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Dorm govc about sena By WAYNE BROOKS Gamecock Staff Writer The student senate's reapportionment bill ignores fair representation and student input from residence halls, many residence hall government officers say. Many dorm officers objected to the idea of having senators and atlarge senators representing more than one residence hall government. They said the bill will cause a breakdown in student input and communication between a senator and his constituency. AN AT-LARGE senator represents residence halls that also have individual senators. Residence halls are allowed an atlarge senator when the number of residents in the combined dorms allows representation by an additional senator. The candidate who wins the at-large seat would represent his hall and the other hall in his voting district. The bill is in effect, and senate seats have been redistributed for next week's elections. Sharon Rodgers, president of the Council of Presidents, presented a resolution to the student senate Wednesday denouncing the bill. The resolution said the senate had not consulted the residence hall governments about on-campus senate representation. It also said the senate had failed to recognize each residence hall government as a "separate entity." THE RESOLUTION asked the senate to re-evaluate the reapportionment bill to "develop some device whereby each residence hall can be individually represented." The Council of Presidents is composed of residence hall government presidents. Sen. Mark Hopkins, who wrote the bill, said the student government. constitution requires that senate reapportionment be based on a 400-student-per-senator ratio. oi dorms' loss of representation because of combined-dorm representation, Hopkins said, "That's just tough. I don't care. The bill must be based on population alone." Marie Youngblood, South Building president said combining HAIR I "HAIRSTYLES ELEVEN ARC COLUMB (803) 79 OWNED BY: P WE HAVE THREE TO SERV *wr?*?'?wy > ? ? > ^raiment off ite reapport dorms for senate representation is objectionable. "If it were possible for dorms to be grouped together in a way in which there could be communication between them, it would be fine." Youngblood also said she didn't think having at-large senators would work. "It wouldn't be fair to South Tower because there are a lot more people in South Building than South Tower," she said. "A senator cannot represent both dorms. That's too many people to represent. An at-large senator n..ju; 1 j ?' Hum ouuni Duuuing wouia noi oe able to have good contact with South Tower." DIBBIE SHEALY, South Tower president, said she objects to atlarge representation. "If we have an at-large senator from South Building, we won't even know her." Shealy said at-large representation would allow little student input from individual residence halls. Dillip Hedge, Columbia Hall president, objects to at-large representation of his dorm, Capstone and International House. "I don't think it is feasible," he said. "One senator cannot represent the interests of all three dorms." Hedge said Capstone has more residents than Columbia Hall. "It's a lopsided balance. The at-large senator would usually come from Capstone." Laurie Frost, a senator and president of Capstone, said the senate should not have lowered the number senators in different areas "because you need input from different areas." An at-large senator would not be in contact with dorms in which she does not live." Frost said at-large representation would also "generate too much confusion about who represents whom." "As far as dorm representation is concerned, I like the way the senate is apportioned now." "IT SOUNDS STDPII) to me," George Stuart, Maxcy-Thornwell secretary, said. "I don't know what their intentions are, but it seems that they're taking representation away from a lot of dorms. I don't see why each dorm can't have a senator." 1 PLACE for people" :ade mall tia, s.c. lA A?AC 7*7aQ3 AUL TISDALE : HAIRSTYLISTS E YOU m y icials upset ionment Stuart said the bill "will make the senate less representative of students. A senator should be part of his constituency. There's no way a senator from Maxcy-Thornwell can represent the Horseshoe, and vice verse. We might as well be grouped with Snowden because we don't interact with the Horseshoe on an official basis." Stuart said the senate had failed to streamline itself. "They have interfered with the purpose of the senate, which is to represent the students. They've made everything much more complicated and it doesn't help anything." Dawnya Fisher, Sims president, whose dorm will not be affected by the bill, said she thought the bill would not give other dorms fair representation. "At-large senators will not be of any use to anybody but the dorms they live in. This bill doesn't make any sense. It indicates that the senate does not take what the students need into consideration." Fisher said the three dorms in the Women's Quadrangle, which has two senators, should each have a senator instead of sharing senators. She said each of the dorms has its own government and that they "do not come together under a central government." Gibson Hopper, Horseshoe president, said he did not like the bill "if it was done for efficiency. The whole idea should be representation, and they're ignoring it. Each dorm has its own interests. I think the way the senate is apportioned now is better than what the bill calls for." Ricky Kizer, Bates House president, said he is opposed to the bill. "Having an at-large senator will cause conflicts when a senator lives in one building and represents (BWI 9 1 a WITH PURCIMON ? mi Across from (JSC c.w-'mi<<j>wi-u>*>mnnx~~rrii c " t 1 ? "They've made ^complicated an< anything." Maxc) his building and other buildings V too." a Kizer said he objects to having an at-laree senator with Bates i> West and The Roost. "Bates House al is completely independent of Bates T West and the Roost. A senator from bi Bates would not deal with Bates E West or the Roost and could not s< represent them." m "I'M SATISFIED with the 'V present system of apportionment, sj Tim p^spn speakin American 1945 Wed. March i Carolina C Free Adn WgjFl >e MSCI 1ASE OF ANY S .-TUES.-WED. O K Delivery Every I : Law Center 629 Main I everything more d it doesn't help \ ? George Stuart /-Thornwell secretary Je should work with that," Kizer aid. Joanne Natale, Baker president, ointed out that the bill would now uie four senators from the owers to come from the same uilding. "I don't think that's fair, ach of the Towers should have a mator." Natale said 400 people is too lany for a senator to represent, especially when the people are >read out." EARYl '.B g on Cultures 1985 30 8 p.m. !ollseum n ifiolAn lAmKHJIVfU s ANDWICH NLY Day ? ? . 771-4098