Assembly opens year by discussing bomber’s release
Student Association unveiled plans Monday to develop an official student response to the release of Abdul Baset al-Megrahi, the only man convicted in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103 that killed 35 Syracuse University students.
After an initial briefing on al-Megrahi’s release, Larry Seivert, SA president, opened the floor at the first meeting of the semester for discussion and possible ideas.
Some SA members wanted to pass a resolution Monday night acknowledging outrage over al-Megrahi’s release. Others pushed for more direct action and suggested rallies on the Quad and attempting to involve the entire Syracuse community. Another member suggested holding a protest when Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi addresses the United Nations on Sept. 25.
SA expressed a desire to keep communication open with the Remembrance Scholars, who each represent one of the 35 SU students killed in the bombing. Neal Casey, SA chief of staff, brought up the importance of timeliness in a student body response.
‘Syracuse will never forget, but the world will move on,’ Casey said.
Another issue discussed at Monday’s meeting was the merging of SA with the Class Alliance, a group that represents each class separately. The bill regarding the merge was written last November, but it was scheduled to happen at the beginning of this academic year, said John Barnhart, chair of the student engagement committee. As part of the merge, seven new seats will be added to the SA assembly. One of those seats will be added to the Cabinet and will always be filled by a Class Alliance member. The elections for the new positions will be held on Oct 5.
Other business included:
* SA completed a number of initiatives over the summer, including the change in the hours at Brockway Dining Center, something SA has been working on for several years. Brockway dining center is now open from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., a half-hour shift from the previous time.
* Another completed project was the creation of an organization that will allow student organizations to rent vans to travel off-campus.
* Eight more computers were added to Schine Underground in order to give students more space to work.
* An online database was completed that will give students access to all of the registered student organizations on campus.
* Seivert informed the assembly that Vice President Erik Bortz would not be returning this semester. They passed a motion to keep the position vacant for the time being. Seivert said bringing a new vice president in at this time could cause strain on the organization and slow current initiatives.
Published on August 31, 2009 at 12:00 pm
