By Samuel Rubenfeld

In its final meeting of the semester, the Student Government Association (SGA) approved a new committee to discuss possible events surrounding the presidential debate coming to the University next fall and appointed the first freshman ever to its cabinet.

Entitled “Issue Committee for Presidential Topics Two Thousand deb8,” the group will coordinate with Sandra Johnson, the vice president for Student Affairs, and Anita Ellis, the director of the Office of Student Leadership and Activities, to plan symposia, activities and events specific to issues that will be discussed at the debate to take place on Oct. 15, 2008.

“We are going to write a report for the administration about what programs to run based on the candidates [debating],” said Pat McDonald, the SGA Parliamentarian.

Any proposed programs are only in the pre-discussion stage, Ellis said.

The SGA elected freshman Brian Marquis to be its new Fundraising chair. Marquis ran for the position unopposed, and he is the first freshman to ever hold a cabinet-level position in the SGA.

“It’s exciting,” Marquis said. “I’m going to work really hard on this to impress the upperclassmen. Just because I’m a freshman doesn’t mean I can’t work hard.”

In addition, the SGA considered a new chair for Appropriations because the current chair, Kayleigh Tompkins, a junior political science and sociology major, is spending a semester in Washington on an internship in the spring. Three students sought the office, but Carlos Cruz, a sophomore political science and history major, was elected to replace her.

Cruz left his post as Fundraising chair to take the new position.

Peter DiSilvio, the Club Affairs chairman, faced a vote on reinstating him to the senate. After compiling two unexcused absences, DiSilvio needed two-thirds of senate members present and voting to be in favor of reinstating him to the governing body. If the motion had failed, he would have lost his SGA membership. Though he was reinstated, he did lose his chairmanship as a result of his absences. An election was held within the senate to fill the vancancy, and DiSilvio ran for the position again. Sen. Robin Doublebower was the sole candidate against him. The senate chose to restore DiSilvio to the chairmanship.

DiSilvio also proposed two pieces of legislation regarding office space, both of which were passed unanimously. Office space is now based on a clarified review process policy overseen by the Club Affairs Committee, and the review process requires an application from a club seeking an office. Previously, the process was unclear, DiSilvio said.

A club no longer has to be a club for two semesters to qualify for office space.

To qualify for the review process, a club must contain at least 20 members, the resolution said.