The procedural impeachment trial for Student Body President Reid Joseph took place Wednesday evening as an item of business at the general Student Government Association meeting.
When addressing the congregation before the executive session, Christopher Russo said he felt the SGA needed to reach out more often and convey to constituents SGA’s positive changes on campus rather than allowing students to fixate on the controversies.
“Over the weekend Cary Cheshire and SBP Joseph met and were able to work out a great deal of the difficulties that were taking place between them,” Russo said. “I would just add this that I added at governance council. We as student government need to do a lot better of a job at publicizing the achievements that don’t have to do with [internal drama].”
Russo said he encouraged his fellow senators to reach out to their constituents and the local media about the positive changes being made in the SGA like the Google Bill and Healthy Food Choices Bill.
“We as senators need to reach out to our constituents,” Russo said, “We need to do a better job as this organization of reaching out to the local media so that these things are publicized so that when we get difficulties that happen like last week that they are seen in their true context and not as the only thing that tends to get publicized when people think about student government.”
Russo said he encouraged student senators to talk about the impeachment if people ask, but to also bring up the aspects of student senate that compel student senators to work hard throughout the year.
After the trial, Joseph said he and student senator Cary Cheshire, who brought forth the impeachment, spoke for 10 minutes and then held five-minute sessions for questions. Joseph said no questions were asked of him or Cheshire and that the debate period was waived to move into voting. The vote was 33 for, two against and four abstentions for keeping Joseph in office.
Joseph said he hopes that students take away from this entire process that they are the most important concern to SGA and that there are many outlets for student voices to be heard.
“I hope that students realize that they do have a voice in matters and know that for the first time for some students they reached out to their SGA to express their opinions and I hope the students know that ultimately they are our bosses, they are who we report to,” Joseph said. “We are accountable to the student body and we want to hear from them. I hope students take away they are the paramount in SGA.”
Joseph said he hopes everyone votes in the elections this week and takes an active part in student government by contacting him or student senators with any concerns they have.