Senators ready to move on

Following the resignations of nine-term Student Association member J.P. Blackford and Christian Salmon, both graduate senators in the School of Engineering and Applied Science, senators discussed the replacement of old members and tried move past recent SA controversy at their meeting Tuesday.

Replacing Blackford, former chairman of the Rules Committee and Senate Chair Pro Tempore, is an important part of the moving on process. Sen. Nina Kollars (G-ESIA) said she is in support of having Sen. Omar Woodard (U-ESIA) fill the rules position recently vacated by Blackford.

“When I think of a balanced, level-headed and determined individual who would let the facts speak for themselves I think of Omar,” Kollars said. “I think he would be an excellent leader for the Rules Committee.”

Students for Accountability held a meeting Sunday to address student concerns about SA responsibility. About 20 students and SA members addressed concerns about the SA’s basic structure and communication with students.

“I thought the meeting was really helpful, in that a lot of the problems students had with the SA we’re already working to fix,” Executive Vice President Eric Daleo said.

SA vows to improve communication

In response to concerns about the organization’s lack of communication with the student body, the SA has initiated efforts to create a student e-mail listserv and increase advertising of SA meetings to enhance SA-student discussion.

The Senate student e-mail listserv will distribute weekly or biweekly e-mail messages to students concerning upcoming meetings, legislation and how students can become more involved in the process. Students can now sign up to receive the e-mail on the Senate’s Web site, www.senate.gwu.edu. The SA also plans to place more signs and posters around campus to alert students of upcoming meetings.

Daleo mentioned the Senate will begin posting its expenditures on the Web site “within the next 30 days.” The SA legislative database, modeled after the U.S. Senate’s site, is also expected to be available on the site by the end of the semester.

“We’re working really hard to improve communication between ourselves and the student body,” Daleo said.

The next Senate meeting will be Dec. 3 in Marvin Center 403 at 9 p.m., while the next SA Town Hall meeting will take place Dec. 10 from 8 to 9:30 p.m. in Gelman Library.

-T. Neil Sroka