Longtime resentments were put to rest last week when Kevin Kelly, vice president of legal and governmental affairs, avoided a forced resignation by a 20-17-4 vote at the Student Government Association (SGA) meeting.
Kelly apologized and shook hands with senator Dan Beckelman, whom Kelly had exposed as the SGA Insider. Kelly also played a part in Beckelman's resignation from his post as senator at-Large last fall.
Kelly had been faced with a resolution by Jasmine Charl?n, executive vice president, which called for him to resign as a result of his attendance problems and for not fulfilling his duties and responsibilities.
S. Lee Whitesell, vice president of Academic Affairs, had stood in defense of his "very good friend."
"He hasn't been to the point where he's misrepresented SGA . his committee hasn't been grossly negligent," Whitesell said. At the close of his remarks, Whitesell called for the vote to indefinitely remove the resolution from the agenda.
Beckelman rose at the end of the meeting and voiced his disappointment that SGA had not debated the resolution. He then opened the floor to Kelly, who rose and approached Beckelman slowly, and to the surprise of everyone watching, said, "I will render one apology to this organization, and that is to my friend, the SGA Insider." Beckelman smiled as the two shook hands.
Whitesell also passed his own resolution, the IGC/SGA Resolution, which reaffirms SGA's commitment to working with IGC (Inter-Greek Council). At a prior meeting, Whitesell called his resolution "an attempt to offer recourse for the last resolution," referring to the Greek Resolution that he had helped to defeat.
The IGC/SGA Resolution had been tabled two weeks ago until a representative from IGC could comment on it. Bryan Vale, IGC president, came to speak, and said that IGC had voted in favor of it, and that it "seems like a good idea." SGA proceeded to pass the resolution by a vote of 36-3-2.
Guest speaker Rebecca Daley, adjunct professor of special education, language and literacy, told SGA about a new program called Career and Community Studies (CCS), which gives students with intellectual disabilities a postsecondary experience on a college campus. The program begins next fall, with the admission of between six and eight disabled students who are "highly motivated" and "want to be independent," Daley, the program coordinator of CCS, said.
The students will not be fully matriculated, and upon graduation will receive certificates as opposed to degrees, Megan Baglivio, senior class president, said. They will begin with classes made up of all CCS students and special education majors before eventually attending regular classes at the College.
Daley called the program "cutting edge" and said that fewer than 10 colleges in the entire country are developing programs like CCS. The chief executive officer of Barnes and Noble will fund the program through a grant to the National Down Syndrome Society.
Proposals for four new clubs were passed at the meeting. Don Evans Langston Hughes Players is a new theater group that will celebrate black playwrights. Silver Wings is a chapter of a national organization that works for leadership development.
Best Buddies, also a national organization, will allow students to work with disabled adults. They will meet with the adults twice a month and will keep in contact via e-mail. SGA also passed a women's flag football club.
