Bill to represent all clubs
Alex Fitterer
Issue date: 4/28/06 Section: News
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Sen. Bill Hruska introduced a bill at the Gonzaga Student Body Association (GSBA) Senate meeting April 4 requiring the Director of Clubs and Organizations, Sam Ackels, to meet with all the diversity and minority clubs once a month. This meeting would be in addition to the monthly club President's Meeting. The bill was approved by a vote of 15 to 3 with two abstentions.
While the GSBA seeks to represent all individuals and all positions, this bill was introduced in response to a feeling from some clubs that GSBA does not represent them. In general, the diversity and minority clubs felt their voice was not being heard and they were not getting the information they needed.
"This is a good bill for my position," Ackels said. "The GSBA is open to hear the needs of all the clubs. We want to make sure we are not overlooking anyone. The GSBA heard about the feeling of the clubs in general, we just got wind of it."
The GSBA wants to hear requests from all clubs. "This is not intended to be bias, because some clubs felt like there might be some bias," Ackels said. "Any club can request a meeting at any time. We just wanted to take the first step and show that we want to help."
While there were not any clubs that came forward and expressed this feeling directly to the GSBA, some of the officers of diversity and minority clubs can see how the bill might improve GSBA relations.
Chris Knox, vice president of the Japanese Club, said the club hasn't felt neglected because it is still in the process of getting organized. "However, I can imagine that there is a significant issue there, otherwise Sam wouldn't have proposed the bill. I also know that next year's Director of Clubs and Organizations, Jeb Berg, agrees with the motion so I have no reason to believe that it won't be anything but good," he said.
If there have been mistakes in the past for how the GSBA has represented diversity and minority clubs around campus, the bill will hopefully take the first steps of correcting these errors.
While the GSBA seeks to represent all individuals and all positions, this bill was introduced in response to a feeling from some clubs that GSBA does not represent them. In general, the diversity and minority clubs felt their voice was not being heard and they were not getting the information they needed.
"This is a good bill for my position," Ackels said. "The GSBA is open to hear the needs of all the clubs. We want to make sure we are not overlooking anyone. The GSBA heard about the feeling of the clubs in general, we just got wind of it."
The GSBA wants to hear requests from all clubs. "This is not intended to be bias, because some clubs felt like there might be some bias," Ackels said. "Any club can request a meeting at any time. We just wanted to take the first step and show that we want to help."
While there were not any clubs that came forward and expressed this feeling directly to the GSBA, some of the officers of diversity and minority clubs can see how the bill might improve GSBA relations.
Chris Knox, vice president of the Japanese Club, said the club hasn't felt neglected because it is still in the process of getting organized. "However, I can imagine that there is a significant issue there, otherwise Sam wouldn't have proposed the bill. I also know that next year's Director of Clubs and Organizations, Jeb Berg, agrees with the motion so I have no reason to believe that it won't be anything but good," he said.
If there have been mistakes in the past for how the GSBA has represented diversity and minority clubs around campus, the bill will hopefully take the first steps of correcting these errors.