Tensions ran high at the Undergraduate Senate meeting Tuesday night as members made final decisions on incoming officials and debated whether making certain kinds of memes should disqualify someone from taking judiciary office. Here are the takeaways from Tuesday’s three hour meeting:
1. Multiple incoming executive members were immediately approved.
The main item of business on the agenda was approval of nominees for incoming Student Body President Ashton Martin’s administration.
The nominees are set forth by the outgoing SBP Savannah Putnam and a selection committee. Martin is also a part of the selection process. The final nominees are reviewed by the Rules and Judiciary Committee, which holds confirmation hearings for all nominated executive branch and Honor Court officials.
The nominees for chief of staff, treasurer and secretary, among other positions, were placed on the consent calendar by the R&J Committee and immediately approved.
2. Other nominees encountered more difficulty.
The R&J committee placed Elizabeth Kendrick, nominated for vice president, and Nikkia Jacques, nominated for attorney general, on the general orders calendar to speak in front of the Senate prior to a vote for approval.
Two candidates — Gabriela De Jesús, nominated for Honor Court chairperson, and Abbott Gaddy, nominated for honor system outreach coordinator, were placed on the unfavorable calendar and faced with the possible expiration of their nominations.
De Jesús was removed from the unfavorable calendar after multiple members of Student Government and attendees vouched on her behalf. After speaking in front of the Senate on the general orders calendar, she was quickly approved for the position and met with applause from the Senate.
