21 Comments
This week’s GSSC meeting, basically.
We don’t mean to be crude, but shit went down at the GSSC meeting last night. We sent the ebullient Joseph Milholland to check it out.
In the Tuesday March 26 General Studies Student Council Meeting, during the time the council allots to take questions from those in attendance, a GS student brought it to the attention of the council that a member of the council had violated the council’s code of conduct and was “behaving inappropriately” and “acting unethically, immorally.”
While the student did not specify who the council member was who broke the code of conduct, he did quote the GSSC constitution which states “that any violation of the GSSC Code of Conduct or the University Code of Conduct will be reported to the DOS [Dean of Students] and will be considered grounds for impeachment.” GSSC President Hannah Germond responded by saying the Executive Board has been working with the Dean of Students’ Office on this.
The issue was brought to the Executive Board’s attention a week before midterms, but because of midterms and Spring Break, dealing with the issue was slowed. Due to the “sensitivity,” as President Germond put it, of the issue, the council as a whole had not been notified at all about it.
“It originated a couple weeks ago, and I will just say on behalf of the E-board, speaking for the E-board, that we began looking into it as we chatted. I think we were, you know, we were chatting and it grew from there,” said President Germond after the meeting. “I need a formal statement so that we can begin an official investigation. We’ve been sitting down with both parties, we’ve been sitting down the Dean of Students’ Office. So we’ve been doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work to make sure this is resolved. I think we’re very close to a resolution, but because of this concern being brought up, we want a formal statement of what the concern is, so that we can move on that and go ahead and see how to resolve this,” she also said.
Other GSSC stuff that happened:
- The Columbia University Family Support Network (CUFSN) a group that works with students with children came to the council. They wanted a “mandate” in support of $1,000 stipend per child under the age of 5 per academic year for all undergraduate students with children. The university already does this for grad students. The council passed this without opposition.
- The GSSC positions that nobody is running for will be filled via either appointment or special elections before commencement.
- GSSC and CUFSN is putting on an Eggstravaganza April 19 intended for children of people affiliated with the university (GS students, grad students, professors). There will be 300 hidden eggs, sugar cookie decorating, and Fairway market catering.
- Gala 2014 will be themed around “Your GS story” (why people came to GS). It will be at Studio 60 and have a ceremony with speeches and performers. Tickets will be sold until April 4th.
- University Senator Justin Nathaniel Carter will be part of a report from the President’s Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing at the next University Senate meeting and expects questions that oppose investing in the private prison industry from people who he called “young idealists with nothing to lose.”
V shocked woman via Shutterstock
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21 Comments
@Anon Aaaaand the impeachment effort failed because it was the result of political garbage that stops people from become more involved in student council. For those too lazy to google, this is what I mean by good people, really helping our community… http://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2013/10/29/admins-lift-policy-barring-undergraduates-business-library-during-exams the accused
@Anonymous Aaaaand for those of us too lazy to google: http://spectrum.columbiaspectator.com/news/this-week-in-gssc-a-rep-review-and-expanding-family-benefits
@Guys... Three weeks ago there was a story about a member of GSSC misrepresenting himself on LinkedIn. From there, the comments alleged he had also stolen an idea for an initiative that is now moving forward. Now a GSSC member is accused of being unethical? I’m pretty sure all these incidents are related. I’m also pretty sure Spec got the story straight *and* got a statement from the accused party. Droppin’ the ball, Bwog.
@Anonymous That incident was already addressed by GSSC on a different occasion. I would guess this is a different person.
@GSSC Council Member As a member of GSSC, I can say the issue has yet to be resolved. Moreover, Spec correctly identified the accused party.
@Anonymous For those of us too lazy to google: http://spectrum.columbiaspectator.com/news/this-week-in-gssc-a-rep-review-and-expanding-family-benefits
@Anon It has been resolved, the accused has been cleared of any wrong doing and the impeachment effort has failed.
@And the council member is.... Andrew Lawson… hence why he dropped out of the Senate Race (I hope his status didn’t fool you)
@@Andrew Lawson Some of us can see through your phony megalomania
@Anonymous As I understand it, Lawson was simply smart enough to drop before Katharine f’d her opponents in the a
@You mean.. Smart enough to resign before getting impeached for lying about some CUFSN initiative that doesn’t exist that he claimed the Senate is working on in order to boost his image and further his own agenda?
@..... Wouldn’t put it past him
@ugh gs tainting CC/SEAS prestige. just go collect your pension already
@Anonymous Methinks 15 years ago he would have called LGBTQ activists “young idealists with nothing to lose.” Behold your Student Leaders.
@Anonymous Justin Nathaniel Carter is a motherfucker.
@me My money’s on Ryan Hudson…
@curious What is Ryan running for???
@Ryan Hudson Good morning,
It is disheartening that an individual–or a collection of individuals–is using the BWOG comment section to anonymously malign members of the GSSC. Although this has already been expressed by Gardo & Katharine in other posts, let me reiterate that we are open and available to discuss any issues that a student might have with our performance, our policies, or how we can better serve our community. Our meetings are open to the public and our email addresses are posted on the website. However, since at least one individual insists upon using this extremely indirect method of communication, I will respond using the forum they have chosen.
1. Thank you for thinking of me, “Me”, but I neither spoke at last night’s meeting, nor am I involved with the investigation mentioned in the article. Like most members of council who are not a part of the E-board, I do not know what incident is being investigated, nor do I know what parties are involved. It is my understanding that due to privacy concerns, the rest of us will not be given any further information until the E-board and the administration have concluded the investigation.
2. It is a pleasure to serve the GS student body as a member of the student council, but I am not running for any position in this election. Thank you for your interest, Curious.
3. Thank you for your thoughtful and considered suggestion, Ugh. Also, I don’t personally believe that the prestige of CC/SEAS is in any danger, and the brilliant students that I meet from those fine schools certainly underpin that feeling.
I’d be happy to discuss these things, or anything else, with whomever is interested in continuing the conversation. You can write me at rth2120@columbia.edu, or come say hello at one of our meetings. Thanks.
Ryan
@Not OP Pretty sure that when even a wildly untransparent GSSC administration acknowledges a problem with their bullying towards opponents, there’s nothing unjustified about anonymous political discussion. Pseudonymous speech is valuable and I regret letting GSSC moralizing on the topic go unchallenged.
@UPDATE The impeachment effort has failed because, among other reasons, it was based purely on hearsay.
@Anonymous OOoh, who said what?