The USG Senate unanimously approved three amendments to its constitution on Sunday, including a clause that will make the voting records of each Senate member available to the student body.
Under one of the amendments, the vice president is required to ask the Senate before each vote whether there is a motion to take a roll call vote.
A roll call vote involves each member being individually called upon to vote on an issue. The records will then be used to compile each member's voting record.
The second amendment states that the Elections Manager's responsibilities shall now include "making the voting and attendance records of all candidates . . . available for inspection by voters."
"[The amendments are] making it easier for voters to know how senators are voting and how often they are attending meetings," U-Councilor Xiuhui Lim '05 said. "When elections come along, the Elections manager will make sure that these stats are made public so that people will know how their senators are voting on issues."
Roll call votes can only be proposed for nonprocedural matters, that is, "anything that doesn't involve extending time, motions to adjourn and things like that," Lim said.
The final amendment makes it compulsory for the minutes of all USG meetings to be made publicly available. Despite the fact that the minutes were already being posted on the USG website, there was nothing in the constitution that made this necessary.
USG President Leslie-Bernard Joseph '06 also announced the creation of an online USG blog, through which members of the USG will publicly post about the progress of the projects that they are working on.
"Hopefully, the blog will spark discussion and get the student body to get more involved in what the USG is doing," Joseph said.
Joseph said the goal of the blog is to create new links between the student body and the USG.
"Students will know where [the members of the USG] get caught up in snags and when they get into problems with the administration so that everyone knows not only when we succeed but also when we fail or why we can't fulfill all our promises," Joseph said.
The blog will be linked to Tigerforum.net, which is on online discussion forum available to Princeton students.
"When you post something on USG blogspot, you'll also post it on TigerForum, and then allow people to comment," said Class of 2007 Senator Chris Willis '07 at the meeting.
TigerForum.net has been available to students since late last year and has five discussion boards. These include sports, politics, debate, USG debate and general discussion. It is set up in a way that allows students to post their thoughts anonymously or under a screenname.
"We want people to be open about their opinion but we don't want them to feel like they have to conform to anything," Willis said. "[Students can] be extremely honest but [the forum] will be moderated so that it doesn't come down to some sort of a ranting post."
Read More
GSG approves audit, delays budget approval after ‘insufferable’ meeting
Nikki HanThe final Graduate Student Government (GSG) meeting for the semester lasted more than an hour and a half when discussions over the proposed budget for the next year and a proposed Student Life Fee of $100 turned controversial.
The final Graduate Student Government (GSG) meeting for the semester lasted more than an hour and a half when discussions over the proposed budget for the next year and a proposed Student Life Fee of $100 turned controversial.
Effort to restore chapel’s pews slowly progresses
Ben GoldstonHead carpenter Jim Sullivan has been restoring the Chapel pews over the last year. The dry atmosphere of the Chapel has warped the wooden pews over the years.
Head carpenter Jim Sullivan has been restoring the Chapel pews over the last year. The dry atmosphere of the Chapel has warped the wooden pews over the years.
Metals, molecules, and medicine: chemical biology’s influence on health and sustainability
Aanya KaseraChemistry professor Chris Chang’s lab studies the chemical biology of the elements, specifically examining the roles that copper, iron, and zinc play in biology across all kingdoms of life.
Chemistry professor Chris Chang’s lab studies the chemical biology of the elements, specifically examining the roles that copper, iron, and zinc play in biology across all kingdoms of life.