GSG grants Leiby limited role

Leiby, an affiliate staff member at the Center for Jewish Life, had become the Lawrence Committee delegate to the GSG in a controversial election on March 24 but was ineligible to serve because of discrepancies between the constitutions of the two bodies.

The position to which she was elected does not currently exist in the Lawrence Committee’s constitution and bylaws.

In an overwhelmingly positive vote by GSG members, Leiby was granted a placard and access to the GSG listserv.

Leiby was satisfied with the GSG’s decision, she said, because though she is not a formal delegate to the GSG, she has the opportunity to play a role in its decisions through discussions.

“[The decision]’s fine because I can represent the constituents of Lawrence,” she said.

The GSG also presented a motion to write a letter to the Lawrence Committee expressing solidarity and hope that the committee would make changes in its constitution to prevent future problems. This motion, however, was defeated, as several GSG members were reluctant to interfere with the independence of the residential committee.

“It’s ultimately up to the Lawrence Committee ... whether they feel that a GSG representative should be addressed and whether she should have an official position,” Lawrence Committee president Kim Tu GS said.

Following last night’s meeting, committee members will now go back to their constituents and ask them how to best remedy the situation for future elections, Leiby said, adding that the committee will dedicate itself to defining “a constitution that people are happy with and feel is fair.”

“I hope that the Lawrence Committee will feel free to come to us if they want our input in the process,” GSG chair Christina Hultholm GS said.

“But we hope that they’ll be responsive to the wishes of their residents most of all.”

The meeting served successfully as a forum for communication, she said.

“I was happy that people had an opportunity to voice some of their concerns,” she said.

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“It’s clear that people have some fairly divergent opinions on these issues, but at least they had a chance to express their opinions on the record and in public.”

The seven elected positions on the Lawrence Committee, which carry valuable housing advantages amid a chronic graduate housing shortage, were decided by only 20 voters, as opposed to by all Lawrence residents as had occurred in previous years.

Additionally, all seats, including those held by incumbents, were open for election, which differed from previous years. This was the result of a decision made by the Graduate School after the Lawrence Committee became aware of inconsistencies between protocol and policies stated in the body’s constitution and bylaws.