Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Senate Evaluates Senate F By ERNIE KASTNER Gamecock Staff Writer The Student Senate must work toward strengthening its persuasive . powers to accomplish its goals, according to Tim McConnell, senate presi dent. "We have no real constitu tional powers," McConnell said. "We must realize this and work to establish our persuasive pow ers to encourage the Board of Trustees to do what the stu dents at Carolina want and need." McConnell added that the USC Constitution states "The Board of Trustees is by law the governing board of the Univer sity, and this constitution is no way abrogates or limits the authority of the Board in mat ters of governance." "We are supposed to be able to set the fees and regulate parking, "McConnell said, "but just last year the student fees were raised and the Student Senate knew nothing at all about it." Concerning parking prob lems, McConnell said, "We have tried to initiate some solutions, but so far we have been blocked and have not been able to do it." 20c PEI HEIDELBE WEDNESD. Ma maa Pump 215 Pick Happy Hour I lOsi BICY Quality European Bi Manufactured By: ( Paris-Sport, Falcon-li In Cohi CAT E'S C Box Cedar Terrace 6420 Sumter Phi 776 1:15 to 8p.m. A# Persuasivesness 'owers Ne 'We have no real. consti realize this and work to estt ers to encourage the Boa, the students at Carolina wi "I feel the key to the whole thing "is to build better com munications with the administ ration, and to do this we need more active student participa tion," McConnell said. He added that to get more stu dent participation, the senate must "work within the system to improve the present situa tion. We must work with what we've got." Carolina's present senate has actively sought to get involved with the issues facing the stu dents, McConnell said. As in previous years, much of the legislation has dealt with the senate itself. "We must make a move in the direction of getting involved in things that will affect the student body." The "main problem" facing the student senate, according to McConnell, is that in past years the students have been misled, and the students' confidence in t BEER RG ON TAP &Y NIGHTS Little Room ens Street )aily-5to6 PEED CLES cycles From $95.00 ~itane, Bottecchia, Kaino, Cinelli, Colnago imbla See: OTTAGE 9342 Shopping Center Hwy. (29209) mne: -1209 Ion. through Sat. ed Stren< tutional oowers. We must tblish our persuasive now rd of Trustees to do what int and need.' -Tim McConnell the senate has "really been on a low-key basis." Until the senate does something to regain this confidence, "we can expect no participation from stu dents." Student senators must go to their constituents, McConnell said, and find out what their problems are. The senate must then coordinate its efforts in all concerned areas. "Many people have said that if we (the senate) were to get involved in one big issue, it might alleviate some of our dif ficulties," McConnell added. "This may be so if we can affect change. The only way we are going to do this, however, is by using our persuasive powers toward the administration." Right now the senate has eight standing committees, McConnell said. All new student senators attend an orientation session to give them all their .y: "WEDNESDAY The Russell House Ce ning, February 28th. I Eat on Ci jthening necessary materials and to instruct them on parliamentary procedures, rules of the senate and the Constitution of the stu dent body. "I think in the past a lot of the senators have gotten over whelmed in parliamentary procedure." McConnell added. "We need it but we shouldn't let it destroy the senate. If we could get around the mechanics smoothly, we could really have. a more active senate." In discussing his personal goals for the student senate, McConnell said, "I would like to see the senate set up a student chartering commission. This is currently being handled by the student affairs committee." The chartering commission, McConnell added, will be com posed entirely of students with faculty and administration advisors. This commission will decide what organizations get chartered, according their needed finances and their over all objectives. "I hope that this commission can be active within two weeks." There is also a need for a joint body of faculty, students and administration officials, McConnell said. This "University Senate," could tie in a lot of different areas. It YOU COME TO MA feteria will be Mama Leor Because we'll be serving d impus. University Dning S TIM McCONNELL ...'no real powers.' could adopt a central goal and get something substantial accomplished. So far, McConnell added, both the faculty and the administra tion have not been too keen on this idea. They feel that the stu dent senate has not been "responsible enough." The senate must convince them otherwise. "We (the student senate) feel as representatives of the stu dent body that such actions are in the best interest of the stu dents," McConnell said. "I feel that we sould attempt things in behalf of the student body. That is really what we are here for." "However, we cannot do any thing more than the student body allows us to do. MALOES e' ensay..e linrItla-sye /rin