Elections bring new members, issues to Senate

Two student mandates assumed their roles in Student Senate at Sunday's transitional meetings.

Junior Angela Crawford took her seat as president as she and all nine Bulldog Party candidates were elected in last week's elections. With 1,390 voters, Crawford beat sophomore Brandon Large, the Student Coalition for Change candidate, by more than 500 votes.

Crawford said her win indicates that students agree with her issues.

"That tells me that students want to see a variety of ambitious but achievable goals for next year," Crawford said.

However, students voted by an equally wide margin on measures brought forward by petitions supported by senator junior Josh Kappel.

Kappel, who received the most votes of the 14 candidates for 12 senator-at-large positions, also claimed victory with students supporting provisional membership in Missouri Students United! and voicing strong opposition to the University's parental notification procedure for drug and alcohol violations.

Kappel said it shows students' opposition to the University invading their family lives.

"Sometimes it's not in the [students'] best interest to do that," Kappel said. "They need to talk to the students to set that policy."

Lou Ann Gilchrist, dean of student affairs, said she saw the issue's rejection as affirming her office's current procedure.

"The only time we notify parents is in cases of safety," Gilchrist said. "I thought the resolution was a little bit odd."

Gilchrist said that during conduct board meetings, students are asked if they have contacted their parents.

Gilchrist said the procedure is not a policy written and approved by the Board of Governors, and much confusion exists.

"This is based on an assumption that we have total control," Gilchrist said. "Since [the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act], we can be more liberal in how we apply it."

Gilchrist said she receives an equal number of complaints from students who think the procedure is too strict as well as those who wish the University would increase enforcement.

"We've chosen to take the moderate road to respect a student's developmental needs but also respect their safety," Gilchrist said.

The referendum asked students if they believed that the University should contact the parents of students who violate the University's drug and alcohol policy but whose lives are not in danger or are not repeat offenders.

The question came about when Kappel proposed a resolution objecting to how the University notified parents of students. The resolution failed after a petition asking a similar question was certified.

Kappel said that with the result, Students for a Sensible Drug Policy will sponsor a forum May 2, where students can propose ideas for new a policy or ask for its repeal.

Gilchrist said she encourages students to come forward with a sensible policy.

She said that students need to be clear if her office should treat drug offenses the same as alcohol.

Crawford said the ballot question should not have been placed, but she thinks the administration will continue to work with students on this issue.

"I'm disappointed that the referendum went on the ballot because the administration would have been more willing to work with us on the policy," Crawford said.

Crawford, who previously served as academic affairs chairwoman, said a large part of her presidency will be devoted to pursuing curriculum reform.

"We're using [Senate's vision document] Arête as a base," Crawford said. "We want a curriculum that gives students more opportunities for experiences that we might otherwise not fit in."

In addition to Kappel, students elected four Coalition candidates to Senate. Kappel said both Coalition candidates who were not elected last week have expressed an interest in running again.

Kappel said the Coalition plans to run candidates in September's election.

"One of the Coalition's ideas is to lead student organizations to complete their missions and have Student Senate be that catalyst for them to accomplish their goals," he said.