At its last meeting before spring break, Marquette Student Government continued its discussions of ongoing issues involving student representation, rights and freedoms and informing students about campus events.

During officer reports at the March 9 meeting, MUSG President Alex Hermanny, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, discussed suggestions involving student representation on the university's board of trustees. Both candidates running for next school year's MUSG president — College of Communication junior Jamie Wu and College of Business Administration junior Dan Calandriello — have stated they would support such representation.

"The odds of having a student trustee in the near future are not very good," Hermanny said. Instead, current options include trying to have more students on committees. MUSG will "push for whatever we can get," he said.

Executive Vice President Beth Feste, a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences, said in an interview Monday that having a student on the board has been an issue for a number of years.

But the issue for members of the board is closed and not up for debate, Feste said, and the board is not meeting student representation with open arms.

Students, however, feel the need for representation on the board because they feel the members do not have a sense of students' opinions and what is happening on campus, she said.

While Feste said there is a need for more dialogue between students and members of the board, she said the issue is not a cure-all for students on campus.

Students' Bill of Rights discussion continues

Also during the meeting, the senator who introduced a rough draft of the Students' Bill of Rights gave an update on its status.

"The plan is that we will write three or four hard-hitting recommendations in specific areas… such as censorship, privacy, freedom of expression," said College of Communication freshman Brian Henry, the senator for student organizations.

Other senators asked how the bill would balance freedom of speech and the university's Catholic identity. Henry said the goal of the bill is not to say Marquette is a public school, but the body will fight for students' rights.

Senate approval of kiosk expected Thursday

Feste said money for the long-planned kiosk project is available, and she hopes to have the kiosk in place by the end of the school year if it is approved. The legislation goes before the Business and Government Committee Wednesday night and, if approved, it will go to the senate for approval Thursday.

The difference in legislation from last year's proposition is the location, Feste said.

The design and location for the kiosk were also reviewed. The kiosk is tentatively scheduled to be placed at the southeast corner of John P. Raynor, S.J. Library.

Communication is always an issue for elections and organizations and the kiosk is a "perfect opportunity" for organizations and MUSG to communicate with students, Feste said.

Senator leaves MUSG for RHA

Dorothy Jenke, a senator for McCormick Hall and a freshman in the College of Communication, announced that the meeting would be her last. She was elected president of the Residence Hall Association March 8 and is leaving to focus on that role, she said.,”James A. Molnar”

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