Duke Student Government considered purchasing supplies for the Occupy Duke movement but ultimately voted against it at the DSG meeting Wednesday.
Sophomore Fedja Pavlovic, senator for residential life and dining, proposed providing basic necessities for student participants of the Occupy Duke movement. The participants intend to continue camping out in the Chapel Quadrangle until winter break, even as temperatures continue to drop.
“It’s important to accommodate students who are paying $50,000 a year,” Pavlovic said. “The least we can do is get them in sleeping bags.”
Students have the right to assemble on the quad, but since they are paying tuition, Duke has the obligation to provide them with basic necessities, Pavlovic said. Funds would cover sleeping bags, mattresses and heaters.
Pavlovic argued that DSG would not be taking a political stance by accommodating students because the Occupy movement is not affiliated with a political party.
“By doing this, we [would be] supporting the idea of political activism,” Pavlovic said. “They offer both political and civil activism, as well as dialogue.”
He noted that political activism is just as much a distinctive characteristic of Duke as is the tenting tradition in Krzyzewskiville. This analogy raised a new concern in the Senate, questioning whether or not DSG should then provide funds to support tenting.
After much debate, five senators voted in favor of the legislation, but the vast majority voted against it.
In other business:
Sophomore Patrick Oathout, senator for athletics, services and the environment, discussed recognizing the need for student government outreach to other academic institutions in the Research Triangle Area. After a successful dinner with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s student government, DSG will continue to collaborate with North Carolina Central University and North Carolina State University, as well as UNC.
Members of the Senate also discussed amendments to the Young Trustee bylaws. They proposed combining the eight-person committee with the 10-person committee, eliminating an unnecessary and ineffective split. After issues with students resigning early from their position as Young Trustee, senators also proposed an amendment allowing DSG to replenish up to two-thirds of the 18 members of the committee with DSG senators. A final amendment bars write-in candidates from the election, creating a legitimate election process through the nomination committee.
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