Uncharacteristic of the current Student Government Association, the agenda presented before the senate on March 1 had a wealth of bills bent on improving the lives of students at The University of Memphis.
Characteristic of the current senate, the legislative body did not meet quorum - the minimum number of members required to vote on any of the bills.
Not only did the lack of senators cause discouragement in every executive member's remarks, it also further delayed a vote on a green energy initiative sponsored by the Environmental Action Club (EAC).
"That was the second week in a row they were supposed to vote on the bill, and they didn't," said Roslyn Weiss, EAC president. "Basically our whole campaign is hinging on SGA approving the vote."
The bill in question is on whether SGA should add a green power initiative to their election ballot in April.
The initiative, for which EAC has already begun advertising, would add $20 to student fees in order to purchase reusable energy under the Tennessee Valley Authority's Green Power Switch program.
SGA was scheduled to vote on the bill Feb. 22, but the meeting was later rescheduled due to conflicts with a home basketball game.
Members of EAC were disappointed again on March 1, but SGA President Maegan Ratliff said she did not think the bill was quite ready to go before students yet.
"We really need to make a sound decision about the fee," she said last Thursday night. "(We should) really think about what the students want because this is their money."
Senate members are once again scheduled to vote Thursday on whether the bill is ready to go before students, but there are also six other voting items held over from their final meeting before Spring Break.
"I'm excited," said David Jones, SGA Speaker of the Senate. "It shows that our young senate is meeting it's potential."
U of M President Shirley Raines was scheduled to attend her first SGA senate meeting of the school year, but she is leaving for New Orleans Thursday night to support the Tiger basketball team, seeded No. 2 in the South region.
President Raines or not, the senate will still be able to sink their teeth into a mass of significant voting items - consisting of two resolutions, two acts and two amendments.
Five of the six items were proposed by SGA presidential hopeful Kenneth Taylor - current speaker pro temp of the senate and a regular presenter of bills.
"They've actually been in the works for a while," Taylor said. "It's just that right now is the time they've actually been able to be put into bill form and go before the legislation."
Similar to the visitation committee Taylor presented to the senate in February - which later passed - Thursday he proposed a resolution to form a committee on ways to lower the cost of textbooks.
"It's one of the issues that I'm running on with my campaign, but it's also something I'm taking care of now," he said.
Taylor also proposed a revolutionary amendment allowing all U of M students to become active voting members in SGA committees whether they are members of the organization or not.
"Right now, all the SGA committees are closed (to students) - homecoming, student services, all those committees are closed," he said. "With this amendment, they would actually be able to serve in the SGA committee and have a vote in the committee."
Among the other proposals to add a tradition's committee, place suggestion boxes for SGA around campus and place security cameras in all major parking lots, one that probably directly affects students the most is an act to form a "Student Appreciation Day."
Taylor, who presented the act, said the day is designed to be an expression of SGA's responsibility to the students.
"The first day of finals, we'll set up a stand and give out donuts, blue books, #2 pencils - all free," he said. "With the students being the reason why SGA is here, if we don't do it, who will?"
If SGA had voted on the bill March 1, the day could have feasibly become a reality this semester.
However, since the organization lacked quorum, Taylor said his plans might be delayed.
"If we can get it all done this semester, I definitely want to," he said. "But with the meeting last week, we won't be sure if we'll have the time to."
