Fewer seats will be filled at Associated Student Government’s first Senate meeting of the year tonight, after a rules change last year reduced the number of senators from 83 to 49.

The new senators will learn some of the rules of ASG and take one of their first votes on a resolution welcoming students from hurricane-affected schools.

Most students won’t notice a difference in the student government, Speaker of the Senate Dan Broadwell said. Student group leaders working with ASG will find that each senator’s vote counts more.

“The (smaller) number might make the process a little more intense,” said Broadwell, a Communication senior.

A proposal to reduce the number of Senate seats was first made last Spring by former Senate speaker Matt Hall, Communication ’05. Hall said at the time that Senate meetings sometimes ran like a “circus.”

The most obvious impact of the Senate reduction will be less chaotic ASG meetings, Broadwell said. Discussions could become rambunctious when discussing funding or controversial issues, and a smaller group may result in more efficient debates.

“The noise level will be a little more manageable in the room,” he said. “I’m hoping that we’ll be able to maintain the same level of debate.”

The largest cut in numbers came from dorm representation. Last year, dorms had 42 Senate spots, and senators were elected directly by residents. This year, residents picked nominees, who were then interviewed by the Residence Hall Association and Residential College Board. Fifteen students were selected for dorm senator positions.

RCB asked residential colleges to pick one or two nominees, depending on the size of the dorm. Most had primary elections or an application process, RCB President Lauren Holliday said. RCB then chose five of the 15 nominees to represent residential colleges.

RCB tried to choose senators from colleges of various sizes and locations so residential colleges who do not have their own senators still feel they are represented in ASG, said Holliday, a Weinberg senior. Holliday added that she hopes the smaller number of senators will mean a more concentrated commitment to ASG.

“I think that we have increased the quality of our representation,” she said.

RHA appointed the other 10 dorm spots. The organization’s process for choosing senators was similar to RCB’s, but they required dorms to hold primary elections. Residential colleges could choose nominees any way they wanted, Broadwell said.

New and returning senators also will hear a resolution extending a formal welcome to students from Tulane and other schools impacted by Hurricane Katrina. While a resolution does not result in any action, Wednesday’s one is an effort to help the hurricane-affected students feel more comfortable, said its sponsor, off-campus Sen. Howard W. Buffett.

“Imagine if we had Lake Michigan flood Northwestern and all of a sudden we had to go attend classes at Harvard,” said Buffett, a Communication senior. “From an emotional standpoint, some students might not feel comfortable at what they consider another student’s university.”

Buffett said he doesn’t expect any further legislation on the issue.

The rest of the meeting will be devoted to giving new senators information about choosing committees and planning the annual Senate retreat this weekend, Broadwell said.

Broadwell said he hopes to continue a practice started last year at the retreat, where returning senators meet to brainstorm ideas for making ASG more productive as the new senators learn the basics.

Reach Diana Samuels at [email protected].

WHAT WILL ASG DO ToNIGHT?

• Hold the first meeting with a reduced Senateroster, cut from 83 to 49.
• Vote on a resolution welcoming students affected by Hurricane Katrina.
• Give senators information about joining committees and attending the Senate retreat.