Council votes down UMC seat

Tammy Polonsky and Betty Yuan The University Council once again denied the United Minorities Council a permanent seat on the body at yesterday's general meeting. This was the second time a motion to give the UMC chairperson a seat on the body was discussed and dismissed. UMC Chairperson Liz Melendez spoke to the body yesterday about her desire for a change in Council bylaws. The change would decrease the Undergraduate Assembly's representation from 15 members to 14, giving the extra seat to the UMC chairperson. The Council voted down the proposal 20-16, after a discussion dominated by UA members. Until last semester, the UA unofficially gave the UMC chair a seat at meetings with full voting privileges. So, when Council gave the UA five more seats in May, members proposed giving the UMC one of the extra seats. Council, which at the same time was reviewing its bylaws, discovered that the UA's request violated its membership policy. Only UA representatives may serve on Council. Council determined in May that for the UMC chairperson to legitimately obtain a seat on Council, that person would have to be an elected member of the UA. At the meeting yesterday, UA member and College senior Dan Schorr discussed the issue again, saying everyone is welcome to run for the UA and, therefore, for Council. "Through free and open elections, anyone can run and anyone can vote," he said after the meeting. "That's what we have at Penn." Melendez said that the UMC "represents the voices of people that are rarely heard." "I would try to get a seat by an election as a last resort," she added. "Ideally, we would have a permanent position." Her recommendation sparked debate among Council's other student representatives as well. UA member and College junior Eden Jacobowitz said giving the UMC a seat would amount to "preferential treatment." "No other group gets a seat without being elected to the UA," he said. College sophomore and UA member Josh Gottheimer agreed, comparing the UMC to organizations such as Hillel and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Alliance. He added that if the UMC received a seat, other groups should as well. Undergraduate Assembly Chairperson and Wharton junior Dan Debicella supported Melendez's proposal, saying that Council is an advisory body that should receive as much input as possible. Controversy has developed within the UA as a result of yesterday's meeting. At Sunday night's UA meeting, most of the body was under the impression from Debicella that the UMC debate would not be brought up at Council's meeting at all. Debicella said he only learned that the issue would be raised before Council Tuesday night. Since no other changes to the bylaws were made, they will now go to a mail-ballot vote for final ratification.