ELISHA VALLADARES-CORMIER
CATHOLIC VALUES COLUMNIST
A new justice and sophomore senator were sworn into Franciscan University Student Government during the body’s formal meeting Wednesday.
Junior Maria Lencki, who served as a Student Government justice last year, returned to the judicial branch after the Senate voted to confirm her.
The 10 assembled senators also held an in-house election to fill the vacant sophomore senator seat, selecting John Paul Anthony from a pool of four candidates. Anthony garnered eight of the 10 votes cast.
The Senate also passed two bills during the meeting.
In Fall Bill #19, the Veritas Society petitioned to have $75, which had been set aside for camera fees, to be reallocated to fund food for the club’s devil’s advocate debate on Nov. 17.
Fall Bill #20 reimbursed Olivia Rao, president of the Juventutem Franciscan club, for out-of-pocket expenses related to the club’s reception after the Sept. 22 Extraordinary Form High Mass. The club had been allocated funds for it but was not able to access the funds before the event, so Rao paid for the reception food with her own money.
Both bills were passed unanimously.
During the meeting, Chief Justice Billy Chester told Student Government he would pass out an updated version of the body’s bylaws at the Sept. 30 informal meeting. The updated bylaws would include the majority leader position that the Senate approved in fall 2017.
President Derek Markle and Vice President Alex McKenna expressed some confusion as to what other process needed to take place before the amendment could be put into the bylaws, questioning if it needed to be approved by the Office of Student Life.
David Schmiesing, vice president of Student Life, said that there was no need for the bylaw amendment to be approved by his office and encouraged the senate to ensure that an updated version of the bylaws be presented soon.
Sen. Paul Nick, one of the co-sponsors of the amendment, said the bill proposing the change had clear clauses specifying the details of the position. Following this, Chester reaffirmed his first comments and said he would insert the amendment into the bylaws and present it to Student Government on Sept. 30.
Student Government will next meet Oct. 2 at 11 a.m. in the St. Leo Room.