Although for the most part a fairly quiet start to the year, the Undergraduate Assembly’s first general body meeting Sunday night ended with a bit of lively debate.
The UA passed three proposals during the meeting, only making amendments to one.
One of the prominent issues was the proposed University Council Seat Resolution, which changed the number of UC seats elected by the Nominations and Elections Committee from six to seven and the number of seats elected by the UA from nine to eight.
In past, three members of the UA’s executive board received UC seats. The body also voted on one person to represent each of the undergraduate schools and the freshman class, as well as one additional body member. If someone selected was on the executive board, the person with the next-highest amount of votes received the seat.
Sunday’s resolution determined that, in the event that an executive board member is selected, an extra UC seat will be allocated to the NEC.
Saved for the end of the meeting, the Ivy Council Relations Resolution was met with more debate than the other proposals discussed. The resolution was intended to better define the UA’s relationship with Ivy Council, a non-profit student consortium of Ivy League students during which members of Ivy League student governments meet, discuss policy issues and learn from each other’s experiences.
The resolution, after being amended, stated that the UA commends the Ivy Council for its strides toward greater relevance for student governments but that the Penn Delegation to Ivy Council is independent of the UA. It also appointed the UA vice chairman of external affairs — currently College junior Matt Amalfitano — the Ivy Council policy liaison.
The UA also elected members to the Budget Committee. The six nominees presented speeches outlining their qualifications. During a question and answer session, nominees proposed solutions to problems. After voting, the UA elected College senior Zac Byer and Wharton junior Ryan Houston to the committee.
Engineering and Wharton sophomore Justin Warner was elected to the Tangible Change, or T-Change committee, which funds events that bring different groups and cultures together.
The group also discussed completed projects. The Ramadan “Fast Food” initiative was considered a success by project creator Sakina Zaidi, a College senior and UA treasurer.
The New Student Orientation Late-Night Programming Initiative did not appear to curb underage drinking, said UA chairman and College junior Alec Webley, although it did provide activities for students who would have otherwise stayed home during the evenings.
At the end of the meeting, each member gave his or her opinion on the proceedings. Several members commented on the quality of the debates and congratulated members elected to committees. Webley ended the meeting by encouraging members to keep representing students by listening to their concerns and tailoring projects around them. The UA “can’t be lulled into complacency,” Webley said.
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