Undergraduate Senate shows support for Asian American Center at Tuesday meeting

The Undergraduate Senate clashed over bills on the consent calendar, appointed a new ethics committee chair and voted in favor of a resolution supporting the creation of an Asian American Center at Tuesday’s full body meeting. 

Consent Calendar

Two bills were on the consent calendar: USB-101-025, which proposed to raise the minimum votes needed to be a senator to 25, and USR-101-026, which proposed changing the meeting endings from a roll call to voice vote. Both passed unanimously in the Rules and Judiciary committee before being presented to the full Senate.

However, Senator Corry Dauderman raised concerns over the former saying if a candidate only received 24 votes, those 24 votes would go to waste.

“I know you guys like throwing out democracy apparently,” Dauderman said.

Consent calendars need a unanimous vote to pass, so if Dauderman voted against this bill, no other bill in the calendar would pass. 

Finance Chairperson Jack Purdie, who supported raising the threshold, and Dauderman urged Rules and Judiciary Chairperson Tanner Henson to withdraw the vote on USB-101-025 so the finance bills in the consent calendar could be passed. The finance bills contained almost $200,000 worth of funding for student organizations which were already delayed, Purdie said.

“I’m not going to be the one to tell these organizations they’re not going to be funded because we couldn’t figure out a way to end our meetings,” Purdie said. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

Henson refused to withdraw.

“I think you’ve overstepped your boundaries here," Henson said to Purdie. "And I have the right to leave my bill where it was voted.”

Eventually, the Senate voted to make the bills special orders, which means they were taken off the consent calendar. The consent calendar unanimously passed. 

The Senate approved increasing the threshold to become a senator, but did not approve changing the way Senate meetings ended. 

“I’m looking forward to the Senate of the special interests of frats,” Dauderman said. “It’s easy to get 25 votes if you’re president of Young Republicans or a leader of a frat.”

Ethics Committee

In an 18-11 vote, the Senate voted to make sophomore Keshav Javvadi chairperson of the ethics committee. 

His main goal for the committee is to increase attendance.

“You’re not going to make people show up by reprimanding and scolding people," Javvadi said. "That generates a more negative environment. I want to make (Senate) fulfilling and fun to come to.”

Asian American Center

The Senate voted unanimously in favor of a resolution which endorsed an Asian American center on campus. The campaign, led by 11 undergraduates students and two alumni, raised $400,000 and plans to open the center in fall 2020. 

“This is going to be a project that is going to occur with or without our and the University’s cooperation,” Oversight and Advocacy Chair Wil Wiener said. “(The campaign) believes that having institutional support and support from the Undergraduate Senate will assist them in what is essentially a final step.”

@RamishahMaruf_

university@dailytarheel.com