'Student Bill of Rights' passes with 51.8 percent

By a margin of 62 votes out of 1,682, 51.8 percent of the student body passed the College Republican-sponsored Student Bill of Rights referendum Wednesday, in an election that also named 10 new U-Councilors and a bevy of class officers.

Two elections — USG social chair and Class of 2009 social chair — remain undecided.

"Speaking for the elections managers, we were all very pleased with the elections," USG vice president and elections manager Rob Biederman '08 said. "Every candidate ran a responsible, clean campaign and we didn't have any appeals on discipline."

"The turnout was very high compared to historical numbers, which is a testament to the hard work that all the candidates put into their campaigns," Biederman added, estimating that around 2,000 students cast votes.

Twenty-two students ran for U-Council this year, up from 14 in the previous election. Of the nine freshmen who ran, none was elected. "I'm disappointed that no freshmen won," Biederman said.

Every U-Councilor who ran for reelection was reelected. Of the 10 winners, only two were women. In the last term, half of the U-Councilors were women.

Andrew Heyman '07 and Leland Hull '08 will enter a runoff for USG social chair, and Rebecca Silver '09 and Erin Mesdag '09 will compete for Class of 2009 social chair. The presidents and vice presidents of the classes of 2008 and 2007 ran unopposed.

"The election process was interesting," newly-elected U-Councilor Antonio Lacayo '07 said. "I got to meet a lot of new people during my campaign. There was a lot of enthusiasm, from both students and all of the candidates running."

Bill of Rights

Almost 52 percent of students voted in favor of the Student Bill of Rights (SBOR), a one-page bill that seeks to promote "academic freedom and intellectual diversity within the University community."

The document outlines principles for removing ideological bias from student grading, classroom discussions, professor hiring and the selection of campus speakers.

"The first thing we plan to do now that the referendum has passed is to send a copy of the Student Bill of Rights to department chairs and senior administrators," College Republicans president Alexander Maugeri '07 said.

"The obstacle now is to make sure the faculty knows that at least some students have perceived problems with bias or grading on political views rather than merit," Maugeri, who is also an associate editor at The Daily Princetonian, said.

Senior administrators, including the dean of the college, the dean of the faculty and the dean of undergraduate students declined to comment on the referendum. "I am still studying the issue and cannot comment further at this time," Dean of the Faculty David Dobkin said in an email.

U-Councilor Jeremy Johnson '07 opposed the referendum. "While a teacher should never attempt to force their beliefs upon their students, one of the most interesting ways to convey a nuanced argument is for a teacher to explain what they believe and why," he said. "So long as it is made clear that what they are saying is their own personal belief and up for debate, there is nothing wrong with this approach."

Though the University's "Rights, Rules and Responsibilities" states that the University is "unwavering in [its] commitment to both diversity and community in a context of academic excellence," Maugeri said this provision has not prevented the expression of bias against certain viewpoints, citing the recent destruction of the Princeton Pro-Life flag display in front of Frist Campus Center.

"Those statements are in the 'Rights, Rules and Responsibilities' put forward by Nassau Hall, not students," Maugeri said. "This referendum is a collective affirmation of what students see as issues of serious concern."

Some USG senators have argued that, at 200 names, the threshold number of signatures required to present a referendum to students is too small.

"At our next meeting we may discuss an amendment to require more signatures to put a referendum before the students," Biederman said.

In terms of taking action on SBOR itself, Biederman said that "it contains no provisions for enforcement by the USG."

"I'm pleased that students got a chance to express their voice," he added. "Students felt strongly, and using the referendum process, made a statement, and that's that."

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