UA reform plans seek place on ballot

Rather than just complaining, students who have a problem with the way the University's student government works will have a chance to vote on at least one proposal for a new constitution on March 28 and 29. A plan to change the way members of the Undergraduate Assembly are elected will also be on the ballot, according to UA Chairperson Dan Debicella, a Wharton junior. The constitutional reform proposal currently on the ballot is the result of a collaboration between UA member and College senior Dan Schorr and former Student Activities Council Finance Committee member Mike Nadel, a College junior and Daily Pennsylvanian columnist. Debicella said that in addition to the Nadel-Schorr plan, he has heard that College senior Seth Hamalian and Wharton senior Eric Leathers have each drafted new constitutions and are currently circulating petitions to put them on the ballot. Leathers could not be reached for comment last night, but Hamalian denied authoring a constitution. He said he only offered advice to others, whom he refused to name, and that they incorporated his ideas into a reform proposal for which he is currently circulating petitions. In addition, College senior Sharon Jindal confirmed that she was circulating a petition to put a constitutional reform proposal on the ballot for an unnamed friend. No details of the new constitutional drafts were available last night and it was not clear exactly how many proposals have been developed. Hamalian said he has not talked to Leathers and that it is possible the two are petitioning for the same plan. The one known reform plan, the Nadel-Schorr proposal, would entirely replace the UA and Nominations and Elections Committee with a new body called the Undergraduate Senate. The Senate would perform all functions currently under the UA's and the NEC's jurisdictions, and would also be responsible for allocating funds to SAC groups. SAC would continue to exist as a forum for recognizing new groups and communicating information among them, according to the proposal. It would have the ability to overturn Senate funding decisions through a two-thirds vote. A "Constitutional Administration Council" would also be created to oversee the operations of the Senate and to administer elections. In order for the proposal to be adopted, it must be approved by a majority of at least 20 percent of undergraduates. Debicella's proposal for electoral reform will also be put to a vote on the election day. It would create 33 geographically-based electoral districts for UA representatives and would move elections to the fall. Under the current system, UA members are elected by school, and eight members are elected in the fall from the freshman class. It is unclear whether the amendment would affect the new Senate, if the Nadel-Schorr plan is adopted. Nadel would not comment on Debicella's proposed amendment.

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