published on 02/03/06

Organizations fined for VSA absences

Nate Kimball Staff Writer

This past week, three Vassar Student Association (VSA) organizations were fined. The Class of 2008 was fined $25 Lathrop House suffered a $144 fine, and the Town Houses received a fine of $72. The reasons prompting the fines were all VSA attendence-related

According to the VSA constitution, “If a Council member does not attend a meeting and fails to send a proxy, the organization which the Council member represents shall be fined $25 or five percent of the organization’s budget, whichever is greater not to exceed $500.”
“All three organizations’ presidents had one absence without a proxy,” said VSA president Rick Rodems ’06. “The slate is wiped clean at the beginning of each semester.”

Class of 2008 President Barrett Littlefield remarked, “We were only fined $25 for missing the last meeting of the fall semester—which was basically a holiday party. I should have gotten a proxy, but I was bogged down with work for the end of the semester and other people were as well. So I do not think it is a big deal. It might be for other VSA members who missed a substantial amount of meetings.”

Town House President Rigel Byrum-Ridge ’06 said that when the VSA did not issue these fines, attendance was generally poor. “This year, in my opinion, we have a much more active and responsible group on Council and many of the fines are a result of bad judgment rather than delinquency,” he said. “These fines are a just punishment. They should set an example for Council and anyone thinking about running for office that these positions are not to be taken lightly and are not merely resume padding.”

“From the important issues debated at these meetings in the past semester I think everyone can see how vital it is to have dedicated members of the community involved with the running of the student government,” Byrum-Ridge continued.

Rodems added, “It is unfortunate that we have to fine them for missing Council meetings, but it is important that all students have their representatives in attendance at Council meetings. We are simply following the procedure outlined in the VSA Constitution.”

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