UMC strives for seat on University Council

College senior Onyx Finney became the third consecutive United Minorities Council chairperson to request a permanent UMC seat on the University Council at Council's meeting Wednesday night. Council will vote on Finney's request by mail. UMC members have strived to obtain a position on Council in order to advocate the needs and concerns of Penn's minority students. But according to Council bylaws, Undergraduate Assembly members are sufficient representatives of all students on campus. Up until the spring semester of 1994, the UA unofficially gave the UMC one of its 10 Council seats, complete with voting privileges. UA members proposed giving the UMC an official seat when the UA received five more Council seats in April 1994. Council members found, however, that the UA's request was in violation of the membership policy of Council bylaws, which state that only UA members may represent the student body on Council. They will now have to vote again. A UMC chairperson therefore must be an elected member of the UA to obtain a legitimate seat. UA Chairperson and College senior Lance Rogers said he believes the UMC is definitely entitled to representation through the UA -- as is any other undergraduate student group. "The way to get that representation is by running for election," Rogers said. "By asking for a seat, [the UMC] is trying to circumvent student government." Rogers added that he had asked present UMC members to run for election, but that they had rejected his suggestion. Finney said she does not think UMC members should run for the UA, although she added that UMC was considering the possibility of a UMC liaison to the UA. College sophomore Tal Golomb, who sits on the University Council Steering Committee, said he would definitely consider giving the UMC a seat on Council. "My main goal is to accurately represent undergraduate issues to the administration," Golomb said. "Theoretically, I wish the UA could represent all undergraduates, but it doesn't seem to be doing that now." Rogers' stance on the UMC directly contradicts his position in April of 1994 when the UMC first requested a seat on the Council. "I don't see any reason why the UMC shouldn't have a seat. There's a controversy that the UMC doesn't represent everybody, but they represent a lot of the people," Rogers said in 1994. Golomb said that in order for the Council to change its bylaws to allow the permanent allocation of a seat for the UMC, there must be a two-thirds vote in favor of the change. He added that the vote would have to be done by mail, since a large number of faculty are not present at meetings. Rogers said he could think of no justification for changing the bylaws to allow such an action. "I don't see why [the UMC] should be given a seat on the Council. If we give them a seat, we have to give one to any other group who requests one," Rogers said. Although Rogers said the UA would welcome feedback on issues affecting minority students from the UMC, Finney questioned the sincerity of the UA. "If the UA seriously wants to address the needs of all students, they shouldn't be attacking my agenda but rather helping me," Finney said. "The UA has not addressed the needs of students of color in the past and that is why we have an organization such as the UMC."