Spring Break
Ban recommendation tabled
Legal issues cited as reasoning for Student Senate's decision
Mark Schaaf
Issue date: 12/1/05 Section: Campus News
Student Senate reconvened after Thanksgiving break with a brisk, 45-minute meeting Monday night in the Tamarack Room, Davies Center.
Many tensions remained after the Senate tabled a resolution weighing in on UW-Eau Claire's RA policy, which banned senior RA Lance Steiger from holding Bible studies in his residence hall or dorm room.
The senators voted 12-12, which Senate President Aaron Olson broke by casting the deciding vote.
After he announced his vote, the room erupted, with Senator Brandon Buchanan storming out of the room and members of the gallery standing up and openly voicing displeasure.
"I think it's a sham to say that we represent students and we'll postpone indefinitely an issue where students were there," Buchanan said moments after the vote. "That's an act of cowardice. They're hiding behind someone's skirt."
Olson and other senators who voted to table the resolution stood by their decision. But after state Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager declined to issue an opinion on the issue, the UW System will have to initiate a new course of action to assess the legality of the policy, said Doug Bradley, communications director for the System.
Executive Director of University Communications Mike Rindo explained the policy to the Senate Monday, saying it extends to any religious, political or sales-related activities in an RA's residence hall or dorm room.
Buchanan said they chose that path so each side would not be competing for time spent on its resolution. Instead of voting on each one, the body would have voted to strike one portion from the resolution.
While many were unhappy with the decision, several said they understood the Senate's reasoning.
"I understand the legal issues about it, I don't think that's any reason why Student Senate can't say as a student body, 'This is how we feel about the issue,' " senior Mike Gerges said.Senior and former RA Christine Kuck said during the debate that, as a student, she didn't feel like her representatives were listening to her concerns.
"I really wish, (because) there were so many people here tonight, that (the resolution) would have been more recognized," Kuck said. "But I understand it, I just don't agree with it."
Many tensions remained after the Senate tabled a resolution weighing in on UW-Eau Claire's RA policy, which banned senior RA Lance Steiger from holding Bible studies in his residence hall or dorm room.
The senators voted 12-12, which Senate President Aaron Olson broke by casting the deciding vote.
After he announced his vote, the room erupted, with Senator Brandon Buchanan storming out of the room and members of the gallery standing up and openly voicing displeasure.
"I think it's a sham to say that we represent students and we'll postpone indefinitely an issue where students were there," Buchanan said moments after the vote. "That's an act of cowardice. They're hiding behind someone's skirt."
Olson and other senators who voted to table the resolution stood by their decision. But after state Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager declined to issue an opinion on the issue, the UW System will have to initiate a new course of action to assess the legality of the policy, said Doug Bradley, communications director for the System.
Executive Director of University Communications Mike Rindo explained the policy to the Senate Monday, saying it extends to any religious, political or sales-related activities in an RA's residence hall or dorm room.
Buchanan said they chose that path so each side would not be competing for time spent on its resolution. Instead of voting on each one, the body would have voted to strike one portion from the resolution.
While many were unhappy with the decision, several said they understood the Senate's reasoning.
"I understand the legal issues about it, I don't think that's any reason why Student Senate can't say as a student body, 'This is how we feel about the issue,' " senior Mike Gerges said.Senior and former RA Christine Kuck said during the debate that, as a student, she didn't feel like her representatives were listening to her concerns.
"I really wish, (because) there were so many people here tonight, that (the resolution) would have been more recognized," Kuck said. "But I understand it, I just don't agree with it."
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