The election season is still in full force at PSU. Even though it is well into Nov. and most election packets were completed months ago, students are still looking to join senate.
Such an instance happened at the Nov. 9 Senate meeting. First year Stephanie Caron was elected as Belknap Hall representative. The position was open when she was elected, but it had only been open for one week.
Exactly a week before Caron was elected, Sophomore Ben Dizoglio was elected for that same position. Being a first year, the only position Caron was eligible for was Belknap Hall representative due to the fact that the Student Senate already has two first year representatives.
“Nobody asked me to resign from my position as Belknap Hall representative. I was aware that my friend Stephanie was very interested in the position. A few other senators mentioned it might be a good idea but only in passing and always that it was at my own discretion,” Dizoglio said.
Dizoglio continued that it was due to personal constraints that he resigned from his spot as Belknap Hall representative, “For personal reason I have been conflicted on whether or not I will have enough time in my schedule this semester as well as a in the spring to devote myself to the position. Because there was some doubt in my mind I felt it was my obligation to allow someone else to take the position,” Dizoglio added.
“I simply felt the purpose of the group was to help the school community and the more people we have, the more affective we can be in that common goal,” Dizoglio said.
Dizoglio submitted his resignation to the Senate prior to the Nov. 9 meeting, but, “The senate was never notified,” Trustee Martin, said.
This goes against “Robert’s Rules of Order,” the handbook on parliamentary process that is used by the Senate. According to the book, “Unless the bylaws clearly provide otherwise, notice of filling a vacancy must always be given to members of the body that will elect the person to fill it.”
While a two week moratorium on elections is not mandated through their constitution , the organization waits two weeks between the resignation of a senator and reelection of another party to take his or her place .
“We [usually practice] a two week courtesy rule,” Trustee Gene Martin said. After Dizoglio resigned, the position was never publicly advertised to the student body, “It’s a tradition-not a rule,” Martin added, “[the tradition is practiced] out of fairness for the student body.”
The Senate’s newly elected Parliamentarian added confusion to the process. On Senate, the Parliamentarian is an elected executive board member who understands all the laws and the senate constitution.
This year, Corey DeGroot, was elected Parliamentarian. This is DeGroot’s first year on senate. He was elected to the Parliamentarian position in Oct.
DeGroot moved to suspend the two-week moratorium on the election of new members. DeGroot’s motion was not recognized by the Senate because there was not an actual law to suspend. The two-week tradition is normally just recognized by the Senate, and is not an official law that can be suspended. DeGroot was unavailable for comment.
Caron was elected as the Belknap Hall representative, but not through a unanimous vote, “There was some dissent,” Martin said.
Hallie Marden, Student Apartment representative voted against Caron being elected, “I voted against electing her because before that meeting and before she ran, I was unaware that the Belknap Representative had resigned,” Marden said, “I was not told [Dizoglio] had resigned.”
Marden added that she felt, “It wasn’t fair [that the position was not advertised to the student body].” Marden was also dissatisfied with the manner in which the vote was conducted, “The discussion was all of a sudden over and I voted against it,” she said, “Filling the seats up in senate shouldn’t come before qualification,” Marden said.
Caron was elected 10-2-0, meaning she won by an overwhelming majority, with ten people in favor, two against and no abstentions.