Senators debate ethics committe name
By FINN PRESSLY
Assistant News Editor
An amendment to change the name of the ethics committee caused brief debate at last night's meeting of the Student Senate.
The amendment to the Student Union constitution was brought to the floor by Keenan senator Matthew Kloser and would change the name to the Rules and Regulations Committee.
"It's not a punishment committee, but rather to uphold the regulations of the Senate," said Kloser. According to Kloser, most universities have made the revision.
St. Edward's senator Paul Sladek was among the senators who opposed the amendment, which would simply change the name of the committee, not it's mission.
"It doesn't seem necessary," said Sladek, adding concern for the many changes already made to the constitution this term.
"It seems to me that `ethics' seems like a positive thing," said Sorin senator Cimarron Gilson.
Other senators added their opinion on the amendment.
"Ethics may be too powerful a word, but Rules and Regulations might be too limiting," said Carroll senator Patrick O'Donnell.
Welsh senator Candice Marcum suggested combining the two names to "Ethics, Rules and Regulations."
Senate parliamentarian Stephen Sanchez explained that ethics was the more effective title of the committee.
"Rules and Regulations would seem to imply infractions with rules and regulations," said Sanchez. "Ethics would allow you to deal with issues [that are] contrary to the spirit of rule, but not contrary to the letter of the rule."
In light of the objections, Kloser offered to strike the amendment, but Sanchez advised that it would be best to vote the amendment down instead, which the Senate did. Four senators abstained from the vote.
In other Senate news:
u Fisher senator Philip Dittmar, who chaired the meeting in the absence of Michael Palumbo, expressed a concern given to him by Palumbo regarding the purchase of inexpensive SYR shirts.
"Everyone [forgets] that the reason why they're getting cheap shirts is because they were probably produced in sweatshops," Dittmar said.
A list was made available to the senators that compiled possible sweatshop manufacturers.
All News Stories for Thursday, October 14, 1999
