By Anna Hsu, Staff Editor
The speakers seemed to constantly emit ear-splitting blasts of sound as the Student Government Association Executive Board (SGA E-Board) frantically tried to adjust the volume. The room was sweltering hot. It smelled of sweat. Students muttered to each other.
The E-Board tried to count for quorum. The stenographer dutifully recorded everything, though typos rendered the script almost incoherent. We managed to struggle through six resolutions, passing the first four, before quorum was finally lost. The student body erupted into a defeated groan and left Goodhart Theater in a tired, discouraged flood.
This year’s Blue Bus-themed Plenary took place on Sunday, October 6th. It officially started around 7:00 PM, with the student body reaching quorum at 8:30 PM and enduring until about 11:00 PM.
Resolutions were presented according to their popularity, and need to each receive at least 100 votes from the student body through a preliminary Google Forms vote before they are proposed at Plenary.
Resolutions passed
- Demanding Building Accessibility – by Laura Rogers, Megan Petero, and Katherine Santarpia
- Transfer Representative in SGA Representative Council – by Lizzie Allen
- Constitutional Updates – by SGA Constitutional Review Committee, SGA Executive Board 2019–2020, Marit Eiler, Geeta Sharma, Bethany Matthews
- Reaffirming our Support for Community Day of Learning – by SGA Executive Board 2019–2020
Resolutions tabled
- Protecting Grass on Campus – by Anna Hsu
- Protecting Bird Species on Campus – by Geeta Sharma and Rebecca Campbell (QUORUM LOST)
- Requiring Immunizations for Incoming Students – by Jenna Margolis
- Hot Gluten Free Meals – by Aleja Newman
- Improving Toilet Paper Quality – by Aleja Newman
There are changes that need to be made that improve quality-of-life for students who choose to go to Plenary.
Firstly, there are problems with using Goodhart Theater as the venue for Plenary. Students are reluctant to crowd into a room with no air conditioning, the Wi-Fi is unreliable at best, and the system of discussion is time-consuming and further contributes to students’ annoyance. The windows are shut firmly closed, and the speakers blow out every few minutes, interrupting student performances and creating deafening blasts at random intervals.
The overall system seems to be failing. We struggle to meet quorum—only a third of the entire student body, or around 400 people—and people are not invested enough in resolutions to properly read them.
Furthermore, the practice of having the speaker go up to the podium simply to read their resolution verbatim is a waste of time. The time would be better spent on having the resolution writers discuss their proposals with the student body.
Perhaps this would raise concerns regarding student accessibility—for example, accessibility for students who might be hearing impaired. I would respond that the SGA needs to host Resolution Writing Workshops well before Plenary and require a final draft of all resolutions at least a week beforehand, so that students who cannot read or hear the resolutions during Plenary can have time to consider the ideas.
Questions should not be proposed during Plenary when there are already so many resolutions to vote on; rather, some questions should be submitted during the preliminary resolution voting so resolution writers can answer concerns and comments from the student body. Robert’s Rules of Order need to be made accessible to the student body prior to Plenary so they can familiarize themselves with proper parliamentary procedure.
The voting system needs to be changed. People should not be allowed to leave simply after the resolution they are supporting is voted on. Resolutions are presented from the most popular to the least popular, further contributing to the loss of interest as Plenary steadily progresses. Either the preliminary voting threshold for resolutions needs to be increased from 100 votes, or the order should be randomized (or even reversed) to prevent losing quorum.
Furthermore, VoxVote is consistently capricious. Precious time was lost because of technical difficulties with VoxVote crashing and students disconnecting from the Internet. Either we need to find a venue with better Wi-Fi (VoxVote can host an unlimited number of people, according to its website) or use manual voting from the get-go.
Timing has been particularly poor for this Plenary, as students were reluctant to attend it on a Sunday night, with midterms looming ahead of them. There were multiple problems with last-minute scheduling for resolution writers (I was required to compile my research and draft my resolution in the week I was to present, and was requested to present my preliminary resolution at the Wednesday SGA meeting via an email minutes before the meeting began. Naturally, I had to decline because I couldn’t schedule on a whim).
And to conclude the long list of grievances, some students have expressed concerns that the tone of certain jokes regarding resolutions verged on becoming disrespectful. Even if the resolution does not directly affect an individual, it is important to acknowledge how it might affect others. Dismissing a resolution as a “non-issue” without discussion further silences those who may already feel uncomfortable with expressing their concerns.
Though I am incredibly displeased with the state of our self-government, there were several redeeming factors that made Plenary worth the long hours spent. The performances before quorum was officially reached were of outstanding quality. Aleja Newman ‘17 presented a playful stand-up comedy routine, the Night Owls a cappella group sang angelically, Mayuri offered an amazing Indian dance routine (persisting through the multiple technical problems regarding sound), and Raven Derose ‘23 made a solid showing rapping over a backing track.
Furthermore, a crucial resolution regarding building accessibility was passed with an overwhelming majority, demonstrating the solidarity our student body has concerning providing equal opportunity for all students.
But the main sentiment behind Plenary was one of discontent and disappointment. If we are to be a self-governing association, we should at least do more than pay lip service to the idea of “student autonomy and responsibility.” Feel free to play Plenary Bingo to cheer yourself up. But most importantly, come to Spring Plenary. It is imperative for the student body to do their utmost in order to continue the tradition of self governance. Do your part.
Image credit: Haverford College
