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Editorial: If you want improvement, join COCO
Editorial Board
Issue date: 1/14/09 Section: Opinions
Student Government is starting to show initiative by beginning to question how things are run through the Committee for Constitutional Oversight (COCO).
Student Senate Speaker Drew Griffin is the chair of COCO, which is beginning the process of revising the Student Body Constitution and bylaws governing Student Government actions.
Griffin said the idea for COCO started when he and other senators reviewed Article IV, which gives the Student Supreme Court the power of original and final jurisdiction in cases of constitutionality.
Article IV also lists the number of justices and how they are appointed, the appointment and duties of the Court Advisor and the removal process of justices before the Student Senate.
"We started to questions things like if seven justices were too many, if that was the right way to appoint them and if their terms were too long," Griffin said. "Then we began to review the whole document."
Griffin said revising the constitution would help Student Government run more smoothly. "It's kind of messed up and contradictory in certain places," Griffin said. "We need a working legal document in order to govern efficiently."
One possible bylaw change that could also be looked at is how senators are elected - a process that has its flaws.
This past election, 17 senators ran for 25 seats. Ryan Kerch, student vice president for student affairs, would like the option of having write-ins.
"What I and others discussed is that the elections with less people than seats, we should allow the possibility of write-ins," Kerch said.
Having write-ins is a sensible solution and would be very helpful in filling the seats.
As of now, COCO consists of 10 senators, but is open for any student to join.
Students should join COCO because the committee is looking at revising a document that affects the entire student body as well as bylaws that govern Student Government actions.
The time and place for the first public meeting of COCO, which will be on Monday, will be announced at Wednesday's Student Senate meeting.
If you are unhappy with Student Government or the Student Body Constitution, here is your chance to give your two cents.
Join COCO.
Student Senate Speaker Drew Griffin is the chair of COCO, which is beginning the process of revising the Student Body Constitution and bylaws governing Student Government actions.
Griffin said the idea for COCO started when he and other senators reviewed Article IV, which gives the Student Supreme Court the power of original and final jurisdiction in cases of constitutionality.
Article IV also lists the number of justices and how they are appointed, the appointment and duties of the Court Advisor and the removal process of justices before the Student Senate.
"We started to questions things like if seven justices were too many, if that was the right way to appoint them and if their terms were too long," Griffin said. "Then we began to review the whole document."
Griffin said revising the constitution would help Student Government run more smoothly. "It's kind of messed up and contradictory in certain places," Griffin said. "We need a working legal document in order to govern efficiently."
One possible bylaw change that could also be looked at is how senators are elected - a process that has its flaws.
This past election, 17 senators ran for 25 seats. Ryan Kerch, student vice president for student affairs, would like the option of having write-ins.
"What I and others discussed is that the elections with less people than seats, we should allow the possibility of write-ins," Kerch said.
Having write-ins is a sensible solution and would be very helpful in filling the seats.
As of now, COCO consists of 10 senators, but is open for any student to join.
Students should join COCO because the committee is looking at revising a document that affects the entire student body as well as bylaws that govern Student Government actions.
The time and place for the first public meeting of COCO, which will be on Monday, will be announced at Wednesday's Student Senate meeting.
If you are unhappy with Student Government or the Student Body Constitution, here is your chance to give your two cents.
Join COCO.
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