Issue date: 2/9/10 Section: News

Media Credit: Sean Roberts/Alestle Nolan Sharkey, junior business major from Fairview Heights, speaks during the open forum of the Student Government meeting Friday. The creation of the Resident and Commuter Life Senate Committee prompted his questions.

A recently passed Student Government bill instating a Resident and Commuter Life Senate Committee sparked a debate with the Residence Housing Association at Friday's Student Government meeting.

Senate Bill 10-09-02, proposed by Sen. Joel Durham, was passed at the Jan. 22 Student Government meeting. Members of RHA raised concerns Friday over the purpose and necessity of the committee.

Durham said the committee's purpose is to benefit students and create a relationship with RHA. "Students came to the Student Government to address concerns, and they stated that they weren't really comfortable going to RHA. And as we are the student body's voice, we have to listen to their complaints and do whatever we can," Durham said.

Student Body President Brandon Rahn said the committee will discuss commuter and resident housing issues and present their discussions to RHA.

"We would discuss what's going on, report back to the senate, then the senate will [say], 'Okay, we'll pass this on through our liaison to RHA or through the president,'" Rahn said.

SG Trustee Amber Suggs said, "to a degree, everybody's problem is our problem," at Friday's SG meeting during the open forum discussion, which included representation of the RHA from the associations President Max Orris, junior Nolan Sharkey and sophomore political science major Jacob Manuel.

Sharkey asked SG to rescind the bill because he said it was "a little rushed."

"I think you should have a pretty good organized idea before it's voted on," Sharkey said.

Manuel said he believes that issues need to be resolved between RHA and SG, but that all avenues were not explored prior to approving the committee.

"The current channels were not taken advantage of, in my opinion, [and] those should have been exhausted before they go and create what is essentially, in my opinion, an oversight committee," Manuel said. "And if it became evident that those channels didn't work, then yeah, create the committee; but I don't believe that's what happened."

Continued...

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