Burnt Orange Report

Burnt Orange Report from the Floor

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Tuesday= Student Government reporting. I'm sorry if you find these totally local, but there is a large community of BOR readers that appreciate this commentary. I'm extended entry-ing the report so you can skip over this if not interested or refresh the entry for the latest snarking. Anyone who wants to bring me food, feel free to, or IM me at howarddean13.

Agenda Here

Major Bills this Week:

AB1: The Election Improvement Act of 2005
AB2: Election Reform
AB3: Improving Student Government Operations
AB4: Internal Rules

7:15- This week we are in the Gregory Games room, in an attempt to appear "Open" and more Connected to students. Of course this happens every year so unless this is repeated more than once or twice, I'm not going to sound the bells for free and open government quite yet. The fact that KVR-News (new awesome website!) is here broadcasting the meeting and taping it for later in the week if far more productive to open government in my opinion. Though granted there are a few more non-SG people in the audience tonight, meaning more than Tim Allen (liveblogging), Director Kennedy, and the people who lost their way to the Vending Machine and stumbled in.

7:22- I'm so loving the rolling rrr's by El Presidenta Omar Ochoa of representative's names. Rrrrowwrrr!

7:23- The KVR camera gal behind me keeps talking on her headset and is upsetting many of us trying to listen to the President's Report.

7:29- Woot, Vice President's Report. Brummett rocks the house but kills the mood by mentioning the dreaded phrase "sign-up sheet". It gives me shudders every time.

7:30- Business Rep. Grant Stanis is just loving the cameras. I can't imagine how much more annoying it will be this meeting because of that. Maybe cameras are a bad idea after all, and to think that he has legislation up tonight, good grief!

7:40- Lots of cheering about SG getting a slot in the Orientation session over the summer. Are they mad?! More exposure, and to freshman... that should be helpful for building earlier ties to next year's SG campaigns.

Honestly I have a hard time blogging anything in the Exec reports. Especially considering I'm SOOOOO hungry.

7:43- Mmmm, Rep. Stanis suspends the rules! I'm sure that freaked out some of the KVR viewers that don't know it's standard procedure to do most anything. Of course, that would assumer there are people watching this (which would include me, Tim, and Director Kennedy if we weren't here).

Now up for approval to 2 Year at Large is Morgan Rucker. She's a freshman, coordinated the Jester dorm GOTV effort for Connect, lists Executive Director Dan Paschal as her reference, and just got approved without opjection or debate. Because asking questions, any questions might not look good on camera. Though I just realized that in SG elections, freshman drive the vote, but in reality are totally getting used by the upper-classmen that actually are on the ballot. A point to ponder.

7:52- Reps at the Mic. Smile for the cameras! E. Brummett sure is...

8:08- So I just got finished speaking at the mic, giving one of my few reports of the year. Plus I'm just a media whore like 80% of the people in the room. I hear I was subdued, though it's really just because I got the look from E-Brum (my new nickname for the VP) who I think was watching the clock. Hey at least mine wasn't as long as Elliott Reep's.

On to AB 1. As Tim has already noted, SEC has requested that the Union Board office be separated issue is now out of the bill. Rep. Stanis has an amendement to change wording related to solve the stacking issue that happens to fill the end of tickets. It's quite confusing to me so I'm not going to think about it.

Well, they tabled it for 20, so yay for getting that out of my mind.

8:35- I've been talking with Jennifer Harris (University policy Director, one of the new positions created by Omar) by aim, because we committee and agency chairs are totally about flouting the unwritten rule about AIM in the meetings. I'm glad to have helped her out with extending her battery life as she attempts to survive this meeting. I would support a resolution to have more plugs available for all of SG during meetings. Tracking down the best plugs are about the only reason I show up early most of the time.

8:49- Still not paying attention. This is why I wanted to just get rid of tickets, less talk about this kinda crap. I'm going to grab some food instead.

9:01 Yay for voting down moving the iPod raffle forward. People should have to suffer 5 hours of this if they really want it. Plus maybe no one will stay and SG can keep it and thus, make money off of it for having had not to give it away. And then give it to me.

9:45- And Tim and I are back from JCL to get food. The body was in the same debate as when we left, a motiong by Rep. Stanis to strike Section 3 from the Bill (which eliminated ticket labels from just the ballot). That of course, after all that debate we missed, failed.

Then the vote on AB 1 was up, and it passed 22-15. Hooray for watered down election reform. There was little fanfare.

AB 2 was withdrawn. AB 3 is now in debate. Why, I have no idea. But Director Chris Kennedy (ITECH) is not looking thrilled.

10:05- AB 3 passes. There was much rejoicing. I think because we got another piece of legislation behind us.

Talking now about the TSP resolution which is going to be tabled according to the author? I'm confused. Oh well, no matter.

Announcements time. This is the point where everyone talks but nobody listens. Compared to the meeting where everyone listens, but nobody cares.

I think the best part of tonight were the various attempts to move the iPod drawing to the next item on the agenda! The only remaining announcement will be the iPod winner which I will make in comment form.

10:20- I thought there would be nothing better, but someone is bringing up the fact that they might bring up a resolution next week complaining about the word "Blacklist" in the webmail system and that it should be changed to a more acceptable word like "Block". I know that here at BOR we use MT-Blacklist to deal with spam and you know what, it does a hell of a good job and you know what, it has nothing to do with blacks or negative connotations. Taking PC too far methinks.

The iPod. First went to Grant Cohen who wasn't here. Then it went to James Burnham, Connect's Union Board Rep which caused a bit of consternation and led me to motion that the UB people not be eligible which was denied I guess for not having a clue what kind of motion it was. Sorry, but it was far too much fun to argue about.