DSG considers smaller senate size Wednesday

Duke Student Government Senate discussed a potential reduction in the size of the Senate at its meeting Wednesday.

Freshman Jackson Dellinger, senator for Durham and regional affairs, freshman Josh Curtis, senator for academic affairs and freshman Michael Brunetti, senator for services, presented a new Senate bylaw and constitutional revision that would decrease the number of senators from 60 to 45. As of now, all committees have 10 senators each, except for Social Culture and Facilities and the Environment, which have five senators. The proposed changes would reduce the committees that currently have 10 senators to seven senators, four of whom will be elected by each class and three that will be appointed by a DSG committee.

“If the Senate gets a little bit smaller, people will probably engage more and we will actually get more done here,” Dellinger said.

Video: DSG Senate meeting Feb. 17, 2016

One expressed concern was the loss of lobbying power, as many senators lobby the administration and taking away senators would decrease the number of people who are able to lobby. To this, Dellinger responded by saying that Senate should take more advantage of ad-hoc members, who can lobby but are not required to come to Senate meetings.

Dellinger noted that there was a measure to correct low senator attendance at meetings. He said that on average, 50 senators attended a Senate meeting during the first semester and 48 thus far in the spring semester. He said that this measure would increase the attendance rate. There are currently 55 senators and seven vice presidents—all of whom are expected to attend meetings—on the roster.

The Senate also discussed giving the Duke Catholic Center extra funding from the Financial Oversight & Appeals Committee.

“There is a set amount of student funds that every student contributes to and the Catholic Center every week asks for that money for various things, like the big one is the lecture series. We always fund the lecture series,” said freshman Alex Yearly, senator for residential life and member of the FOAC.

This week the Catholic Center requested an event for $800 and one for $2,000, Yearly said. The $800 event had a higher turnout, Yearly noted, and the Student Organization Funding Committee and FOAC agreed that only the $800 event should be funded.

“Two big ticket items in one week when they are given a lot of money for their lecture series is a lot, especially considering the limited funds for students,” Yearly added.

The Senate voted to deny the Catholic Center’s request for extra funding.

In other business:

Freshman Bella Letourneau, senator for social culture, introduced a new project titled “What Shatters No Longer Matters” that photographs participants shattering a glass bottle containing a piece of paper on which they have written insecurities. The shattered glass is then made into a sculpture.

Freshman Luke Farrell was appointed to FOAC.

Finally, the DSG Senate unanimously approved the formation of a new club called “The Wild Ones” for nature excursions with Duke faculty.

“He for She,” a new club for engaging men in gender equality activism, was nearly unanimously approved, except for junior Michael Norwalk, vice president for facilities and the environment.