Tensions mounted near the end of Monday’s meeting as senators debated a resolution condemning the Minnesota Legislature for overriding Gov. Pawlenty’s veto of a statewide gas tax increase on Feb. 25.

The resolution, introduced by Sen. David Goblirsch, called the tax “wholly avoidable” and said it “will only negatively affect students traveling within the state for internships and trips home.”

Despite the fact that several senators criticized the resolution’s very presence on the senate agenda, a motion to remove the resolution failed to pass.

Sen. Mike Johnson said the motion “disgusted” him for its “partisan” nature.

“I think it is very partisan to call tax wholly avoidable — it’s partisan to say a tax will only negatively affect students,” Johnson said.

Sens. Goblirsch, Stoll and Sorensen defended the motion, asserting that it was non-partisan in nature because Republican legislators had voted for the largely Democrat-sponsored veto override.

Sorensen also said the senate has the duty to represent its students when state government decisions directly affect them.

“When the students are affected (by state legislation), we have the obligation to give them voice,” Sorensen said.

Intense debate over the recently passed Collegiate Readership Program prompted Sen. Colman
Silbernagel to draft a motion checking the powers of intra-senate bodies.

The motion, which prevailed 12-5, authorizes the full senate to overturn any decision made by a subsidiary committee or board by two-thirds vote, including the powerful Activities and Allocations Board.

Several senators had expressed frustration over the AAB’s handling of funding for the Collegiate Readership Program, which the board approved on March 3 after two reconsiderations.

Sen. Johnson said the motion will provide “necessary oversight” on committee or board decisions that CSB/SJU students may protest or know little about.

“I only see this amendment being used in very limited situations where the senate feels overwhelming student support to re-evaluate a subsidiary (body’s) decision,” Johnson said.

Senate Vice President Kurt Sorensen said Monday that although he initially supported the motion, he now believes it will threaten the autonomy of subsidiary bodies.

“We as a whole Senate shouldn’t try to tell (subsidiaries) no or yes,” Sorensen said.

The St. John’s Senate should consider alternatives to the current Collegiate Readership Program in future semesters, Public Relations representative Raj Chaphalkar said Monday.

The senator based his stance on the fact that per-issue costs for The New York Times, Star Tribune, and USA Today are barely below standard subscription rates, and above rates which college students could secure on an individual basis.

Per-issue rates for the current program are 45 cents for The New York Times, 40 cents for the Star Tribune and 35 cents for USA Today, Chaphalkar said.

“I believe that the senate in the future would do well to encourage readership of these papers, but at a significantly lower cost than what we’re paying for these papers this semester,” Chaphalkar said. The St. Ben’s Senate (SBS) completed their survey of CSB students regarding the terms “Bennie” and “Blazer.”

Senators Erin Moore and Maria Pena, who presented their findings, observed that of those surveyed, no one only marked that they disagreed with the statement that “there is a lack of athletic support” for women at St. Ben’s.

Pena also noted that while students associated the term “Blazer” with only athletic participants, they associated “Bennie” with the entire CSB student body.

“There is a
definite need for more Blazer support,” said Moore.

Some students, Moore said, were offended by the surveys, thinking that the Senate was looking to eliminate one label or the other — this is not the case. The SBS will be presenting their results and reasons for conducting the survey to the student body in a future Record issue.

The SBS is now looking to unite Bennies and Blazers, and has been in contact with the Student Athlete Advisory Committee to accomplish this,” Moore said.

The SBS passed a motion 13-0 allocating $312 to an event hosted by the RORE (Retreat on Race and Ethnicity) student committee. Called Silent Solidarity, the event is scheduled to take place on April 4. On this date, participating students would not speak all day in support of a personal cause.

“Silent Solidarity is just a silent protest for what you believe in as an individual,” said sophomore Virginia Ollie, who presented the request for funds. “It is a way to unite the campus.”

Though the RORE student committee requested $600 to fund its event, the SBS passed only 52% of that total (to fund the 52% of the campus population that are St. Ben’s students). The requested money would cover t-shirt costs for 100 participating students, as well as advertisements and snacks for an information session. Discussion over a motion to allocate the remaining $288 was tabled until Friday, March 14. This gives the St. John’s Senate an opportunity to possibly fund the remaining amount instead.

Capital Improvement brainstorm

Senator Christen Beckstrand presented four ideas of possible CSB capital improvement projects. These included the addition or repair of campus lights, the construction of a warming house at the Multicultural Center bus stop, extended library hours, and the introduction of an SBS library collection.

“I absolutely love the idea of the book collection,” said senator Ashley VerBurg.

The library collection would include book recommendations for CSB students, possible to be displayed on a separate shelf in Clemens Library. The SBS may partner with the Women’s Center for this program.

None of the four possibilities has officially been adopted by the Senate.