The 117th student senate removed Senator Jacob Whisenant on Sept. 3.
The Court of Impeachment voted to recommend conviction of Whisenant on Sept. 2 on the article: “Hindering Efficient Progress.” It dismissed four other articles against Whisenant.
Whisenant and former Senator Donnie Lapsley filed articles of impeachment against all Student Government executive members and 34 senators on Aug. 20. The Court of Impeachment dismissed these articles.
Five senators who sponsored the articles of impeachment against Whisenant — Kiki D'Apolito, Zoe Hopkins, Thomas Spurgeon, Lenyx Coviak, and Owen Coulam — argued in favor of removal before the senate. They provided five alleged examples of Whisenant’s “Hindering Efficient Progress.”
Whisenant failed to review proposed amendments in a timely manner, D’Apolito said.
Whisenant removed Speaker Maura Hamilton from a rules committee communication channel she had the right to be in multiple times, Hopkins said.
Whisenant disrupted open discussion by reading a resolution “full of false information” that prevented good ideas from being shared and discussed, Spurgeon said.
Whisenant displayed behavior that led the chief of staff to consider stepping down, Coviak said. Losing the chief of staff would have significantly hindered student government functions, Coviak said.
Whisenant spread information about the Student Government treasury to 200 student organizations in an “unofficial group chat,” causing Student Government to "lose trust among student organizations,” Coulam said.
The Daily Gamecock has not found evidence to confirm the claims made by D'Apolito, Hopkins, Spurgeon, Coviak and Coulam.
Whisenant then offered his defense to the senate. The senators' claims did not meet the burden of proof, he said.
“No evidence has been presented to show that my actions hindered this body in any way,” Whisenant said. “The American Constitution demands that we act not on assumptions or personal dislike, but on proof and due process.”
Whisenant said he acted on behalf of his constituents' desire for transparency in Student Government. He also said his removal would set a precedent for future senators.
After yielding his time, Whisenant departed the session. He did not return. The senate then voted in favor of removal.
Student senate legislation
The senate passed an amended version of “A Bill To Fair Elections Enforcement Act,” sponsored by Whisenant and Lapsley.
The bill allows the Constitutional Council to suspend polling if a campaign is “alleged to have committed a violation of the Election Codes or the Student Government Codes,” according to the legislation. Students who voted prior to the suspension will be able to recast their vote after the Constitutional Council has settled the matter, according to the legislation.
The senate also passed a recommendation to grant voting rights to the student representative on USC’s board of trustees, introduced by senator Lester Lewis.
The current student representative, Student Body President Courtney Tkacs, sits in on board of trustees meetings but does not vote, Lewis said. Other universities have granted voting rights to their student representatives, according to the recommendation.
“So what we're saying right now is let our students have a voice on the board of trustees and vote on the things that impact us directly,” Lewis said.
The senate passed another recommendation to develop a mobile app for Carolina Self Service, also introduced by Lewis.
“Imagine having an app on your phone with everything that you need for USC,” Lewis said. “You don't need to pull out your laptop anymore.”
According to the recommendation, the app should be made available on major app stores and provide access to all “essential academic, financial, and personal university information.”
The senate also passed a recommendation by Lewis to replace plastic utensils with paper utensils in dining halls.
Plastic utensils contribute to “environmental waste and pollution,” and other universities have already implemented paper utensils, according to the recommendation.
Lewis said his recommendation received a positive reception from the Office of Sustainability.
Student senate will meet again on Wednesday, Sept. 10.