Katrina relief petition illegal
Student Senate president requests apology from authors
Mark Schaaf
Issue date: 9/19/05 Section: Campus News
"With your lack of appreciation for ethics and law, you have put the student body in a state of confusion and potential mistrust of its representatives," Olson said in a letter to the PSA. He cited three examples, including one student who thought the dollar was coming out of her Blugold account.
Werthmann and Buchanan insisted the petition, which carried nearly 1,400 signatures, was explained fully.
"They felt OK if $1 was going to be designated to the victims of Hurricane Katrina," Werthmann said, adding that no activities or groups would lose money because the aid was to come out of a fund used only for emergencies.
Junior Katie Miles agreed with Werthmann, saying she knew exactly what she was signing off on when she signed the petition Sept. 12.
Sophomore Scott Anderson, however, said he did not.
"I basically just signed it to get the guy away from me," Anderson said. "I asked him what it was for and he said, 'relief for Hurricane Katrina victims,' and I was like 'OK.'"
Even though the petition was fully explained to junior Drew Duggan, he said finding out it is illegal is unsettling.
"It kind of makes me mad because they should have thought of that beforehand and they should have covered all their bases," Duggan said. "And now I feel misled by my representatives."
Werthmann and Buchanan insisted the petition, which carried nearly 1,400 signatures, was explained fully.
"They felt OK if $1 was going to be designated to the victims of Hurricane Katrina," Werthmann said, adding that no activities or groups would lose money because the aid was to come out of a fund used only for emergencies.
Junior Katie Miles agreed with Werthmann, saying she knew exactly what she was signing off on when she signed the petition Sept. 12.
Sophomore Scott Anderson, however, said he did not.
"I basically just signed it to get the guy away from me," Anderson said. "I asked him what it was for and he said, 'relief for Hurricane Katrina victims,' and I was like 'OK.'"
Even though the petition was fully explained to junior Drew Duggan, he said finding out it is illegal is unsettling.
"It kind of makes me mad because they should have thought of that beforehand and they should have covered all their bases," Duggan said. "And now I feel misled by my representatives."