A lack of professionalism at Marquette Student Government meetings may be overshadowing recent efforts to take action through resolutions, forums and upcoming elections.

"I think we were out of order 1,000 times tonight," said Kristin Pinkowski, MUSG off-campus senator and College of Arts & Sciences senior, at the conclusion of Thursday's meeting.

MUSG business senator and College of Business Administration sophomore Scott Seramur was corrected by MUSG Legislative Vice President and College of Arts & Sciences junior Brock Banks for the second time in two weeks. Seramur was corrected for making inappropriate comments and asking questions not pertinent to the discussion. He did not respond to requests for comment.

At the Feb. 8 meeting, Seramur made a pun about the liberal political beliefs of MUSG College of Arts & Sciences senator and College of Arts & Sciences sophomore Jason Rae, who is also chair of College Democrats of Marquette. Rae was absent from the meeting when Seramur made the remark, and had no comment on the occurrence.

Additionally, Seramur used a filibuster to end discussion on the possible renovations of the first floor of the Alumni Memorial Union by refusing to relinquish the floor while reading material from his nutrition class out loud to the Senate until the remaining allotted discussion time ran out.

According to Banks, several of Seramur's comments and actions during the most recent meetings have been "inappropriate" and "out of order."

"In order for the meeting to run efficiently, the questions need to be on topic," Banks said. "Any time tactics are taken to stall the business of the Senate it is not appropriate. We are representatives of students and take pride in working hard for the student body."

MUSG President and College of Business Administration senior Dan Calandriello agreed with Banks.

"There has been a time or two when one senator has unfairly and inappropriately delayed Senate meetings … it's not right to waste the students' time and we do not. MUSG continues to work in a timely matter," Calandriello said.

During the meeting, Seramur also made the sarcastic remark, "It's good we have a Parliamentarian," alluding to the position's several-week-long vacancy.

The Parliamentarian position has authority over "errors in procedure contained within Senate Standing Rules that prevent conducting its business in a normal and ordinary fashion," according to the MUSG Senate Standing Rules.

Senators besides Seramur have conducted acts of questionable appropriateness and professionalism at meetings in which the Parliamentarian and the sponsor of MUSG, Assistant Dean of Student Development Jon Dooley were absent. Dooley was out of town at a conference Thursday.

During last week's MUSG Senate meeting, 11 senators spoke out of turn, which prompted Banks to quiet the Senate and recognize that a senator currently had the floor.

"We need to be careful about being out of order and being a professional organization during meetings," MUSG Schroeder Hall senator and College of Arts & Sciences sophomore Drew Craig said at the conclusion of the meeting.