The Student Senate learned about architecture, met ContractedAuxiliary Services representatives, debated resolutions and atefree Pez Wednesday night, all within three hours.
In the general body meeting, Kevin Mulcahy, political scienceprofessor and architecture guru, entertained the Student SenateWednesday night as he enlightened senators on the Palladian styleof University buildings.
In a slide show that depicted nearly all of campus, Mulcahypointed out the dignity and nobility of the University’sdesign and reminded senators that the buildings are not justfunctional, but unique.
He also encouraged senators to look at the Master Plan and telladministrators to “stop it” so the University canmaintain the dignified style of Italian architect AndreaPalladio.
In a productive three-hour meeting, Barbara Evans, Office ofComputing Services representative and Eric Monday, director ofFinance and Administrative Services, also briefed senators onmatters from their respective departments.
Evans explained the computer malfunction that has forced theStudent Government Election Board to throw out last week’sfall election results and administer a completely new election nextweek.
Evans took full responsibility for the error and apologized tothe senators.
Monday, who came bearing free LSU Pez dispensers for allsenators, said he came to the Senate to introduce himself and”put a face” to the name of administrators ofnon-academic services on campus.
Monday also introduced several representatives from the TigerCash office, the bookstore and campus vending and dining.
The representatives came just in time to answer questions fromskeptical senators about contracted services with the University,especially the bookstore.
In previous meetings, several senators raised discussion aboutimplementing a textbook rental program similar to the one atSoutheastern Louisiana University in Hammond, but said they heardBarnes and Noble, who runs the campus bookstore, will not allowit.
During the meeting, bookstore manager Joe Bender said it wouldbe difficult for an institution at the University’s level tohave a textbook rental program because professors change texts sooften and want the academic freedom to do so.
“We are very aware of the price of textbooks,”Monday said. “Barnes and Noble can only charge a 25 percentmarkup. That’s the best price in town.”
But senators did not seem convinced. After Senate SpeakerBrandon Smith moved on in the meeting’s agenda, severalsenators continued conversations outside with Bender andMonday.
Also addressing bookstore and other contracted service concerns,the Senate passed a resolution later in the evening to re-establishthe Contracted Auxiliary Services Advisory Council and to recommendthat the council stays active.
Smith said he wants to re-activate an advisory council that willprovide student input for decisions made regarding ContractedAuxiliary Services.
The resolution said the SG President will appoint two members,the Senate will appoint two members and the Residence HallAssociation will appoint three members to the council.
The Senate also passed a resolution strongly urging andrequesting Residential Life to research and create a personalityquestionnaire for roommate placement by fall 2006.
Although some of the senators said the resolution is a goodidea, they tabled the resolution last week, requesting that Sen.Lindsay Landry, the resolution’s author, consult ResidentialLife employees about the logistical possibility of adding apersonality questionnaire before they pass the bill.
Landry, a marketing sophomore, said she spoke with a ResidentialLife representative and they were pleased to hear that studentswere interested in providing input.
But Landry said the representative told her one reason they donot administer personality surveys is to promote diversity andconflict resolution if problems occur.