SGA Update

Author: Aseem Mulji

The Student Government Association (SGA) meeting on March 9 featured a presentation by the Student Comprehensive Fee Committee as well as a brief discussion of the Honor Code review process. Four new members also made their debut: SGA President Hiba Fakhoury '09, Brainerd Commons Senator Janet Gehrmann '12, Junior Senator Chris Goodrich and First-year Feb Senator Worth Baker.

The Comprehensive Fee Committee, led by Chair Caroline Woodworth '09, presented its recommendations in a sleek PowerPoint presentation titled "Taking Initiative: Maintaining Core Values at Middlebury." The committee began its presentation by noting that no budget cuts should come at the expense of Middlebury's "core values," or those qualities that make Middlebury a top liberal arts institution both academically and socially. With this in mind, the committee suggested a four-percent increase in the comprehensive fee, which would bring it to over $50,000.

Some senators expressed concern about the future of financial aid, given the current national recession. The committee assured the SGA that Middlebury would continue to be need-blind and meet full demonstrated need.

Woodworth quickly presented revisions to the SGA Finance Committee Guidelines, which essentially stated that the committee could not fulfill student organization budget requests for live animals or firearm ammunition. The SGA approved these changes unanimously.

Woodworth also suggested that the Student Activities Fee be held constant at $380 to ensure that the Finance Committee has a significant pot of money to distribute to student organizations. This recommendation was also approved by the SGA.

The SGA again discussed the Honor Code Review process. Much of the discussion revolved around procedure. After a somewhat disorderly, confusing discussion, the SGA decided that its primary task is to organize and mobilize a vote in which two-thirds of the student body participates.

Some senators expressed doubt that a two-thirds vote of the entire student body is possible at all, given the low turnout in SGA elections. Antoinette Rangel '09, student co-chair of the Community Council, reminded the SGA that a less-than-two-thirds turnout would not be an acceptable outcome.