6:40 p.m. - It’s time to induct. I’m sitting next to an entire flock of new senators ready for induction into the Student Senate. Behind me, local Boy Wonder Travis Andrews returns for his seat, being joined by many others tonight in the Magnolia Room of LSU Student Union. After the pledge of allegiance to no flag in the room, we’ve been called to order, the senators now circle around Speaker Pro Temp Ben Clark, as the senators take the Oath of Office for the LSU Senate.
Why do I still do this?
Chief Justice Mark Hill
6:44 p.m. - Chief Justice Hill reads the Code of Student Government, procedure after swearing in new senators.
In other news, around the room I can see many suits; even the Reveille reported looks stunning. But the tie-breaking vote in the pro-gun resolution to support Louisiana House Bill No. 199, a bill aimed at allowing concealed weapons on campus, is sitting, waiting to be sworn in as President of LSU Student Government.
Public Input
6:47 p.m. - Former senator Pfeiffer comes up to speak about upcoming elections for Summer Planning Committee, urging to be careful in selection.
Chris Brown6:49 p.m. - After not being counted the first time, Sen. Chris Brown comes in late to be sworn in by himself. I don’t see how a lack of promptness can allow for a solitary, dignified inauguration, as opposed to the primary cluster of 30 or so circling around Ben Clark and saying at once, “I, (state your name)…”
The Main Event
6:52 p.m. - Now is the time. Surrounded a quarter of the way by people in suits, we have officially sworn in President Colorado Robertson and Vice President Shannon Bates. Colorado does it in style, wearing a yellow polo, khaki pants and the same stupid hat on top of his dome. Good luck finding a picture of Louisiana State University’s Student Government President without his hat.
The Speech
6:54 p.m. - Opening with a joke about the Magnolia Room serving lunch and dinner that falls flat, President Robertson provides the program for tonight’s ceremonies. Tonight elections will be had for many different positions in SG, and it means I won’t make it to see The Daily Show tonight. Rats.
Anyway, “we are still moving forward to lay the foundation…” We didn’t make it fifteen minutes before that catchy phrase was found.
Justin Ledee
6:57 p.m. - Promptness is at a premium these days, as yet another senator shows up late to be inducted. Chief Justice Hill runs back into the room to barely whisper the Oath of Office to Sen. Ledee, who retreats to the middle of the room behind a column with lack of applause. Chief Justice Hill’s third time reading the Oath of Office sounds a lot like the medical warnings at the end of a car commercial. One can hear every word, but it’s too fast to catch.
Election for Speaker of the Senate7:00 p.m. - After pre-emptively calling for the nomination of Sen. Drew Prestridge, Sen. Amanda Gammon first opens the floor for nominations and immediately nominates Sen. Prestridge. Another senator in the back nominates Speaker Pro Temp Clark.
7:02 p.m. - Speaker Pro Temp Clark opens by explaining his background, a basic science senator who started from UCFY, and explains that communication with constituents is the most important facet of Student Government. He then ventures on how important senate retreats are and how important the work they do there matters,not just sitting around and “singing Kumbaya.” “The student body does not care about the day to day activities of Student Government. They need to know that things are getting done for them.”
Computer Trouble
7:09 p.m. - The adapter for my computer is failing, and my notoriously bad battery is about to die. Sen. Prestridge is giving his speech now, but I cannot continue much further. It would be morally presumptuous to ask the Senate for a laptop, and our news reporter clearly needs hers. Apologies for this lapse in estimation, and it will forfeit me dearly, because Sen. Prestridge just compared his “vision” for the senate to “a well-oiled machine.” Peace out for now, hopefully this won’t come back to haunt me.
I'll keep writing7:11 p.m. - I’ll keep going until this thing dies. You might not read this.
Sen. Prestridge just proposed a massive Student Government retreat, saying, “Wouldn’t it be great to have all of us come together and figure out how to fix the problems of the student body?”
Actually, you could just ask.
His words were ferocious, and we now go into questioning.
Questions
7:13 p.m. - Sen. Parker Wishik asks of both of the senators about the image of Student Government next semester. He also poses the problem of efficiency.
Sen. Prestridge agrees that outbursts were a problem, and the key lies in instructing the new senators on how to speak, invoking once again, his “well-oiled machine.”
Speaker Pro Temp Clark states essentially the same thing, asserting his desire to be more pro-active in calming the situation.
More questions7:17 p.m. - Speaker Pro Temp Clark reiterates his commitment to neutrality, vowing to abstain until the event of a tie.
Sen. Prestridge compares the job to his previous appointment as chair, saying he would guide the process but not influence the final decision. He pushes committees and leadership, but his role as speaker wouldn’t be one where he would tear off his biases.
7:19 p.m. - Sen. Prestridge gets a tricky question about a conversation involving more mentions of checking the Executive Branch than running the Senate. He says it’s essential that Senate work with the Executive Branch and also checks to see it does its job appropriately. Typical, he was a Vision candidate.
Speaker Pro Temp re-emphasizes his work with Colorado in the past, saying it’s more important to work together rather than focusing most of the time on checks and balances.
They agree
7:21 p.m. - Asked if they wanted to author legislation, the pair agreed that the Speaker doesn’t author legislation, but would talk with other senators to come together.
Relationships
7:22 p.m. - Sen. Megan Blanco asks about blatant disrespect, “high school clicky stuff” and asks how this could be corrected.
Sen. Prestridge that says it’s great to sit by college rather than by friends, and being professional is key, but “The Speaker isn’t here to babysit you.”
Speaker Pro Temp Clark cites a former retreat, in which friends hung out together, but outbursts will cut down.
It's finally dead7:24 p.m. - I have three minutes of battery left. It’s been a pleasure being here for an hour, as Anna Dearmon, THE PARLIAMENTARIAN, shows up one hour late. She timed that well as I left. Good night from the Magnolia Room, read the Reveille tomorrow, and I think I have a AC-adapter-related Google search later. Peace.
Just think about it. For once.
He's BACK!!!!
8:00 p.m. - Just when you thought it was safe to conduct a meeting, Eric Freeman is back!
Debate is still going back and forth. In the time it’s taken me to secure a new laptop, I’ve been able to witness virtually every member of the Senate body voicing their endorsements for Sen. Drew Prestridge and Speaker Pro Temp Ben Clark. STOP WORRYING SO MUCH!!!!!!
I’ve got this.
Checks and balances8:02 p.m. - I’ve heard the words “checks and balances” way too much tonight. Half the senators emphasizing checks and balances are former Vision members untrustworthy of Colorado. People keep mentioning passion and loyalty, seldom mentioning specific things for the student body except for the subjective qualities of the candidates, one of which will lead them, and all of us.
Drew and Colorado
8:05 p.m. - Sen. Chandler brings up the perceived vision between Sen. Prestridge and President Robertson. He states, quite bluntly, “They said the same thing about Colorado and Cassie [Alsfeld], and SG ran great.” This caused me a little concern.
8:08 p.m. - A motion has been proposed to limit the debaters’ time to two minutes, which is the best possible way to show the new senators exactly how to run in SG. The motion passes, and a time limit is enforced. After talking for a minute, a new senator yields her minute left to former Sen. Ryan O’Malley, who pushes loudly and quickly for Sen. Prestridge.
Limp mic
8:12 p.m. - Pardon the lewdness, but the microphone at today’s podium looks like a sad swan, drooping over to one side. The sloping angle makes quieter folk disadvantaged, while the resident loudmouths of the senate dominate the discussion. Currently, Sen. Hanna is barraging the name of Speaker Pro Temp Clark in favor of Sen. Prestridge.
8:15 p.m. - Secretary Chambers receives yielded time from new senator Meghan Brown, who speaks about how organized Speaker Pro Temp Clark is in the office, and endorses him for the Senate.
8:16 p.m. - A feisty new business senator noticed the problems in Senate from tonight’s meeting: pointless reiteration of the same old lines from each senator’s support. She urges the senators to speak their minds while endorsing Speaker Pro Temp Clark.
In a surprise move...8:23 p.m. - The final vote goes to Speaker Ben Clark. I thought Drew had it.
President Robertson walks in to shake Speaker Clark’s hand before giving him the gavel. Sen. Prestridge looks crushed, but is nominated currently for Speaker Pro-Tempore against Sen. Brett Jackson.
The two candidates...
8:26 p.m. - As Speaker Clark looks on, the two people he defeated in elections for Speaker and Pro-Temp, no one wanted to ask a question. Sen. Wishik stands to ask one involved for the sake of having elections. It must be hard being recognized for Sen. Prestridge, as he just lost to the person currently recognizing him. The body hasn’t heard substantially from Sen. Jackson, but has heard much from Sen. Prestridge, and the body recognizes his qualifications.
Getting paid?8:31 p.m. - A business senator asks a question as to whether or not the members of the Executive Staff deserve to be paid. Sen. Prestridge and Sen. Jackson stand unified in their agreement, both saying they would like to see our Constitution changed so they can be paid, against 87% of the student body from last Spring.
Debate
8:34 p.m. - A motion to limit debate to two minutes was proposed again, and objection was called by Sen. Blanco. They then rose for votes, and more than half the room stood. This motion required a two-thirds vote after question is called, and the motion fails, giving half of this room who apparently doesn’t want to be here unlimited time at the podium. It’s obvious they don’t want to be here, but they should have thought of that before they wanted to run for Senate.
Our news writer
8:37 p.m. - Our news writer Natalie Messina moved from the front of the room to the back to concentrate away from the whispered noises around me. I miss her.
This blog
8:39 p.m. - I can see you, Sen. Andrews. If you don’t want to be here, stop reading my blog and get out.
Lackadaisical
8:40 p.m. - The senators look frustrated. They don’t look like they want to do any of this anymore, and just realized the magnitude of this sacrifice. I fear these senators will carry this nonchalance into the Atchafalaya Room when we convene next fall. But they definitely look bored, and thought this wouldn’t take as long. Senators continue to jump up on party lines, with the exception of Sen. Wishik supporting Sen. Prestridge. The senators are being talked to in SG language, which involves dying metaphors, much pretentious language and irrelevant words, according to Orwellian standards.
Congratulations...
8:52 p.m. - Speaker Pro Temp Prestridge.
Sit back
8:53 p.m. - Sit back, and enjoy the reads. Speaker Clark steps out, Speaker Pro Temp Prestridge takes over, and gets rid of his frustration of losing the Speaker’s seat by banging the gavel as loud as he can to move resolutions to committees.
And we're back
9:17 p.m. - After a five minute recess, we’re back in the Magnolia Room, ready to appoint committee members. The room looks emptier this time.
9:18 p.m. - I just spoke to President Robertson, and he informed me that his decision to support a resolution supporting Louisiana House Bill No. 199, allowing concealed weapons on campus. He said that after hearing each senator’s arguments for or against this resolution, and he said “my role as Speaker is to break a tie, and I felt this resolution best served the interests of the student body.”
9:19 p.m. - Thanks for asking them.
"Sen. Prestridge"9:21 p.m. - Speaker Pro Temp Prestridge asked a question about the docket, and Speaker Clark answered his question with an additional “Thank you Sen. Prestridge.” I know it’s habit, but that hurts. I feel for Speaker Pro Temp Prestridge.
Bad decision?
9:23 p.m. - Speaker Clark is busy pounding the gavel 28 times, referring different resolutions to the “Temporary Committee on Rules.” During this time, Speaker Pro Temp Prestridge has been approached by three different senators about different things. I will be monitoring how many people ask Prestridge a question in relation to Speaker Clark over the course of the semester.
Tension
9:27 p.m. - I can see President Robertson visible gesturing for Speaker Pro Temp Prestridge to talk to him for a moment. The president is waiting for the Speaker Pro Temp, and the pair walked out to review a document. The president is seated on the couch outside, while Speaker Pro Temp Prestridge goes into his phone to unlock information. Prestridge has his hands on his hips while he sways from side to side, while the president sits back with his arms crossed. I have no idea what this is about, but any body language specialist will notice these actions as confrontational and passive aggressive, while the senate rumor mill has it that the two don’t trust each other. I won’t say who, but if anyone paid attention during campaign season, a lot back and forth was said about both. Hopefully the student body won’t be the victim in this case.
Again.
Student Involvement9:31 p.m. - Students’ Rights and Welfare used to be a committee, but is now being absorbed under the new committee, Student Involvement. The Students’ Rights and Welfare committee used to be headed by former Sen. Whitney Breaux, but since her departure, the position was left vacant. President Robertson explains this in his changes to the Executive Charter, saying much more should be done in terms of accountability and partnerships when it comes to various committees.
SG got a webmaster
9:34 p.m. - Press secretary and webmaster positions are open in the Executive Staff. The pair will take over the combined job of the director of communications, which last session was current Sen. Wishik. The rest of this is a basic rundown of Executive Staff positions, as Secretary Chambers looks at me and silently blows a raspberry.
9:36 p.m. - The first question for President Robertson comes from Speaker Pro Temp Prestridge, who asks why Director of Finance and Assistant Director of Finance aren’t included in the Executive Department. President Robertson explains that these two positions will be regulated as regular office workers handling outside work of Student Government.
9:39 p.m. - Former Director of Communications Wishik asks about the change from director of communications to webmaster and press secretary. President Robertson asserts that this past year proved the job too big for one man to handle, and they felt it feasible to split the job into two.
9:40 p.m. - Sen. Palermo asks if the president will yield to a series of questions. President Robertson replies, “Um, sure…. I’m not used to being on this side.” This visibly upsets Speaker Pro Temp Prestridge. He remembers when former President Cassie Alsfeld didn’t care about the senate’s opinion, and will the president work with the senate. President Robertson replies, “If we can’t get someone out of Rules Committee or out of the body, I will return to my list of applicants.”
9:44 p.m. - Sen. Gammon asks about the effectiveness of the college councils, and President Robertson feels the student body has elected a capable body to serve the councils. The possibility of “at-large” members is brought up.
9:45 p.m. - I just realized Parliamentarian Anna Dearmon is in the back of the room, having moved from the front to the back with her laptop and cell phone. I guess it was to keep an eye on (read: scare the crap out of) the new senators. By the way, she explained to me that her lack of promptness earlier was because of a job interview. “Just in case, you know, well….”
Going to vote9:50 p.m. - The charter is enrolled with near-unanimity. The sole exception is Sen. Parker Wishik’s second abstention tonight.
Advisors
9:54 p.m. - Advisors Ray and Eldridge both emphasize the academic life before the senatorial life, saying the senators should focus first on their studies before the senate.
Speaker Pro "Tem" Prestridge
9:55 p.m. - The abbreviation is actually “Speaker Pro Tem.” I’ve misspelled that throughout this blog. Well, it started because former Speaker Pro Tem Jacqueline Delery resigned, and the subsequent election effectively made Sen. Ben Clark a Speaker Pro Temp. Tem is the correct shortening of tempore.
Petitions, Memorials, and other Communications
9:58 p.m. - Senators use PMC to say whatever they want, basically. Sen. Hanna congratulates Speaker Clark and Speaker Pro Tem Prestridge, as well as Sen. Jackson. She is the first to mention SG’s tradition of going to Pluckers after SG meetings.
9:59 p.m. - Sen. Chandler addressed a couple of comments about staying until 10:45 p.m., and he says “everyone has a voice. Each of you have to represent your own college, but if your college has to say something, say it. You have to voice what you heard from your constituents and what you feel.” The senator doesn’t approve of certain things that happened tonight, but oh well.
10:00 p.m. - Sen. Gammon urges senators to talk to their legislators.
10:01 p.m. - Sen. Remson remembers the days when SG met until 1:30 in the morning. He congratulates Speaker Clark and Speaker Pro Tem Prestridge. The senator says he heard from representatives about the uproar over the gun bill, saying the representatives heard about it in the Daily Reveille.
Ah, the Daily Reveille. Connecting SG senators to the legislators they claim to emulate.
PMCs continued10:04 p.m. - Sen. Sellers brings up Dustin “DC” Clemons, whom I knew as an incredible guy and a good spoken, kind-hearted man. He uses this to bring up the Phi Delta Theta event “Buy a Guy.” Proceeds from this will go to the Dustin “DC” Clemons Award, founded by his mother, but the uproar starts when Sellers says he, himself, is being auctioned off. He then turns to Speaker Pro Tem Prestridge and says, “I know you’ll be bidding.”
10:06 p.m. - Sen. Palermo reiterates Sen. Sellers’s “real name,” “Sassy Sellers.” He says that as chair of Housing, Infrastructure and Technology, he has been in contact with getting a better email system for students. The solution will involve a choice of the current email, Outlook email or Gmail. He also said, in regards to certain comments, cited certain senators who resigned because they didn’t feel they had a chance to speak. He urges the senators to participate actively in the body, and hopes next year will be a great one.
10:08 p.m. - Sen. Sellers informs the new senators that, due to the departure of former President Alsfeld and former Sen. Ryan O’Malley, he is the only sassy one left and is now accepting applications to fill positions in his sassy caucus. I know. I know.
10:10 p.m. - Sen. Remson mentions former Vice President Josh King’s initiative to turn the Ole Miss game into a Rivalry Game, and meetings will be held to discuss the new name of the rivalry.
Adjourn10:12 p.m. - The motion to adjourn has been heard, and we’re out. Good night, people!
Read the original blog posts at The Daily Reveille...
1 Comment:
I just got done reading a chapter of Matt Taibbi's new book that focuses on a "legislative interlude" - when he examines a specific thing Congress does that's either horribly hubristic or damaging to the public.
The idea that precious time was spent in student government debating whether we should have a "Rivalry Game" instead of something that would make student life at the University better or easier is obscene.
-neal
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