The Oct. 2 DU Undergraduate Student Government meeting included a vote on controversial legislation and an announcement regarding DU administrators’ harrowing shift in protocol.
Vice President Holden Fitzgerald called the Oct. 2 meeting to order. Without any Old Business, New Business was immediately discussed. The proposition R1819-0013 Executive Proposition—introduced by President Pro-Tempore Matthew Walter—aimed to give the Vice President the power to introduce and debate legislation, as well as the power to vote in case of a tie. Some senators expressed their views while others remained silent. After contentious debate, a cloture was called, and R1819-0013 passed with ten yeas and five nays.
Next, visiting student constituent and second-year Izzy Dreyfus’s proposal was voted on. Dreyfus’s R1819-0014 Financial Literacy Task Force proposed to establish a temporary financial literacy program for current students at DU. It passed unanimously.
Executive Reports started with Fitzgerald concerning USG Homecoming duties and Walter concerning Senate procedure and communication. Chief-of-Staff Sophia Sterling announced the new seating chart and the new sign-up sheet for visiting student constituents. Secretaries of Fraternity & Sorority Life Tom Dattilo and Savanna Morrison summarized the results from IFC recruitment and announced events.
Secretary of Collegiate Gender Violence Topics Kendall Fowler disclosed DU’s rollbacks of Title IX, including the removal of case timelines, the curtailment of the mediator requirement, a complete lack of Title IX coordinator and much more. This rollback seems to many students like a cruel affront, especially considering the recent high-profile testimonies regarding sexual assault.
Secretary of Campus Traditions Laura Nierengarten discussed USG duties during Homecoming. Co-President of DU Programming Board Kira Pratt discussed the successful Hockey Campout and future events: Breakfast Club starting Oct. 12 and Halloween events. Reports from Senators followed.
Finance Committee Senator Natasha Crawford discussed USG funding and finance. Student Organizations Committee Senator Samuel Holt reported on new student organization guidelines. Senior Senator William Alverson discussed DUWorks, and Off-Campus Senator Grace Glaser reported on a possible partnership with Denver Police Department regarding issues of sexual assault. If you would like further information or assistance regarding this issue, DU CAPE is one of the many resources for you.
If you would like to participate in USG, meetings are a public forum and can be attended by all students. They are held every Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Anderson Academic Commons 301.
