Rate My Landlord initiative takes steps towards completion
An overhaul of Student Government’s legislative codes was delayed for the second time Wednesday night, this time due to a dispute over a new system of implementing legislation.
The version of the bill up for a vote at Wednesday’s meeting of the student senate said legislation would go into effect with the next update of Student Government’s judicial codes. That is planned to happen twice a year.
Some senators pushed for special exceptions to that rule. Sen. Erik Singleton and President Pro Tempore Lindsay Richardson both supported an amendment that would allow for a special update of the codes — a legislative audit — in the case of particularly pressing or sweeping legislation. That amendment was accepted by the bill’s sponsors.
“As senators, we want to see our work go into effect during our term,” said Sen. Patrick Bailey. “With only two legislative audits, that might not happen.”
While that amendment was adopted, additional debate over the implementation of legislation ensued. A main point of dispute was how passed legislation should be treated before being signed by University President Harris Pastides. Pastides’ signature puts student senate legislation into effect.
As some senators suggested taking more time to decide on implementation rules, Sen. Kirkland Gray, who co–sponsored the original bill, motioned to carry the bill over until next week’s session. No senators objected.
Landlord evaluations proposed
A new, unified system for students to evaluate landlords may soon be coming from Student Government. Senate President Pro Tempore Lindsay Richardson originally proposed the Rate My Landlord program last week and came back Wednesday night with much accomplished.
The program would run in partnership with Off–Campus Student Services to survey students currently living in off–campus apartments and houses about their relationships and experiences with landlords and property management, especially in popular complexes like the Woodlands and University Oaks.
A survey is currently being formulated with “meaningful questions that would help the student body,” Richardson said. It’s currently in its final stages of review, and Richardson said she hopes to open it soon.
Senate fills
With the addition of Sen. Samantha Adams in the College of Pharmacy’s delegation, the student senate is full for the first time in most senators’ memories.
The session began with five empty senate seats, but at least one seat has filled each week since the start of the fall semester. For delegations like that of the Darla Moore School of Business, many students have applied for senate seats that were filled in last semester’s elections. Those applications will stay on file in case a senator must resign or is impeached and a seat opens up.
Walk Home Cocky close to starting
Pastides and First Lady Patricia Moore–Pastides have been confirmed as the first volunteers to walk a student home when Walk Home Cocky launches Oct. 21.
The late night safe walk program will run weeknights from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. Cocky will also be present at the launch. More than 35 students have already volunteered to walk others home, which is halfway to SG’s goal of 70 volunteers.
RHA passes legislation
The Residence Hall Association passed a resolution supporting the conversion of some residence hall water fountains to water bottle refill stations.
The next step is for University Housing to conduct evaluations to see if the changes are feasible, RHA President Phillip Allan said.
RHA is also in talks with University Housing to see if students living on campus will be able to get the new SEC Network once it premieres in August 2014. Housing currently has cable contracts that include certain channels and must work with University Technology Services to add or remove specific channels, Allan said.