by Jared Perlo
Faculty members of the Student Faculty Administration opposed the idea of forming a Student Senate at a meeting May 25 as students argued that creating a second government group would increase SFA productivity.
Junior Allison Wu said that there is a growing consensus in the school that “SFA doesn’t do very much.”
Some students said perhaps student SFA members felt threatened by their faculty counterparts.
Freshman Jesse Metzger proposed that student members and faculty members meet separately several times a month to allow opinions to be shared more freely.
Chief innovation officer Steve Chinosi said, “Having the Student Senate doesn’t deal with the intimidation problem.”
He also said that the SFA needed to be more productive.
Faculty members, including history teacher Gregory Drake, faculty co-chair, reminded student members that the teachers were volunteering their time to help students out.
In the new student government that was discussed at the meeting May 11, there would be a much higher proportion of students to teachers, with only two faculty advisers and about 16 students.
Freshman Ned Martenis said that most student members do not see each other except for occasionally in the halls or in the weekly Wednesday morning meetings.
History teacher Ty Vignone agreed and pointed out that the organization usually has to wait for freshman elections to be held before it starts its meetings.
Vignone proposed starting the meetings before the freshmen are elected to get the ball rolling.
“I never did like starting late,” he said.