Senate holds closed sessions, revokes stipend from chairman

03/08/07 - During closed debate last night, the University of Rhode Island Student Senate suspended Academic Affairs Chairman Tom Parker's stipend for one month for not holding regular committee meetings, which is required by the senate's bylaws.The senate closed their meeting for more than an hour on two separate occasions, during the Rules and Ethics Committee report and again in open forum.

In the senate's only open record, the Rules and Ethics Committee voted to suspend Parker's stipend.

"The only thing I am really allowed to say. due to the laws of the state of Rhode Island, is that there was a complaint against the senate regarding an action made last week. The Rules and Ethics Committee made a decision to reverse the actions of the senate," said senator Jesse Whitsitt-Lynch.

The senate also passed a bill this week to create an annual day of remembrance on March 13. Last year, assistant director of counseling and university psychologist Stephen Myles and three students, Geoffrey M. Wilkes, Daniel P. Donahue and Fandia Shloul, were lost tragically.

"Last year was a pretty rough year for our community," said senator Cristin Langworthy. "If you have an opportunity, you should go to some of the events of remembrance."

President Neil Cavanaugh, the handler of the bill, said it was meant for students, faculty and staff that had "left before their time."

He told the senate, "That time was an extremely difficult time for students, faculty and staff. we wanted to do something during the spring to signify rebirth."

The URI College Republicans were recently punished for its White Heterosexual American Male scholarship, which the Student Organization Advisory and Review Committee considered discriminatory and against senate bylaws. The club will appeal the punishment to the full senate at next week's meeting.

External Affairs Chairman Ben Matone, who moderated the meeting because Vice President Rosie Mean was absent, spoke about the URI-Narragansett Coalition and its revised mission statement, which emphasizes "enforcement, education and community involvement."

The on-campus meeting of the URI-Narragansett Coalition will still take place, but instead of at the Ryan Center, it will be in Atrium I of the Memorial Union.

The senate also passed three amendments to their bylaws. The first created liaisons for the Multicultural Center, Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, and the Club Sports Association. All positions will be appointed by the senate president and approved by the complete body.

The second created a guideline for stipend policy of all student senate recognized groups. "We just needed to make this clear in our bylaws," Bylaws Committee Chairman Gabe Mancuso said.

The third amendment to the bylaws changed the Finance Committee's method for cutting student group budgets. Instead of cutting each group's budget by an equal percentage, cuts will be made in proportion to the group's budget. Groups with a larger budget will have to absorb a higher percentage of a budget cut than groups with a smaller budget.

"Guys, this is huge," Cavanaugh said. "And the fact that we are at the forefront of this, the fact that we are the biggest student organization, we'll take the biggest hit, shows that we are supportive of our groups. this will benefit not only the small groups, but the student body.