White: Body will help communication between organizations
The house of delegates will have its first meeting Monday night at 6 p.m. in the Williams-Brice Nursing Auditorium, Student Government has announced.
SG Secretary of Organizational Outreach Brandon White said he was very optimistic about turnout for the new legislative body. Sentiment from dozens of organizational leaders was “nearly unanimously” positive, he said.
The body’s first duty will be to elect a speaker, deputy speaker and secretary, who will lead the body in writing its rules of order and setting a regular meeting time.
“There is a lot of room to maneuver. That is a good thing to begin with,” White said. “The house is empowered to set its own future. The founding members at this first meeting will have a lot of power to set the path for years to come.”
All registered student organizations may send a delegate, and that delegate may be any student who is not a member of SG’s executive branch, Constitutional Council or elections commission.
This is one of the first times student organization leaders will be in a room together to collaborate, White said.
“It’s extraordinary. Outside of the organization fair or the LEAD retreat, this is one of the first times we’ll see a large group of student organization leaders at one place at one time where one of the big things they’re supposed to be doing is communicating,” White said. “Your delegate will be face-to-face with another, establishing a working relationship right then and there.”
Easy access to members of other organizations could prove an avenue for increased partnerships, White said. Some organizations already work in coalition-type groups; Forward is a group of progressive organizations that includes the Secular Student Alliance, USC Feminists and the Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, Straight Alliance and regularly hold events together. While White does not think more of these types of coalitions will spring from the house of delegates, he said increased event collaboration is quite likely.
“I see them talking to other organizations and saying ‘We have a similar idea. Let’s work together on this to make this idea something great,” White said.
The body will also provide an additional way to gauge feedback from student organizations, Student Body President Chase Mizzell said. The house can write and pass legislation that would go to the student senate for approval.
“We’re excited for the opportunity to communicate with organization leaders and organization members,” Mizzell said. “Our duty is to represent our constituents, to represent the students of the university, and we believe the house of delegates will provide another avenue for sourcing ideas and opinions.”