At first, events of the May 3 A.S. Council meeting gave every indication that the council had stepped into a parallel universe, but things quickly returned to a comfortable synthesis of the emotions that have marked this particular council’s now-completed reign.
Notorious rabble-rouser Earl Warren College senior Daniel Watts appeared before the body with a smile, offering presents of Elf cookies and posters of the prime minister of Japan to some of his usual targets. After several councilmembers shot him suspicious glances, Watts revealed his true purpose, reading the statement of grievance against him in compliance with his punishment for violating A.S. election bylaws. Not one to be told what to do, Watts read the statement in an incomprehensibly fast monologue, only stopping occasionally for breath and laughter.
Following some serious business came another council favorite — joke legislation. However, councilmembers seemed to shock even themselves by passing measures to ban newly elected President Harry Khanna from Facebook, to appoint former Vice President Internal Angela Fornero as chair of the “Make UCSD Really, Really Ridiculously Good Looking” committee and a bill to have John Muir College annex Sixth College.
While everyone laughed as they passed a bill changing the title of “Public Input” to “Civilian Input,” only former Muir Junior Senator Adam Grant had concerns.
“Point of information — did that actually just get passed?” he asked.
Apart from the moments of laughter, it was a meeting divided between argument and nostalgia, as some senators took the time to reminisce about the past while others fought for their causes until the bitter end.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate [that] we fund this much money for a mistake,” former Revelle College Senior Senator Rachel Corell said in response to a bill allocating $6,200 to the A.S. external office for late reimbursement requests. “I think we should hold them accountable.”
“Let’s get off that high horse for a minute, OK?” former President Christopher Sweeten shot back. “This has to get paid. So if we can just pass this, that would be great.”
The council ultimately passed the bill as the majority of the senators sided with a slightly more diplomatic former Vice President External Samantha Peterson, who explained that this mistake was one of many she was left to deal with after her predecessor’s resignation.
All fighting aside, the members pulled together when it came time to transition to the new council, with announcements consisting of emotional speeches, shout-outs and thanks to their fellow councilmembers for a unique, productive and undeniably entertaining year of student government.
The looks of their successors’ faces reflected the knowledge that, on many levels, they certainly have a lot to live up to.
