The Undergraduate Senate decided Monday to waive the credit requirement for Alex Manzanares, a freshman in the School of Communication and the College of Arts and Sciences, to allow him to run for Student Government secretary in a last-minute decision.
According to current SG bylaws, any student wishing to run for an executive office must have at least 45 credits, not including credits from classes a student is currently taking. Since Manzanares did not meet that requirement, a waiver of requirements was necessary to run for office. The two-thirds majority by the Senate according to its bylaws is necessary for a waiver that was not achieved at first.
The Senate reconsidered its earlier decision and voted a second time, in overwhelming favor of Manzanares.
The Senate was divided on this issue. Some senators favored waiving the credit limit so the race would not be uncontested.
"I feel the only reason we should waive the credit is if the race is uncontested," Jillian Rubino, Class of 2009 senator, said.
Josh Cahan, also a Class of 2009 senator, and other senators argued that by allowing Manzanares to run, they were letting the student body decide who they want to be secretary.
"I think we are just making it fair," Cahan said. "We're not endorsing him; we're just letting him run."
At-Large Senator Charlie Biscotto defended both the reconsideration and the waiver of credits, saying the bylaw and the exceptions to them are "there for a reason."
Senator At-Large Lucas Johnson was opposed to the reconsideration and said it was a "shame to overturn a decision."
The Senate also approved a waiver of credit requirements a sophomore in the School of International Service and current AUTO commissioner, who is running uncontested for the position of comptroller. The current SG bylaws require the comptroller to have taken Financial Accounting and Managerial Accounting. Teslicko has not taken either but promised the Senate that he would enroll in those classes this summer.
The Senate also passed a resolution win support of the current evaluation of the new showerheads and sink faucets.
Senator Julie Mills, a freshman in the School of International Service, said the resolution "came about after new showerheads came on campus without student opinion." Students have taken action against the system by commenting on the newly created act.ausg.org, The Eagle previously reported.
The Undergraduate Senate will meet next in Kogod 118.
