Congress Mulls Off-Campus Super-District

Rules and Judiciary Committee members are looking at a proposal to redistrict the off-campus residences, with the exception of Granville Towers.

Members also will redistrict the new residence halls on South Campus.

Student Congress is required to redistrict every two years. Members did some redistricting last year, but because of the new residence halls, they need to redistrict again, said Blair Sweeney, Rules and Judiciary Committee chairman.

Sweeney said the committee is considering changing the off-campus districts because they are having trouble finding representatives to serve in those areas.

"This will hopefully boost turnout in the off-campus districts," Sweeney said. "The idea is that it will be easier to fill seats if it were one big district."

Speaker Tony Larson said residents who are new to off-campus housing don't know the area well.

They often are not sure whether they live west or east of Airport Road or where they live in relation to Jones Ferry Road -- common guidelines for determining districts.

"The new district will make it easier for off-campus students to get involved and easier for off-campus students to know which representative to talk to," he said.

Brian Fauver, chairman of the Board of Elections, said reworking the districts might clarify questions potential Congress members might have. "I think it might be easier because people don't necessarily know which district they are in," he said.

Sweeney said he is still undecided as to whether he agrees with the "super-district" idea.

But Larson said he is in favor of redistricting off-campus housing.

"It is a necessity," he said. "We need to figure out how many students live off campus and match the right number of Congress members to that."

If Sweeney decides to go ahead with the redistricting, he will draft a bill announcing the new districts and propose it to the Rules and Judiciary Committee as early as Tuesday.

If the bill is passed, it will go on to full Congress the following week. If Congress approves the bill, it is effective immediately.

Larson said he hopes to have the new district made by the end of the fall semester so it will be in effect for the general election in February.

Other redistricting changes also are needed in South Campus because of the new residence halls and construction on campus, Sweeny said.

"Right now there is representation for districts in which the residence halls are being renovated."

He aims to move representatives who have no students in their districts to the new ones that are without representation.

Recently, Student Congress lost members due to expulsions and resignations. As of Thursday, nine seats were open. Three of the vacant Student Congress seats involve the off-campus districts.

But Fauver said there is no direct connection between the vacant seats in Congress and the call for redistricting.

"Overall it may make recruiting easier, but there is no direct connection."

Sweeney said the redistricting will not affect Tuesday's special election, called earlier this month by Student Body President Jen Daum.

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.