Spring Break
2/12 Update: Students voice diversity requirement concerns; Bylaw change misses vote by one member
Bob Bajek / Student Government Editor
Issue date: 2/12/09 Section: News
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Student Senate member Michael Whildin was the lone abstention. He stated during the meeting he would not vote for a bylaw change.
Before the voting, more than 20 Black Student Union members voiced their concerns on the striking of the requirement.
The BSU members came to express their objections to the campus involvement bylaw change, which removes the diversity requirement for Student Senate members to fill.
In its place, there are campus and constituent involvement requirements.
When audience participation began, Kendall Jackson, junior family consumer sciences major, addressed the Student Senate, saying that he wants the diversity requirement to remain.
Kendall said BSU members were notified about this issue Monday when an author of the bylaw change spoke to him.
"If the school's mission statement states that we are here to promote diversity and the Student Government statement is to promote diversity and other qualities, why are we changing the wording of the bylaw?" Jackson said. "I think this will push the minority population to the back."
Kendall points to the wording of the legislation.
"They claim it is an improvement, but reading through it, it is (not an improvement)," Jackson said. "How is that promoting diversity when you are only (participating in) campus involvement for Eastern?"
Jackson said BSU came and made its concerns known for the university community.
"It is something that affects not only the whole university, but the minority population," Jackson said. "It is something that affects us. By not going out to (minority organizations), we are going to come and speak to them."
Associate Student Supreme Court Justice Quentin Frazier said he was a former diversity affairs chair for the Student Senate and disagrees with the change. Frazier was also a former vice president of BSU and a current member of Alpha Phi Alpha.
From his experiences on the Student Senate, Frazier said the organization should not abbreviate its goals and, instead, go above and beyond its requirements.
"I believe they are cutting corners by not wanting to get involved in this requirement," Frazier said. "A lot of times, that is the problem with the Student Senate, they don't get the students involved in the legislation and they don't go out to enough students.
"If they would go out to the students, I think we would be better off with the legislation they are voting on. It would be less arguing with Student Government and more voting."
Student Senate member Mark Olendzki, who helped write the bylaw change, told Frazier the bylaw change is a reworking of the diversity requirement and expands its meaning by not restricting the word "diversity."
Frazier pointed out to Olendzki that only five out of 26 Student Senate members completed the requirement last semester.
Student Body President Levi Bulgar made an executive order to speak on the bylaw change. He told the Student Senate that this was the first time he has used this order.
Bulgar said he supports the bylaw change but is strongly against the removal of the diversity requirement.
"How can we truly represent the Student Government mission statement of '(striving) in every aspect of their respective office to promote diversity, leadership, service, and integrity?'" Bulgar said. "To some people that I have talked to, this looks like a typical Student Government cut and run when it comes to the delicate issue of diversity."
Bulgar continued stating his opinions, saying the Diversity Affairs Committee will be heavily weakened. He asked the authors to consider rewriting the bylaw change to retain the diversity requirement.
"While the striking of the diversity requirement as a whole might have been intended to add an ere of theatrics, it undermines the overall need and goal of the requirement to begin with," Bulgar said.
Bulgar said he applauds the Student Senate members who wrote the legislation, stating the campus and constituency involvement requirements are needed to improve the organization's effectiveness.
Olendzki, with the help of Student Senate member Mike Hilty, said students supported the bylaw change. They received 138 student signatures for a petition.
Diversity Affairs Chair Omar Solomon told Olendzki that the author did not extend an invitation to BSU. Solomon also said Olendzki went to the Residence Hall Association, Belegarth and the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. Solomon said Olendzki did not go to other student organizations.
In other news, Student Senate passed the leave of absence bylaw change by a vote of 19-2-3.
Student Senate member Chris Kromphardt was against the change, stating a current member received a semester's leave of absence from Griffin. He said the students are not getting represented.
The member in question was Paul Reid. Reid was elected for a one-year term in December and is on leave for personal reasons.
Griffin said the seat is Reid's, and he will not appoint a replacement.
Bob Bajek can be reached at 581-7942 or at rtbajek@eiu.edu.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 7 of 10
Former Senator
posted 2/12/09 @ 12:29 AM CST
The Diversity Requirement has needed to go for years....for the simple fact that no one does it.....and it is not really a requirement. If you want to require it. (Continued…)
J
posted 2/13/09 @ 12:13 AM CST
It' very hypocritical of the Black Student's Union Organization to form a special-interest group based on race and claim to promote multiculturalism. The word "multiculturalism" is peppered throughout their "History" section, but the word has no meaning when associated with a group that wants everyone to celebrate THEIR culture rather than THEM having a desire to celebrate EVERYONE ELSE's culture(s). (Continued…)
Marco Santana, DEN EIC Fall '07
posted 2/13/09 @ 8:49 AM CST
Something I've never understood and I hope a Student Senate member can come on here and respond: What is the harm in having the diversity requirement and why are so many student senate members against it? Also, can we stop calling it a "requirement" since there are obviously very few, if any, consequences?
J
posted 2/13/09 @ 10:06 AM CST
I'm not a Student Senate member, but I would imagine there is a lot of resentment stemming from the double standard that exists when talking about diversity. (Continued…)
Marco Santana, DEN EIC Fall '07
posted 2/13/09 @ 1:03 PM CST
If that's the case, then they should say so. As part of the student government, they willingly became part of a public body. That entails more than just building up a resume. (Continued…)
Kyle Mayhugh
posted 2/17/09 @ 10:01 AM CST
Chris, I want you to think about all those great ideals that student government members talk about. All the stuff you guys talk about "leadership" and whatever else goes on at those retreats and whatnot. (Continued…)
J
posted 2/18/09 @ 11:29 PM CST
TD Mikell,
You claim that the purpose of groups based on cultural similarities is not to promote diversity, yet the majority of these groups, specifically the Black Student Union (BSU), mentions diversity in their website, as well as Diversity's illegitimate step-sister "multiculturalism. (Continued…)
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