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NEWS
| April 23
Student Governance
Senators sworn into office
Senators also debate the possibility
of UTA leaving the UT System.
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| The Shorthorn: Casey Horn |
| Student Congress President Josh Warren,
left, and vice president Tabitha Padilla, take their seats
as they perform their first duties at the Student Congress
meeting Tuesday night in the Student Congress Chambers.
The two were presented with yellow hard hats. |
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By Josie
Garcia
Contributor to The Shorthorn
The Student Congress president, vice president
and seven new senators were sworn in Tuesday evening, after which
they heatedly debated the possible separation of UTA from the UT
System.
Incoming President Josh Warren and incoming Vice President Tabitha
Padilla were forced to wear bright yellow hard hats during their
oath ceremony — a gift presented to them by outgoing president
Chris Featherstone.
Featherstone explained that last year he and outgoing SC Vice President
Aris Freeman wore halter tops while being sworn into office. That
incident launched a congress tradition for the incoming president
and vice president to wear a strange article of clothing or attire.
“If you weren’t here last year, I wore a bra,” Featherstone
said.
The hard hats, he said, will help protect the student leaders on
the rough road they have ahead of them, having to deal with issues
such as the transition to a new university president. One of the
first orders of business, however, was to fill open executive board
positions — parliamentarian, program director and secretary.
Senators voted by secret ballot after listening to candidates make
three-minute speeches, electing liberal arts Senator Cara Cameron
for secretary, re-electing parliamentarian Richie Stuart and choosing
architecture Senator Josh Sawyer for program director.
Cameron said she will make an effort to drum up more student input
when discussing important issues during meetings.
“I want students to know more about tuition deregulation and
the UT System [bill] so they know how to feel one way or another,”
she said.
Bob Watson, Committee for the Future of UTA chair, came to speak
to students about the separation issue, which escalated into a loud
debate. The fliers he passed out during his presentation urged students
to write to legislators explaining whether they support the separation,
but some members questioned Watson’s judgment.
“I just want to make sure we don’t instantly look at the
shelter of a system,” business Senator Bryan Shaner said during
the discussion.
Shaner pointed out that the bills proposed by local politicians
do not restrict the university to join the Texas A&M System
if legislators choose to separate it from the UT System.
“The main issue with the speaker is he only talked about A&M
System,” Shaner said. “What about [the University of North
Texas], the Texas Tech System or the University of Houston System?
Let’s shop around before we sign a deal.”
Sawyer said, however, that students are generally unaware of the
implications of the possible separation and should inform themselves
before writing any letters to their congressmen. He added that community
members have had their input, but too few students have voiced their
stance.
“We go to this university, and we are the ones who pay money
to go to this university,” he said. “We should include
more input from students.”
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