LiveBlog: 2/13 LSU Student Government Senate Meeting

Dedication

6:20 p.m. - As I sit here, in the Atchafalaya Room at the LSU Student Union, I wonder why no one else is here. It’s Wednesday, it’s almost 6:30 p.m., and I’m literally the only one in the room.

6:21 p.m. - The Reveille photographer just arrived, bringing the total amount of people present for the Student Government Senate meeting to two. Let me repeat that. The total amount of people present for tonight’s Student Government Senate meeting is two. No senators, no chairmen or women, no binders on tables with agendas, resolutions and the like, no name cards displaying the names of every illustrious senator. There isn’t even a gavel. Just a live blogger and a photographer.

Trickling in

6:27 p.m. - The senators begin to filter into the room, as we are a mere three minutes from the start of the meeting.

6:33 p.m. - I thought the meeting would have started by now. Instead of debating campus concerns and participating in activities that would benefit the student body, the senators have decided instead to chit chat with each other. I’ve been told a memorial walk is currently being held to honor the memory of the two slain students from last semester. At the same time, Student Government has planned a “lighting walk” to observe the different sets of lights about campus. Both of these are being held tonight, leaving Student Government with no conceivable opportunity to walk alongside those wishing to commemorate the lives of two students.

6:37 p.m. - Speaker Colorado Robertson, after a roll call, lack of a quorum, and multiple gavel bangs, announces tonight’s lighting walk, part of an initiative started by Student Government President Cassie Alsfeld. According to the campus community, campus lighting is the number one concern, and tonight’s walk will consist of examination of current lights, as well as monitoring lights in need of repair.

Shout out to Travis Andrews

6:40 p.m. - It makes his life complete to know he’s been mentioned in the blog. There you go, Sen. Andrews.

More about the memorial walk

6:42 p.m. - Sen. Blanco, well in the running for my favorite senator, announces to the body the memorial walk for Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam. She plans to make it to part of the lighting walk.

Student input

6:45 p.m. - From 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. every Monday, SG along with Tiger TV is busy filming student input about concerns on campus. When it comes to a fee increase for the Student Health Center, one student replies, “Well, what is it they actually do?”

Reports

6:52 p.m. - The newsletter from SG will be available, hopefully, next week on the Web site.

6:53 p.m. - An “Extreme Academic Makeover Workshop” is established sparingly in the Atchafalaya Room to help students with academic troubles.

6:54 p.m. - Parker Wishik attended a safety meeting with different branches of LSU to discuss safety concerns on campus. After minor technical difficulties are alleviated, all information will be available on the SG Web site at sg.lsu.edu.

6:55 p.m. - Campaign filing begins next week.

6:56 p.m. - The Valentine’s Day Kiss has returned. Under the Bell Tower at 8 p.m. tomorrow night, you can kiss your sweetheart and seal your love for another year. This kiss has been traditionally held at midnight, but it has been pushed back to 8 p.m. because of safety concerns. The room looks half aghast, half melancholy.

6:58 p.m. - The Clerk of Court position has been vacant all year, and so far no one has applied.

Suspend the rules

7:00 p.m. - A motion has been made to suspend the rules and move straight to Legislative Officer Reports, upon which we bear witness to an unleashing of stress by the Secretary. While venting about tests coming up and the frustration of the agenda cast aside, Madame Secretary is asked to keep her comments relevant to the meeting. Sen. Whitney Breaux, from the back, chimes in, “I think it’s really relevant.” After concluding her speech about her unending frustration, she is met with half-sarcastic, half-sincere applause that lasts a good 20 seconds.

7:05 p.m. - Directions are now told for the lighting walk, as the senators number off into one of four groups. The tone of the shouts of “One,” “Two,” “Three,” and “Four” sound remarkably similar to that of a bored, tired, lonely student waiting for the meeting to be over.

7:10 p.m. - The groups are off, ready to become proactive regarding the lighting on campus. The live blogger is now bored.

7:36pm

7:36 p.m. - I’m done. Good night, and good luck.


Read the original blog posts at The Daily Reveille...