DSG rejects proposal to reduce senate size

Duke Student Government Senate decided against reducing the number of seats in the Senate at its meeting Wednesday. 

Freshman Jackson Dellinger, senator for Durham and regional affairs, freshman Kushal Kadakia, senator for academic affairs and Executive Vice President John Guarco, a junior, presented a proposal to resize the Senate. In the most recent election, the student body passed a referendum that allows the Senate to change its size without the consent of the general student body. Guarco recused his responsibilities as executive vice president to junior Ilana Weisman, executive vice president-elect, in order to participate in the debate.

“I don’t think we are actually addressing the problems,” said senior Jay Sullivan, senator for equity and outreach, who opposed the change. “A legislative body should have a consistent size every year, and not be based on who is running.”

Senators in favor of the proposal noted that problems with attendance and efficiency could be resolved with a smaller size because the senators would be more engaged and would feel they have more power at meetings.

Dellinger suggested that students do not run in elections because they think that they can get in through the at-large process. When asked, roughly five senators expressed that they opted out of running for their position because of the at-large process.

Senators also raised concerns that elections are controlled by residential groups, which the at-large process seeks to address. Only 11 of the 21 elected senators were present at the meeting, Weisman said.

In a roll call vote, the Senate voted against the plan to reduce its size 23-19. The Senate will thus continue to be composed of 60 senators.

Four senators left the meeting early—including senior Brian Hopkins, senate president pro-tempore, freshman Charles Zhou, senator for Durham and regional affairs, sophomore Riyanka Ganguly, senator for equity and outreach, and new senator Edward Torgas, a sophomore.  The Chronicle defines leaving early as being when senators are present for initial roll-call but leave before the vote is taken.

Chief of Staff Annie Adair, a junior, was confirmed as attorney general.  She had been serving as interim attorney general since the resignation of senior Robin Zhang following the presidential election.

Sophomore John Caldwell, a senator for social culture, was confirmed to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Freshman Nicole Kiprilov was confirmed to the Academic Affairs committee to replace freshman Ian Chang, who resigned last month. Chang was marked present at the meeting once again, despite not being present at the meeting.

The Senate unanimously passed Student Organization Finance Committee programming requests from Duke Relay for Life, Duke Chinese Dance and NeuroCare.

The Senate also unanimously passed budgetary statutes to fund an intellectual engagement space outside the DSG office from the legislative discretionary fund and to fund Mac chargers for the Link from the surplus fund.

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