6:30 p.m. - Big ups to the Big Easy! Eric Freeman, Jr., New Orleans’ finest, is back and ready to go for tonight’s SG Senate meeting in the Atchafalaya Room of the LSU Student Union. Shout out to Amanda Gammon for coming up to me to say hi, and much props to the Reveille office for watching this in the newsroom.
The left side
6:37 p.m. - The Senate is physically unbalanced. On the right side, most of the Senators are present. On the left side, it looks like a tornado just swept through as less than half of the left side is currently present. In the third row, Kristen Oaks, vice-presidential candidate for Vision LSU, is sitting alone.
6:39 p.m. - Sen. Greene arrives to sit next to candidate Oaks, using a point of personal privilege to announce that he is, in fact, here.
6:40 p.m. - Sen. Elliot is apparently more than content to play a video game involving blowing up what looks like blimps. As Andy Kopplin, 6th district congressional candidate, steps up to speak in front of the chamber, I’m in awe of the explosions easily visible from Sen. Elliot’s laptop.
Andy Kopplin6:44 p.m. - As a candidate for Louisiana’s 6th congressional district, Mr. Kopplin talks to SG about the importance of reaching across the aisle to fight for those issues relevant to Louisiana. He was responsible for doubling the amount of post-Katrina aid from $13 billion to $28 billion. He pledges that after his congressional career is over, he has no plans to become a lobbyist, in lieu of fighting for what the state really needs. “Party’s not important. Results are.”
Five minutes of questions are alloted to Mr. Kopplin, and SG asks none. Thank you Mr. Kopplin.
Drew Prestridge.6:49 p.m. - Looking sharp in a suit, Sen. Prestridge speaks about the joint Senate session with Southern occuring in late March. He hopes to set up a meeting next week amongst each school’s leaders.
In other news, the front row on the left side of the room has two senators. Where is everybody???
Laura Bratcher, former Reveille columnist...6:50 p.m. - Bratcher brings to SG the problem of the University High carpool line outside of ECA. This creates a huge safety problem for the students, as well as traffic problems with everyone. She was accosted by an angry parent while trying to maneuver through the backup. “We pay $3000 a year, and we can’t get out of our own parking lot.” She gets applause from the chamber.
Patrick Esfeller
6:53 p.m. - After receiving eight minutes, Patrick Esfeller lets it be known to the senators that those outside SG can read this. He brings up Mr. Robert Ingram’s complaint last week about living conditions at East Laville. Esfeller berates the senators to their faces. “Is this the way you treat someone who wants to speak to you? The last time I checked, the purpose of Student Government is to serve the students. Nowhere in there does it say you get to ridicule them to their faces. Actually listening to them might be a good place to start. Students don’t care about SG because SG doesn’t care about the students. That’s the perception the students have while on campus.” Esfeller just gave a much-deserved tongue-lashing to their faces. As some senators watched attentively, others merely glared with scorn as if to question the fact that their leaders were being questioned at all. Esfeller was brilliant.
Matt McEntire
7:01 p.m. - After commending Natalie Messina for her fantastic article about Vickey Barrett, Sen. McEntire announces that Vickey will be throwing out the first pitch at a future LSU softball game, and reiterates the importance of help. Anyone can go to either Sen. McEntire, President Alsfeld, or Catherine LeMieux in 218 Long Fieldhouse with anything they can do. “She is the most upbeat, remarkable woman you will ever meet in your life. She’s completed 14 cycles of radiation treatments and two cycles of chemotherapy, but she’s got the most positive, upbeat attitude you’ll ever see.” Asked if she is struggling financially, Sen. McEntire answers, “As grad students, we do much out of labors of love. She’s not asking for a thing; she never as. I am.” Sen. Blanco suggests the Senate begin a fundraising drive in Free Speech Alley, but as Sen. McEntire put it, “there’s nothing we can do officially as a student body. But anything individually you can do would be greatly appreciated.”
Donald Hodge
7:08 p.m. - Donald Hodge wanted to speak about the Required Fee Committee, but he points out to the body that all expenditures spent out of a surplus must be approved by SG. Hodge is looking at the senators with concern, saying “this is my money. This is the students’ money, and we don’t know where it’s going. It’s clear that the wheels have finally fallen off the bus.” He thanks Sen. McEntire as his constituent, saying the senator is doing what SG should be doing — finding individual constituents and helping them out, and thanks President Alsfeld for “giving a scholarship to a person who didn’t help her get elected.” We clearly have a theme tonight: and it’s “Tear SG a New One Night.” He takes no questions as SG looks dejected. I’m not even sure I can write what a fellow Reveille columnist said in front of SG, but I write what I see, and in the words of Ricky Bobby, “THAT JUST HAPPENED!”
Chief of Staff
7:15 p.m. - The National Championship trophies are on display in the Union Art Gallery. You can look, but you can’t touch. The Student Ticket Forum is tomorrow, in this Atchafalaya Room, to talk about tickets for next semester.
Parker Wishik
7:17 p.m. - Wishik tells the senators to help him with the blog, as well as mentioning Safety Week, next week mostly in Free Speech Alley.
Assistant Director of Campus Development
7:19 p.m. - Another mention of Safety Week as joint sessions involving both LSU and Southern, with an appearance from Mayor Kip Holden, will be occuring next week. Computers will be in Free Speech Alley to encourage students to sign up for the Emergency Text Messaging System.
Acting Director of Campus Development
7:21 p.m. - Monday at 7 pm in the Holliday Forum will host an intercollegiate safety forum. Wednesday will feature demonstrations of motorcycles as well as safety seminars around Tower Drive and Free Speech Alley.
Staring
7:24 p.m. - In lieu of paying attention to the meeting, Sen. Blanco just challenged me to a staring contest. I politely refused.
Miss LSU
7:26 p.m. - “I’m over it already.” April 1st is the second in a series called “Countdown to Finals.” Basically, the Center of Academic Success will be helping students with managing time and scheduling. If anyone has any questions about Computer Based Scheduling, please email edunn8@lsu.edu.
Commissioner of Elections Gower
7:30 p.m. - The first Student Government election board ruling happened last Wednesday, and it shows the progress they’ve made. No word on the actual ruling, however. Second, he brings up the difference between running for a full senate seat and a half senate seat, suggesting those who run should just run for a seat. Finally, he wishes people good luck in playing “Capture the Flag.”
New Business
7:33 p.m. - SGr No 8 and SGCr 13 are referred to the Committee on Rules, while newly introduced bill SGB No. 2, by Sen. Prestridge, seeks to allocate $740 to the Alternative Service Break Club to help defray the costs of a service trip to Panama City, Florida from March 16th to March 21, 2008. The bill is referred to the Committee on Finance.
Andrew Remson
7:36 p.m. - Sen. Remson urges everyone to make their voice heard tomorrow night at the ticket forum.
Ryan O'Malley
7:37 p.m. - His committee didn’t meet this week. He also goes on a rhetorical adventure, emulating a bad economics teacher, mentioning the word ‘contingency’ at least seven times without anyone in the room, including myself, knowing what he was talking about.
Andy Palermo
7:40 p.m. - His committee didn’t meet either. He’s looking into the Laville situation as well as Laura Bratcher’s complaint about the carpool line outside of U-High. He mentions proposed changes to the Academic Calendar, saying changes won’t go into effect until the 2010-11 school year. A Spring Break change would occur, but he urges the body to act quickly, as there is much red tape to fight.
Ben Clark
7:44 p.m. - The Speaker Pro-Temp recommended passage of tonight’s resolutions.
Unfinished Business
7:45 p.m. - Sen. Brett Jackson takes the podium, awaiting four approvals to positions in both External Affairs and Campus Development. Adam Parker is unanimously approved as Director of External Affairs.
7:46 p.m. - By vote of the body, Bryce Addison is approved as Assistant Director of External Affairs. It was not unanimous, however, as two on the other side, as a joke, vote nay.
7:47 p.m. - By vote of the body, Kyle Homan is unanimously approved as Assistant Director of External Affairs.
7:49 p.m. - By vote of the body, Jeff Noel is unanimously approved as Director of Campus Development.
7:50 p.m. - I guarantee that Speaker Colorado Robertson is fluent in the motions of Robert’s Rules of Order. Going from questions to yielding to debate and bringing things to a vote, the man knows how to run these meetings.
Food Drive7:52 p.m. - The Sociology Department is having a food drive to benefit Vickey Barrett. More information will be given next week, but people can still contact Sen. Matt McEntire, President Cassie Alsfeld, or Catherine LeMieux in the Long Fieldhouse.
Petitions, Memorials, and other Communications
7:54 p.m. - A senator trumpets the importance of having Spring Break after Easter and adding a day to Thanksgiving, calling that “a significant achievement.” Sorry, but it’s not.
7:55 p.m. - Sen. Remson comes up to speak about the students’ speeches tonight. He commends Sen. McEntire for his act, but he stresses that “the little things happen too. How do I get in touch with this person or that person? We can do little things that affect people’s lives everyday. I’m not saying doing great things is bad, because we should do great things, but we should remember the little things.”
7:57 p.m. - I finally figured out what Petitions, Memorials, and other Communications is for: gossip. One person asked for Mardi Gras beads, while another complained about people talking bad about SG to their faces. The room is empty now except for the senators, myself and Natalie. The back public area was full at the beginning, but people generally lost interest. Sen. Juneja left after about 10 minutes. It’s clear that after public input, most of it is procedure, but this is important procedure worthy of a blog, and the senators should do well to note that I’ll be here every week. There is no excuse for complacency at these meetings, regardless of something worthwhile to debate. Sen. Remson was right: Remember the little things.
Adjourn8:01 p.m. - Until next time, stay easy, and stay fresh. Freeman Out.
Read the original blog posts at The Daily Reveille...
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