PSG Pulls Trigger
their concerns to PSG, and it also makes
Since we find ourselves in December (Also known
pelled to comfort all you freshly-shaven men with
November and Manuary), we find ourselves com-
as the boring month that falls between No-Shave-
some of the most compelling beards on campus.
12 Random Beards:
Late
By Eric Zizich
Parkside Student Government
(PSG) won’t come up empty this holiday
season.
Despite a December of controversy
sending PSG, senators, and student reps into
a frenzy, weeks of progress were gift-wrapped
into a single vote: yes to the constitution.
On Wednesday, Dec. 8, the student
senate voted by a two-thirds majority to pass
the revised document. For now, the pressing
issue has taken the next step.
“There’s been a lack of communica-
tion between those writing the constitution
and the org reps,” said Ourlee Ourun, a senior
senator. “Either way, it’s been passed. We
need to move on, and do what’s best for the
student body’s interest.”
PSG’s bylaws committee, chaired
by senator Adam Spivey, spent several weeks
working with the student senate to change the
constitution effectively. Ultimately, one line
of a multiple page document became the ob-
ject of scorn.
The committee decided to eliminate
senate seats provided to five organizations
yearly: Parkside Asian Organization (PAO),
Latinos United (LU), Parkside Association
of War Gamers (PAW), Rainbow Alliance,
and Parkside International Club (PIC). The
remaining 20 senate seats are all elected by
the student body. If the revision is put into ef-
fect, all students would have to go through the
campaign process to acquire a senate position.
“It’s disrespectable not to allow them
[students] to run for their own seats, and just
hand them over,” said Spivey. “This definite-
ly puts us in the right direction.”
The standard procedure for earning
a senate seat begins with acquiring 100 sig-
natures from students. Following further pa-
perwork, students cast their ballots at UW-P’s
April elections to determine who will become
PSG’s upcoming senators.
While the senate body focused on
a particular section of the constitution, there
were a bevy of other improvements. The
changes recognize PSG to have more author-
ity in overseeing Student Life activities, it re-
forms how student organizations voice
amending the constitution much easier.“The
changes were necessary because of some divi-
sion over interpretations of the last one,” said
senior Dave Wilson, parliamentarian of PSG.
“The problems included poor grammar and
professionalism, and a need to reflect a con-
temporary view of our role in Student Life;
also, reform of the Org Reps was needed, and
other, more specific reasons.”
On Wednesday, Dec.1, PSG voted on
the piece of legislation, but it failed to pass.
The constitution was sent back to the bylaws
committee for revision. During that meeting,
plenty of dialogue took place between sena-
tors, org representatives, and PSG.
“It took a long time to get 100 sig-
natures,” commented senior Garfield Davis,
a senator and former marine. “At the end of
the day, it’s about getting what you want, and
if you want a senate seat, you’ll get a senate
seat.”
Others, such as PAO president Linda
Vang, still see the value in the extra seats.
“All I want from you guys [PSG] is
for a representative to come to these organiza-
tions to tell us why you guys removed these
seats,” said Vang. “I believe these seats are
still really important because so many of us
[PAO, BSU, LU] have served as org seat reps,
and that’s why we’re student leaders today.”
“There isn’t one legitimate govern-
ment body that gives a specific group a seat
on their legislative body forever,” refuted
PSG vice president Ron Beesley. “It doesn’t
happen; it’s politically untenable. I under-
stand that it’s tradition, but just because things
have happened in the past, that doesn’t mean
it should continue to happen.”
Following a week of communica-
tion between PSG and other organizations on
campus as Vang pleaded, all students and orgs
involved worked on how they could come to
terms of agreement.
After passing through the senate, the
constitution must still be confirmed by the stu-
dent body. Students will have the opportunity
to vote in the April elections.
To get involved with PSG in the sec-
ond semester, senate meetings will be held
every Wednesday at 5 PM in the Oak Room.
The reformed constitution will be available on
uwpsg.com coming soon!