Congress comes to quiet close

For such a controversial year, the 88th session of Student Congress came to a close Tuesday night with a quiet finish.

The meeting was devoted to wrapping up loose ends, rather than introducing new ideas.

Student Body President James Allred's veto of a cap on the number of fee-funded issues allotted to campus publications was the first order of business.

Allred said he vetoed the bill - the third of three funding caps authored by Congress Speaker Luke Farley - because it failed to address problems, such as number of pages per issue, that significantly add to the cost of publications.

"Part three fails to achieve its worthy goal of reducing financial and paper waste," Allred said in his statement to Congress.

He also said he vetoed the bill because it targets three of the oldest and most successful publications on campus.

Allred said publications such as Blue & White magazine, Bounce Magazine and Carolina Review should not be limited to the same number of issues that smaller, newer magazines are allowed to produce.

Congress should decide case-by-case how many fee-funded issues each publication should receive, he said.

Though Farley said he is disappointed that Allred didn't sign the bill, he said he is glad the bill was vetoed before Congress' last meeting so that it still could be addressed by the 88th session.

"I want to say thank you publicly to Student Body President James Allred for making this decision in a timely manner," he said.

Farley brought Congress to a vote to attempt to override Allred's veto, but the motion did not garner the support of two-thirds of present members - the ratio required to override a veto.

Congress also confirmed the appointments of six students to positions in the Honor System and executive branch.

Representatives approved the selection of Dan Cowan as undergraduate Honor Court chairman; Ben Peterson as student attorney general; Rachael Debnam as Honor System outreach coordinator; Mac Mollison as student body secretary; and Jordan Myers as student body treasurer. There was no discussion in these approvals.

After questioning Mike Tarrant, the student body vice president nominee, about his commitments to various organizations, Congress also confirmed his appointment.

"This is going to be my No. 1 priority," Tarrant said, adding that his positions in organizations such as Campus Y soon will expire anyway.

He said he will continue to support the groups in which he now is a leader but will not continue in administrative capacities.

Congress also held a moment of silence in memory of Jason Ray, the senior Rameses mascot, who died Monday morning.

The group also approved the allotment of $535 to Mezmerhythm dance group.

To wrap up the session, Farley introduced resolutions in support of each member of the 88th session. In what Farley described as a "Congress love fest," each present member was recognized and representatives were given time to share memories.

"You can only speak if you have something nice to say," Farley said. "We try to finish on a high note."

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.