KING

NEWS REPORTER On Sept. 11, Tigers for Liberty (TFL), Trinity’s conservative student group, organized a tribute to those who died in the terrorist attacks that same day 16 years earlier. TFL members placed 2,977 flags around Miller Fountain; each flag honored an individual who lost their life on that day. This year is only TFL’s second year as an official student organization. They wanted to organize a similar tribute last year, but

the funding was not available to them at the time. “Last year, we just put one larger American flag up that we had,” said Luke Ayers, TFL president and junior economics major. “We had some money left over last year and we were able to purchase the flags over the summer.” Ayers also explained why TFL chose to honor victims in this specific way. “This kind of memorial is actually a national project,” Ayers said. “It’s a project of Young America’s Foundation — they sell the flags at a discount, and they send free resources to any student group that wants to do this kind of memorial on their campus. I have friends at Southern Methodist University and Angelo State and other schools that have done pretty much the same kind of memorial today.” continued on PAGE 5

TFL placed 2,977 flags around miller fountain to stand in solidarity with the victims and families of the victims of 9/11. photo by AMANI CANADA

How to handle history the right way

Trinity student lands art in Rookie Magazine

Splashin’ in Fashion: Swimmers suit up

Fulbright student Daniel Weber compares the differences between German culture and American culture in terms of memorials.

Sophomore Dinda Lehrmann is featured in the publication that inspired her work.

The swim team spices up practices with funky swim suits.

PAGE 6 OPINION

PAGE 17 A&E

PAGE 23 SPORTS


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