The vision of the A.S. Council conceived by a reform-oriented task force over summer will now become student government’s new structure, ushered in last week by college endorsements that were in some cases very contentious.
The revised council rules — which included a major power shift from college-specific to all-campus politicians — barely met the minimum vote count needed for full ratification, receiving required apparoval from four of the six student college councils. A.S. Council President Harry Khanna, who led the task force of student politicians, said he “thought this project was impossible.””
The overhauled constitution was an especially hard sell to college politicians, whose voting power will be effectively cut in half by the new rules. The change was meant to make room for new voting positions elected by the campus as a whole. The restructuring also turned former elected commissioners into appointed “technocrat”” positions.
However, it was the empowerment of all-campus politicians that most irked college officials, who contested what they said was a minimization of college politics.
“There was a lot of support for our ideas, other than the way we wanted to revise college representation,”” said Emil Achmad, chair of Revelle College Student Council and a member of the task force.
Christine Chang, John Muir College Council’s ambassador of service and planning, stated in an e-mail that she was initially skeptical of the document’s departure from college representation. However, Chang stated that she changed her mind to more accurately speak for her constituents.
“While I have my reservations about the shift in political power … I think that moving A.S. toward all-campus representation is a necessary move for all students to feel that their needs are addressed and that their interests are represented,”” Chang stated.
The task force, Khanna said, spent the summer reconsidering every nuance of the old constitution to isolate and purge discrepancies and ambiguities. The comprehensive review enabled the group to address possible contentions. Although Khanna said he was initially pessimistic about the prospect of ratification, he “didn’t expect the mood to shift so hugely.””
Revelle College’s student council rejected the new constitution in a 6-7 vote. The Thurgood Marshall College Student Council also voted against the redraft, barely failing to garner the two-thirds majority needed for ratification. However, the constitution did receive landslide support at Earl Warren College’s student council through unanimous approval. Muir, Sixth College and Eleanor Roosevelt College passed the document 9-7, 8-2 and 13-3, respectively, with Muir casting the deciding vote last week. College councils will begin adapting their own bylaws to the new constitution.
“Now is the time when we learn to inhabit the new world made by this constitution,”” Warren Sophomore Senator Taylor Stuart said. “It’s a world that doesn’t place stress on the college councils.””
The rules may have spurred a broader spirit of reform, according to Achmad.
“Now everyone has to revisit the body structure of their individual councils,”” he said.
The new constitution will probably face more changes, as politicians plan to propose amendments to the extensive document. One such change will most likely increase political representation for freshmen, Khanna said.
