By Ben Suazo, Assistant News Editor

SGA’s Club Relations was left without a new chair at Tuesday’s senate meeting. The chair was vacated when former Chair Dan Lebo graduated at the end of the 2010-2011 school year.

Senator Luke Miedreich, last year’s vice president, spoke on behalf of the former chair to explain the value of the position, which has yet to be filled. He pointed out that senators should not seek the chair position simply as an excuse to join President David Zuniga’s cabinet. “There’s not a lot of perks to cabinet, it’s just responsibilities,” Miedreich told senators.

Miedreich emphasized the responsibilities of this particular committee chair in a motion to postpone filling it for three weeks (until Oct. 4), so that prospective nominees would have time to learn more about the position. The motion was eventually passed, but not without resistance by this year’s Vice President Alex Zelinski.

“I have a real moral dilemma in allowing this to happen by motion,” Zelinski said, before disregarding Miedreich’s objections. Zelinski cited the proximity of Club Congress in two weeks as one reason why he believed the Club Relations Chair should be nominated and chosen at Tuesday’s meeting, without delay.

The fate of Club Relations remains unclear, as senators are divided in their visions for its new purpose. Last year, Club Relations helped clubs reserve events at Hofstra USA and Adams Playhouse, but OSLA has now adopted that function. SGA President David Zuniga currently sees Club Relations as a “liaison between clubs and SGA, synchronizing committees and club constituents.” However, last year Miedreich was against the idea of  Club Relations as a liaison.

Lebo was quoted in an SGA meeting in Spring 2011 saying that SGA Club Relations was a “complete waste of resources.”

After further insistence by Miedreich and other senators, Zelinski finally conceded there was no rule barring a delay in the chair’s nomination. The motion was allowed to reach a vote and passed, with notable abstentions.

“Honestly, what it comes down to is it gives people the opportunity to earn the position,” Miedreich commented at the meeting’s end.

Later, Zelinski admitted that, “The Senate decided. I respect that.”

Another senator, Lisa Guarrieri, supported the wait but is skeptical that the committee will benefit. “Three weeks is a really long time; I wonder how much [the Club Relations Committee] can do with a Pro Tempore in place,” Guarrieri said.

Until a Club Relations Chair is nominated and chosen, Vice President Zelinski constitutionally acts as its Chair Pro Tempore (temporary Chair).