The administration has yet to inform the Student Assembly (S.A.) whether they will include ResNet in Financial Aid for the 2003-04 school year.
S.A. members reacted to the absence of a response by April 25, a deadline they had requested in a letter sent earlier this month to President Hunter R. Rawlings III and other administrators.
“This is a slap in the face of the S.A.,” said Abeezer Tapia, chair of the Cornell Information Technology (CIT) committee. “Why is Cornell so slow?”
Dean of students Kent L. Hubbel ’69 said that financial aid was not possible for the 2002-03 academic year, but offered hope for the following year and an explanation for the lack of a response.
“We can’t respond in this short time,” Hubbel said. “Within two years [ResNet] will probably be in financial aid.”
S.A. President Uzo Asonye ’02 said that financial aid coverage may not be resolved until the Fall semester.
“Next year’s assembly may have to hit the ground running on this issue,” he said.
One issue that the assembly tackled for the second time this year was transfer student representation on the S.A.
At last week’s meeting, a charter amendment, which requires a two-thirds majority to pass, that would create a seat specifically for transfer students was voted down.
After the vote, Rawlings asked the S.A. to reconsider a transfer seat in a letter to the body.
This week, a similar amendment passed.
“I don’t know why we keep on discussing this,” said executive vice president Mark Greenbaum ’02.
The amendment was originally introduced by engineering representative Jonathan Ludwig ’03 and would have allowed new students, including freshmen, to run for the transfer seat. This caused confusion among some S.A. members.
Human ecology representative Ben Solomon ’02 proposed an amendment to Ludwig’s resolution that would require the transfer seat be filled by a transfer student. The amendment passed 12-5.
“This essentially returns us to the status quo, except only a transfer can run for the seat, and only transfers can vote,” Asonye said.
Ludwig expressed his disapproval of the modified resolution.
“Can I rescind my resolution?” he asked, to which Asonye replied no.
“No wonder the student body has no respect for this assembly,” Ludwig said.
The final vote came out 11 in favor and 6 opposed; one vote short of a two-thirds majority needed to enact the charter change and implement the transfer seat.
Asonye, however, cast the tie breaking 12th vote to create the transfer seat.
Additionally, the Cornell Karate Club requested the S.A.’s financial assistance to bring Kyoshi Geraldi, a karate master from Florida to Cornell this weekend.
The club had been pledged the money, but a deadline for requesting it from the Student Assembly Finance Commission (SAFC) passed on April 19.
“It adds a wonderful experience to our 50 or so members when they get to see a true master come here,” said faculty advisor Mike Eschenbreaner. “It motivates them.”
The S.A. approved the $1,050 the group needed to pay the karate master’s speaking fees, plane ticket, and accommodations.
The S.A. also changed part of the Students Helping Students (SHS) guidelines to restrict SHS from awarding money to other student organizations.
SHS is a $500,000 fund that is drawn on to cover emergency expenses for individual community members.
In other business, the S.A. is printing 30 t-shirts for their members emblazoned with the S.A. logo for a cost of $270.
“Are they preshrunk?” asked Ari Epstein ’04, agricultural and life sciences representative.
Archived article by Peter Norlander