Following the failure of the student activities fee referendum two weeks ago, Duke Student Government members continued to discuss the repercussions at a general body meeting Wednesday night.
To ease budgetary constraints, DSG voted to cut The Chanticleer's funding by $25,000 for the 2008-2009 academic year, from its current appropriation of $134,850.
"I'd like to thank [The Chanticleer] for putting in hours and hours looking to find money elsewhere," said DSG President Jordan Giordano, a senior. "The Chanticleer is a great product and we want to make sure that it continues."
During the public forum portion of the meeting, junior Elad Gross, a Chronicle columnist, criticized DSG over its handling of the referendum.
Although he was not opposed to the fee increase, Gross argued the referendum was unconstitutional under DSG's own bylaws.
"Today I feel, along with many other students, that DSG has hit rock bottom," he said.
Gross also took issue with DSG leaders-' treatment of the referendum's critics.
"There is something wrong when DSG wants to pass [a referendum] so badly that they silence their opposition," he said. "If necessary, impeach members of this government who fail to comply [with bylaws]. If you feel that the president cannot serve as a positive leader, he must go as well."
Gross ended his presentation by calling for Giordano's impeachment.
Senate President Pro-Tempore Isaac Mizrahi, a sophomore, said, however, that Gross' assessment was inaccurate.
"It is not fair to put the blame on one person. If one person screws up, we all screw up. It's a collective responsibility," he said. "The bottom line is that this was good policy. Without it, we would be screwed [financially] in three years."
In other business:
Director of Dining Services Jim Wulforst gave a presentation about new dining operations on campus, lauding the recent launch of Panda Express.
"If students vote with their feet, I'd say Panda Express is doing quite well," he said.
Wulforst also addressed concerns about scanty eating options on East Campus.
"I feel like I've abandoned the firstyears with only one option," he said, noting that students can expect to see a new pizza restaurant in the East Union Building after Winter Break.
He also said the Cosmic Cantina cart on the West Campus Plaza will most likely close as a result of insufficient revenue.
Senators also passed a resolution opposing the Town of Chapel Hill's decision to discourage attendance from area universities at annual Franklin Street Halloween festivities.
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