Spring Break
Union works on outreach
by Alana Abramson
Staff writer
News | 10/7/08
Posted online at 3:11 AM EST on 10/7/08
/ Last updated at 3:21 AM EST on 10/7/08
The Union Senate passed a bylaw last Sunday disbanding the Senate Spirit Committee and establishing a Student Outreach Committee to bridge the gap between Union senators and the students they represent, according to Union Communications Director Jamie Ansorge '09.
Student Union President Jason Gray '10, Ansorge and Executive Senator Eric Alterman '09 created the bylaw, which states that "The Senate Outreach Committee shall be composed of Senators and students who wish to foster a closer relationship between Student Union Officers and the Brandeis University Student Body."
At the last Senate meeting on Sunday Sept. 21 the bylaw was drafted and approved by a majority of the senators.
Ansorge wrote to the Justice that Gray decided at the beginning of the year that one of his priorities would be "connecting with students," since the Union, as a representative organization, is supposed to be engaged in constant dialogue with the student body.
After discussions with leaders in the Union Senate, Ansorge wrote that he decided the best way to reach this goal is to build an "outreach" committee-a close connection between the student body and its Union representatives.
The ultimate goal of the bylaw amendment, he wrote, is to replace the Student Spirit Committee with the Outreach Committee. He said he "believes that school spirit and support for our athletic teams is very important … [but] outreach provides a more measurable benefit to the community than does spirit."
The goal of the Spirit Committee was, according to the initial wording of Article VI, section 5 of the Union Constitution bylaws, to "enhance and encourage spirit on campus" by working with athletic teams, clubs and other groups on social, academic or sporting programs and events, and by at least one pep rally per academic year.
Alterman, who was part of the Spirit Committee two years ago, said the Spirit Committee had not achieved a lot recently. The job of the committee was to foster spirit, but it had not become particularly adept at doing so, he said.
Student Union President Jason Gray '10, Ansorge and Executive Senator Eric Alterman '09 created the bylaw, which states that "The Senate Outreach Committee shall be composed of Senators and students who wish to foster a closer relationship between Student Union Officers and the Brandeis University Student Body."
At the last Senate meeting on Sunday Sept. 21 the bylaw was drafted and approved by a majority of the senators.
Ansorge wrote to the Justice that Gray decided at the beginning of the year that one of his priorities would be "connecting with students," since the Union, as a representative organization, is supposed to be engaged in constant dialogue with the student body.
After discussions with leaders in the Union Senate, Ansorge wrote that he decided the best way to reach this goal is to build an "outreach" committee-a close connection between the student body and its Union representatives.
The ultimate goal of the bylaw amendment, he wrote, is to replace the Student Spirit Committee with the Outreach Committee. He said he "believes that school spirit and support for our athletic teams is very important … [but] outreach provides a more measurable benefit to the community than does spirit."
The goal of the Spirit Committee was, according to the initial wording of Article VI, section 5 of the Union Constitution bylaws, to "enhance and encourage spirit on campus" by working with athletic teams, clubs and other groups on social, academic or sporting programs and events, and by at least one pep rally per academic year.
Alterman, who was part of the Spirit Committee two years ago, said the Spirit Committee had not achieved a lot recently. The job of the committee was to foster spirit, but it had not become particularly adept at doing so, he said.
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