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NEWS
March 29, 2012
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SGA tables Reach OUT vote after survey By ASHLEY THURMOND NEWS ASSISTANT
Nearly six months ago, SGA senators tabled an advocacy request resolution regarding the potential official formation of LGBT group Reach OUT on Pepperdine’s campus. SGA waited to vote on the resolution and sent out a survey to students in hopes of gauging the student body perspective on the status of Reach OUT as an organization. Reach OUT had submitted an application for official ICC recognition last semester and was notified in December that their application was denied, due to conflict with the University’s biblical mission. SGA surveyed the student body, asking, “Are you in favor of Pepperdine University officially recognizing Reach OUT as a registered student organization?” Sixty-one percent of respondents said yes (they are in favor) while 39 percent said no (they were opposed). On Wednesday, SGA brought the resolution back to the forefront of its discussion, but the discussion ended with another vote to table the resolution until next week. Before SGA’s next meeting, a committee of SGA senators will take a deeper look at the resolution and make any necessary amendments.
SGA was somewhat reluctant to table the resolution once again. “What’s the point if we keep on tabling it?” junior Sen. Alex Claud said. Despite hesitations, members came to the conclusion that the draft, originally authored by Reach OUT copresident senior Alexander Cooper, was in need of some amending to make it more understandable, clear and reflective of student opinion and satisfying for both students and administration. The conversation regarding the resolution began with a discussion about what SGA senators believed their duties were in regard to the survey results and presenting those to administration. “We have an obligation to represent the students because we were elected,” SGA VP of Administration Rachel O’Connor said. “But every week we vote on resolutions without quantifying them.” In last week’s SGA meeting, each class representative was handed the results of the survey, distributed randomly to 20 percent of Seaver College’s undergraduate population on the principle that a 20 percent sample will yield the most representative results. “I don’t know if the results were convincing enough,” junior Pat Moan said. “Let’s literally just add the student
survey results [into the wording of the resolution] that is our job.” Moan added: “We should do something about it with this information.” “This survey does not serve as a mandate,” junior Class President Christie Myers said. “Instead it is our job to share the student voice with administration.” Myers also pointed out the 39 percent of the surveyed students were against it, and thus passing the resolution could lead SGA to ignore a significant population of students. Senior Sen. Jordan Womack, one of the volunteers for serving on the resolution amendment committee, expressed his hope for some sort of common ground. “I think we all need to consider the administration’s voice as well,” Womack said. “I’d like to see SGA take a stance in the middle ground.” The drafted resolution, which SGA viewed in this week’s meeting, began with a description of Pepperdine’s experience regarding its failure to recognize LGBT-related organizations in the past. The resolution then goes on to suggest that “the university’s reputation is negatively impacted by the perception that it is discriminatory toward homosexual students.” The resolution calls for
SGA to support the approval of Reach OUT and to recommend to administration that the organization be granted club recognition on campus.
ashley.thurmond@pepperdine.edu
“If Reach OUT does what they say they are going to do, then I support them. I do believe that people need a place to go to feel welcome and talk about things that only bother them.”
“I respect the University’s decision to decline a club funding if one of the club’s beliefs is contrary to the Biblical marriage mandate. This does not make the University homophobic.”
YES 61% “I don’t agree with the LGBT lifestyle and as a Christian university I’m sure Pepperdine doesn’t either. However, the core of Christian values is to love on [sic] another, and denying a group of people the ability to come together for support through their struggles is NOT
NO 39% “Churches and Christian communities are already and should already be reaching out to the LGBT community.”
ART BY EMILY BRANCH
Students shared comments anonymously in the SGA survey regarding Reach OUT. The survey asked, “Are you in favor of Pepperdine University officially recognizing Reach OUT as a registered student organizations?”
SGA president-elect shares leadership philosophy By ASHLEY THURMOND NEWS ASSISTANT
Christie Myers has shown her dedication to serve the students of Pepperdine since she first became a Wave. Now, Myers looks forward to the year ahead when she will serve as the president of the Student Government Association. “I am excited for this position because I am passionate about what is going on at Pepperdine, and about strengthening community, and getting to know everyone here,” Myers said. Upon hearing that she had been elected, Myers said that she gave a smile and thumbs up to those in her class who had helped her in her campaign and awaited the answer alongside her. She was thrilled and already prepared to continue to serve the student body at a higher level. Myers serves on SGA as junior class president, so in no way is she a novice when it comes to policy and student government. Myers was also freshmen class president for the class of 2013. “I started with SGA my freshmen year,” Myers said. “I campaigned right after NSO and loved meeting a lot of
hall meetings and the Junior Class Paint new people.” Myers added: “I enjoyed it because Party. As SGA president, Myers looks forit got me involved in the community so that I could serve them through policy, ward to making more advancement in initiatives that have begun this year such something I am passionate about.” As Myers looks ahead to the up- as the Lovernich renovations. “We need to coming school year, she make sure everyremains passionate and thing is conducive hopes to serve in ways “I want SGA to with the communever done before. be constantly nity,” Myers said. “I am excited about involved in the For Myers, it is strengthening commucommunity.” all about making nity through strong netsure the students works,” Myers said. “I —Christie Myers have a voice, that look forward to providSGA President-Elect ideas are heard and ing SGA with resources implemented propand equipping them to erly. Her excitement is clear when it better serve the students.” As SGA president, Myers will be comes to her hopes for next year’s SGA. “I want SGA to be constantly inpresent at all SGA weekly meetings, provide assistance to class officers and volved in the community,” Myers said. lead discussions on policy that will af- “Also I want us to work as a team so that fect the student body. everyone enjoys what they are doing.” Myers added: “I want people to The current junior is double majoring in Spanish and International Stud- know where to come, and that means ies, with an emphasis in Political Sci- strengthening communication beence. This year, she and other junior tween all student groups.” During the campaign, Myers shared officers have been the leading minds behind junior class events such as town her objectives if elected.
ICC: Tweets offend From A1
Kauhane wrote that ICC has yet to determine the full response to the situation. “The ICC is in the process of working with the Student Activities Office and the University to follow the correct procedures in responding to the allegations,” she wrote. “The ICC has reached out to ‘Danny Deever’ via email and have encouraged he/she to speak with us in person, we have not been able to garner any further information regarding their identity.” Byrd indicated that the e-board selection process will resume next week and applications will be open to new candidates. According to Byrd, applicants will be considered based on GPA, good standing with the University and interview performance. Interviews for the other e-board positions will also be conducted, but only the president must undergo confirmation by the general
ICC body of delegates after recommendation from the e-board, according to ICC’s constitution. This selection process is one of the changes made to the ICC constitution when it was amended at the start of the spring semester. The funding request approval process also changed, moving from a general delegate vote to a vote by a special funding committee with rotating members. In addition to his involvement with ICC, Patel serves as vice president of Recruitment and Risk Management for the Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC) on campus. According to Byrd, the ICC has never received allegations of racism in the past.
jessica.abughattas@pepperdine.edu
BREE IRVIN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
“I will maintain a focus on policy and advocacy as a professional means of appealing to administrators with student concerns,” Myers said. “I will approach policy with the goal of promoting community by removing irritants and improving community space, and by working closely with all student groups and campus departments in order to support events and initiatives that unify the student body.” As a Buenos Aires program alumna, Myers hopes to reach out and better connect the students who are abroad with the Pepperdine community in Malibu next year. “Even though I was sad that I could not serve on SGA my sophomore year,
I learned a lot while I was abroad,” Myers said. Myers has been thinking of new ways for students abroad to feel fully connected to events on Seaver’s main campus, and for those students in Malibu to hear of the adventures of those abroad. She wants to build Pepperdine into a stronger community as she serves on the SGA executive board. “My goal is for SGA to have a strong and consistent presence for the students,” Myers said. “I want people to know that they are always free to come and talk to me and share their ideas.”
ashley.thurmond@pepperdine.edu