Student Fed passes eight amendments for campus vote

Home Campus Student Fed passes eight amendments for campus vote
Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons

Student Federation recently reviewed its constitution for the first time in 10 years, approving all eight of the Rules Committee’s proposed amendments Oct. 21.

The federation approved eight amendments, which serve mainly to clarify wording and issues concerning officer positions, almost all unanimously. The only amendment that significantly divided federation members was an amendment that would remove philanthropic activity from the federation’s responsibilities. Students will have the chance to vote on the amendments Nov. 14-17.

Student Fed’s constitution states that the vice president must organize at least one philanthropic project per semester and hold at least one charity fundraiser per term. An amendment would remove these requirements from the constitution, relieving the vice president from this responsibility.

Pi Beta Phi Rep. senior Lauren Renslow, who serves on the Rules Committee, said the federation’s current philanthropy funding poses two problems. First, it isn’t the most efficient or practical way for students to receive capital to hold their own philanthropic events. Second, the federation’s philanthropic fundraising requires the federation to ask for additional money from students, on top of student fees, she said.

After several minutes of debate, the federation approved the amendment 8-6 with one abstention. Several representatives expressed dissatisfaction with the decision.

“I think it sends a bad message to the student body, if we strike philanthropy from the constitution,” Student Fed Treasurer senior Christopher Pudenz said.

Independent Rep. junior Razi Lane agreed: “When we start to think that our spirit is no longer philanthropic and when we start to think that we can make our own judgments with respect to your money, as opposed to you coming to us and telling us what you want us to do with your money, I think that’s dangerous.”

Independent Rep. sophomore Ross Hatley, chairman of the Rules Committee, voted in favor of the change.

“The amendment imposes a required burden on Student Fed that has not been properly executed in the past,” he said. “Nothing in the amendment will keep Student Fed from raising funds for philanthropy or dispersing funds that have been raised for philanthropic activity. All it does is it removes the requirement to perform those two activities each semester. That way it will be a matter of choice, a matter of principle, and a matter of tradition.”

Several other representatives, including Independent Rep. sophomore Andres Torres, said they wished there would have been more discussion on the topic.

“We don’t want to violate students’ consciences,” Torres said. “The concern is that the federation might allocate money from the big pool of money that we get from student fees to a philanthropic event that some students may not approve of, whereas if the Student Federation Philanthropy Committee raises the money independently, then there’s no conflict of interests with the people we’re representing.”

Prior to the constitutional debates, the federation also heard from representatives of the Winona yearbook, faculty adviser Maria Servold and Editor-in-Chief junior Anna Eby. It approved their request for increased funding for the yearbook. Last year, Servold recommended that the federation cut yearbook funding from $2,900 to $1,500, but because the yearbook team doubled its staff since last year, she requested an additional $1,500.

Although Student Fed approved increased funding for Winona, the new constitutional amendments must receive a two-thirds vote from the student body, as well as approval from President Larry Arnn, before they can go into effect.