Associated Student Government will start the Senate season a little early this year.
Fall Quarter’s first meeting will kick off an hour earlier than usual tonight so senators can hear the Rev. Jesse Jackson speak at 7 p.m. in Cahn Auditorium at a voter registration rally.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Jesse Jackson talk,” said Speaker of the Senate Kawika Pierson. “It’s not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go to the first Senate meeting.”
At the 6 p.m. meeting, Executive Board members are slated to welcome the new batch of senators, confirm Edith Rivera as the new ASG treasurer and vote on a resolution commemorating the life of Peter Stein, Weinberg ’02, who drowned in a New York river last week.
The Executive Board selected Rivera, a Communication junior, as the permanent replacement of Weinberg senior J.D. Robertson, who resigned in May.
Although the board rejected a previous applicant for having too many commitments, Rivera, president and former treasurer of Alianza, said she has time for the job.
Executive Board members initially were concerned, said Rachel Lopez, ASG president. But Rivera persuaded them she could handle the job by showing her knowledge of the treasurer’s responsibilities and dropping other commitments.
“Alianza president is the only other duty I have,” Rivera said. “A lot of the members of the Executive Board are involved in other activities.”
Although legislation usually is not introduced until the second meeting, an exception will be made tonight as Nicole Mash, executive vice president, will introduce a piece of legislation written in memory of Stein.
“I’m writing it because I think it expresses the sentiments of the undergraduate community — that we’re all upset about losing somebody who was so young,” said Mash, a Weinberg senior. “It will call on the student body to give their support to his family and friends, and it is also saying that ASG is a body that would like to offer its condolences.”
The resolution also will serve as a lesson for new senators on how legislation is passed, said Pierson, a McCormick senior.
“We’re going to use the bill to commemorate (Stein’s) life and get new senators’ feet wet,” he said.
But the meeting mostly will serve as an introduction to ASG proceedings for all new senators while other campus issues are put on hold until next week, Pierson said.
Senators will use tonight’s meeting to prepare for this weekend’s retreat to a “rustic summer camp” in Pretty Lake, Mich.
“It gives senators a chance to bond (with) themselves and come out a cohesive unit that can fight for student issues,” Pierson said.
In addition, William Banis, vice president for student affairs, is scheduled to speak at the meeting and answer senators’ questions. The Executive Board hopes his appearance will stimulate a dialogue with the administration and force senators to ask thoughtful questions and consider new initiatives, Pierson said.
