Student Senate elects new External Affairs chair, calls for injunction against sticker policy

09/11/08 - During the second Student Senate meeting of the year, senators voted a new leader to the table, filling the vacant seat for External Affairs chair.Andrew O'Brien was nominated for the position by senator Robert Stewart, and ran unopposed after Chief Operations Officer Josh Feinberg declined a nomination he received during the last meeting.

Feinberg said in a telephone interview that he stepped out of the running for the post in the interest of preserving his current office. Last year, he and Senate President Tom Ahrens had fought to keep the position of COO alive, and if he won the External Affairs position, the COO post would likely remain vacant, he said.

Before the nomination was put to vote, Stewart explained his reasons for nominating O'Brien, commending his dedication and his involvement in community affairs.

"He lives off-campus so he also knows that perspective on most off-campus issues, and the fact is, he frankly shows his enthusiasm to get more involved," he said. "I definitely think he's qualified for this position."

Ahrens also endorsed O'Brien prior to the vote.

"I was the External Affairs chair before ... and I have a pretty good idea about it so I'll help senator O'Brien go through it, and I feel confident that he is going to do a good job and attend the meetings and what not," Ahrens said.

O'Brien expressed his enthusiasm for the new position.

"This was proposed to me ... and I kind of put it to the side a couple of weeks ago, but the more I thought about it the more perfect it was for me," he said.

O'Brien also expressed interest in the ongoing lawsuit over Narragansett's orange sticker policy, and cited his perspective on the issue.

"I'm good friends with the Narragansett police commissioner so I know both sides of the issues," he said.

Ahrens announced that the Senate intends to file for an injunction against the prosecution of any other students tied up in cases over the orange sticker policy. There are currently three cases suspended until the outcome of the Senate's suit agains the town is decided. The injunction will be based on the decision to suspend action against the three and because the policy is being challenged on constitutional grounds, he said.

In other business:

The senate recognized the Student Alliance for the Welfare of Africa as a Level 4 student organization. S.A.W.A. president Samuel Aboh explained that the purpose of the organization was to work to promote intercultural unity and to dispel stereotypes.

"Not everybody over there wears loincloths, we do have skyscrapers ... unfortunately there are some afflictions that the continent faces and if you want to help address this, this is probably your organization," Aboh said.

Campus Police Officer Mark Chearino asked the Senate to help spread the word about parking ticket fee increases. Tickets for campus parking violations have gone up to $85, a $40 increase over last year. He explained that all parking fees go directly to state funding.

"Eighty-five dollars is way too much ... I have the dirty job of having to go out there and ticket the students at $85 and I don't agree with it, so please pass that along anyway you can," Chearino said.

The Senate voted unanimously to approve a $1,200 contingency grant request from the Outing Club for the purchase of indoor rock climbing passes to the Rhode Island Rock Gym.