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BARE BREASTS, BOOZE
LURE HIGH SCHOOL JOCKS
MARIJUANA TOOWINONA, Minn., March 24, 2004 -- In the rush to recruit high school athletes for the Winona State University football team, varsity players took the 18-year-olds to drunken parties, treated them to marijuana and gave Mardi Gras-style beads to college women to flash bare breasts. So far, the Warriors have signed more than 30 high school students, many of them star athletes, to join the team in the fall. The wild partying this recruiting season, which ended Feb. 4, landed one 18-year-old in jail and brought other recruits close to being arrested. This all occurred on university-sanctioned recruiting weekends under the guise of "get to know the guys" socializing after formal recruiting activities ended for the day. In some cases, while the 18-year-old high schoolers were getting a peek inside the party environment in which many Winona State football players live, some staying out all night, their moms and dads waited back at the hotel.
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| | Recruiting excesses being reported nationwide have prompted the National Collegiate Athletic Association to form a task force to review recruiting rules and recommend new standards. Said NCAA spokesperson Monica Lunderman: "We've got too many complaints about recruiting, whether it be football, basketball or whatever." The excesses, from which coaches usually keep a distance, at least structurally, may have grown to epidemic proportions in the fierce competition to build winning teams. Congress is investigating.
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At Winona State the recruit partying blew up Feb. 4, two weeks preceding the national signing day for high schools players, when several Winona State football players and recruits had run-ins with police and created the first public documentation of the dark side of Warrior football recruiting. Micaiah Stallworth, an 18-year-old tight end at Rufus King High School in Milwaukee, Wis., was arrested for underage consumption of alcohol while driving Jan. 18.
Stallworth, who was staying overnight with Winona State football players on a university-sanctioned recruitment trip, was driving on the Huff Street dike when police pulled him over for going 45 mph in a 30 mph zone. When the cops smelled alcohol, they took him in. Records show his blood alcohol content at 0.11 -- 10 percent more than the legal maximum under state law and 27.5 percent more than federal guidelines. Stallworth didn't have any identification but directed police to a house at Grand and Sarnia streets to locate the owner of the vehicle who, he said, could bring his ID to the jail. The car, it turned out, belonged to Lee Cunningham, a 22-year-old Winona State varsity tight end, according to state Department of Motor Vehicles records. In an interview two weeks ago, Stallworth said he was on his way to get soda when he was arrested, but declined to comment further on his arrest.
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CUNNING-
HAM
WSU tight end
Drunk recruit driving his car |
Stallworth said in the interview that he has not chosen a college yet but that Winona State was still an option. "I pretty much went there to see if I could get a free education," Stallworth said. If he does choose Winona State, Stallworth will start college with a local police rap sheet and court record. He has paid a $165 fine.
The night of Stallworth's arrest, Adam Linbo, a 21-year-old varsity football player, was cited for a loud party at 11:30 p.m. at 258 E. Mark St. According to police, people were going in and out of the house with alcohol. When police told the approximately 40 people to leave, according to their report, Linbo responded, "Fuck the cops."
The following weekend, the partying continued with a new batch of high school recruits in town to experience Winona State's football culture. The cops busted a party at tight end Brian Ploessl's place at 415 Harriet St. and cited him for the rowdy noise. Police said more than 100 people were partying, including, according to witnesses, high school football recruits. Ploessl said the party got so out of hand that he himself considered calling the cops, according to the police report.
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LINBO
WSU varsity player
"Fuck the cops"
PLOESSEL
WSU tight end
Party out of control |
How do the high schoolers like what they see on recruiting weekends? "I like the guys a lot. It was probably the most fun I have ever had," said Craig Martindale about his partying with players that weekend. Martindale, of Ottuma, Iowa, signed a letter of intent to join the Warriors.
When freshman varsity redshirt Corey Rottman was arrested at a party Jan. 24 on multiple charges, including assaulting police officers, minor consumption and possession of marijuana, recruits were with him, witnesses said. High schoolers were standing right with Rottman when police approached them in front of 252 E. Mark St. There they were on the front lawn drinking whisky and smoking marijuana, according to the criminal complaint filed in Winona County Court. Brandon Woody, himself a former varsity football player, whom police ticketed for the party, said 10 football players were among the 70 to 80 people drinking from a half-barrel and wop.
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ROTTMAN
With recruits when arrested
CHARGES:
Assaulting police
Underage consumption
Marijuana possession |
That same weekend, high school recruits were taken to a frat house for a Mardi Gras-themed keg party. In the Mardi Gras tradition, women exposed their breasts for plastic beads. At this party, the woman with the most beads at the end of the night was given $50, those at the party said. "It was just a lot of people," recruit Curtis Underwood III of Del Ray Beach, Fla., said about the party.
Approximately 30 recruits attended a party in late January at Eighth and Grand streets. Alcohol was given to recruits immediately upon entry. "They were all drunk as shit," said one witness.
Is sex part of the recruiting ritual at Winona State, as court documents have purported at the University of Colorado, the University of Minnesota and other schools. To persistent stories that he encouraged a female team groupie to do "as much as possible" to encourage recruits to sign with the Warriors, coach Tom Sawyer was emphatic in an interview. "I never asked anybody that," Sawyer said. He denied ever talking to women about parties.
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SAWYER
WSU footall coach
"I never asked anyone to do that" |
Not all Winona State football players are partiers. Roughly 70 of 100 men on the roster don't have court records. Also, not all high school recruits go out drinking. Ian Gilworth, of Unionville, Mo., who has signed to play at Winona State, said he spent his night hanging out with players and playing cards. Dan Zielski, of New Berlin, Wis., went bowling. Ellis Minor, of Ripon, Wis., said: "There were parties, but we stayed away from them. Getting caught, and then getting caught on a recruiting trip, doesn't sound like a scholarship to me."
Coach Tom Sawyer acknowledged in an interview that he is aware of misdeeds by players and recruits. What about reports that he is lax about the misconduct? "We've acted on every situation by the book," he said. "We tell our players to use common sense."
Even with a growing stack of court records against his team members -- 27 players with 41 arrests -- Sawyer said he doesn't plan immediate or drastic changes. He added that the rules are constantly being changed. What about the partying, especially considering that 18-year-old high school students aren't even of drinking age? "All we can do is put out our expectations about hosting and deal with it as it goes," Sawyer said. ÒWe have to be more stringent and more careful about what they do."
Because of recent run-ins with police, some football players have decided not to drink on weekdays, sources said. That does, however, leave weekends open and doesn't address tempting high-schoolers on those university-sanctioned weekend visits in January and February.
To be sure, not all recruits choose Winona State for the partying. Said Ian Gilworth: "I had a good feeling about Winona. They're the only program that talked about a national championship."
The possibility of a Division II national championship, indeed, is a theme of coach Tom Sawyer, whose Warriors made the NCAA regional playoffs last fall. Winning drives him. "We're trying to build a great program here," Sawyer said. About players and recruits who get in trouble, he said: "We try and find ways to work with them, not discard them."
Reporters:
Brian Krans with Emily Finley
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Manila school honors SMU leaderWINONA Minn., March 22, 2004 -- An award for faith and finance social justice, bearing the name of the president of St. Mary's University, Louis, DeThomasis, has been created at De La Salle University, a sister school in the Philippines. The award was announced after DeThomasis pesented a paper, "International Debt and the Preferential Option for the Poor," at the Manila campus. While there, DeThomasis discussed social justice and other issues with former President Corazon Aquino.
BEATS
TOGAS
After all,
this is Minnesota |
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| PHOTOGRAPHER: SARAH LANGE | |
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Gaffiti: Partying with a messageWINONA, Minn., March 24, 2004 -- New etiquette rules are being written, pun unintended, for the Winona State partying rage of the moment -- the graffti party. "'Can I write on you?' is a decent conversation starter," said Meredith Bocian, who says graffiti parties are more fun than "regular" parties. People show up wearing a white T-shirt and people write on each other with permanent markers while they drink, she explained to a first-timer. "People draw cartoons, write their phone numbers, write flirty things, or just scribble," said Bocian. The scrawlings get more creative as people drink more, she said.
Bocian thinks that graffiti parties have been around for awhile and thinks that most college students have heard of them, if not attended one. Bocian added that toga parties, once were college fad, don't seem to work well in Winona. "Nobody dresses up." If a person shows up to a supposed toga party and is the only one dressed in a toga, they "feel stupid," she said. "If you show up to a grafitti party wearing a white T-shirt and no-one else is, it's no big deal. Also, togas are not exactly the warmest thing to wear in Minnesota in the winter." Bocian says she keeps her graffiti shirts as souvenirs of the party but wouldn't consider showing her parents the shirts because of some "perverted" comments on them such as "I grabbed your ass."
Reporter: Sarah Lang |
WSU SECURITY
REPORT
MARCH 24, 2004 | A student reported at 4:10 p.m. that she was being harassed by a former friend at an off-campus location.
at an off-campus location and was arrested.
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WSU prez sees themes for future
NEW
UNIVER-
SITY
Project logo |
KRUEGER
Learning, connections, personal-
ization |
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| WINONA, Minn., March 24, 2004 -- The president of Winona State, Darrell Krueger, sounded familiar themes at a news conference that concluded two days of small group discussions and meetings in the New University project to evaluate where the university should be heading. Three major themes have emerged, Krueger said: "Imagine the three concepts as interconnecting spheres, each sphere being learning, connections and personalization." Making the student's education life transferable, immersive and exciting will make students engage more in their learning experience, he said. When students care about their education, he continued, there tends to be more of an environment that fosters connections, relationships and partnerships between student, professor and the community. "With the rising cost in tuition," he said, ÒWe need to enhance the student's learning and give them their money's worth."
Reporter: Krista Sieben
Background: Policy faulted |
First candidates declare themselvesWINONA, Minn., March 24, 2004 -- These are candidates who have filed candidacy documents for Student Senate executive and senator seats in upcoming Winona State University elections:
President ($2,300 position)
Nobody to date
Vice President ($2,100 position)
Tim Donahue
Treasurer ($2,100 position)
Nobody to date
Senators (business): Two seatsNobody to date
Senators (education): Two seats
Nobody to date
Senators (health): Two seats
Meghan Worthly
Senators (liberal arts): Two seats
Emilie Wiener
Senators (sciences): Two seats
Nobody to date | |
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Senators (seniors): Three seats
Nobody to date
Senators (juniors): Three seats
Nobody to date
Senators (sophs): Three seats
Caitlin Powers |
Four-at large.three frosh senator and two grad senator seats will be filled in fall elections.
Verbatim: Election details in new constitution
GOP leader targets WSU j-prof| WINONA, Minn., March 24, 2004 -- The executive director of the College Republicans at Winona State University, sophomore Tom Hainje, criticized the faculty-editor of the CyberIndee as someone who "will stop at nothing to silence those who feel differently." Hainje made the charges in letter on the opinion page of the Winonan student newspaper. Hainje, whose letter did not identify his role in the Republican club, accused Vivian of a "low moral standard. " Hainje said he pities students who, if they learn journalism from Vivian, do so despite of him. He said Vivian has "used" the CyberIndee "as a tool to voice his political views and terrorized students and groups that feel differently than him." |
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HAINJE
GOP club officer |
R.I.P.: Thomas James StutzkaWEST CONCORD, Minn., March 24, 2004 -- A Winona Technical College grad, Tom Stutzka, died at home at age 43. He had been disabled with a spinal injury suffered in a car wreck in 1999. His Tech certificate was in automobile mechanics.
GOP leader: Flag deal not done yetWINONA, Minn., March 23, 2004 -- Informed that the Winona State University task force on displaying the U.S. flag had not accepted the College Republicans proposal for classroom flags, well-connected campus party leader Nick Ridge said he was not concerned. "Good for them," Ridge said. Then smiling ear to ear, he said "something big" was coming in the next two weeks. He would not elaborate, but Ridge has leaned on legislators, veterans groups and others to press for the club's original flag-in-every-classroom proposal.
Meanwhile, the chair of the College Republicans, Parker Hjelmberg, expressed concern about the makeup of the task force. "It was obviously stacked against us," he said. Noting that university President Darrell Krueger had created the task force to calm a growing controversy over displaying the flag, Hjelmberg said: "The task force was Krueger's idea, and if that's the way it's going to be, that's the way it's going to be." Student senators held four out of the seven student positions on the task force. Student Senate President Michael Hofland, himself a task force member, was responsible for appointing the students to the group. Hjelmberg said he was also upset that four of the seven professors representing the Faculty Senate hailed from the university's liberal arts college.
Reporter: B.J. Puttbrese
Background: The recommendations
Background: Task force empaneled |
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RIDGE
Expect "something big"
HJLEM-
BERG
Task force "stacked against us" |
Panel coming on life without soundWINONA, Minn., March 23, 2004 -- The American Sign Language Club is sponsoring a Winona State University panel on the deaf. Jodie Novak, club president, said eight to 10 members of the deaf community from various generations and situations will offer insight into the culture by sharing.Date: Thursday, March 25
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Stark Auditorium
Cost: Free
Contact: Jodie Novak |
R.I.P.: Sylvia Fern (Boardman) JilkWINONA, Minn., March 23, 2004 -- A retired cafeteria worker at Winona State University, Sylvia Jilk, died at a nursing home at age 86. She had retired in 1987. Earlier she worked at the cafeteria at the old College of St. Teresa.
UNLIKELY JOURNALISM
APRIL FOOLERY, PART 3
Our biggest mistake was to solicit reader ideas for stories to cover for April Fool's:
WSU President Darrell Krueger expressed surprise at learning that student Republican leader Nick Ridge had invited President Bush to deliver the spring commencement address.
Ridge issued a a corrective e-mail to the whole campus that it was John Kerry that he invited as commencement speaker, not George Bush.
Bouncers at Bulls-Eye Beer Hall will accept $5 gratuities to admit under-age college students with really good fake IDs.
Not to be outdone, Brothers and Schyde's said $4 will do.
KQAL chief Ajit Daniel will provide live traffic reports from a station helicopter over Huff and Sarnia during peak commute hours. |
Other possible April nonsense
WSU task force:
Many flags but not in classroomsWINONA, Minn., March 23, 2004 -- The Flag Task Force at Winona State settled on four recommendations, including flags displayed prominently at major university buildings. The task force convener, university Vice President Jim Schmidt, said he would draft the recommendations and send them to university President Darrell Krueger by the weekend. The recommendations:
A U.S. flag near the entrances of Maxwell, Somsen, Kryzsko and Lourdes halls and perhaps the new science building.Permanent brackets on campus light poles to display the flag on 10 patriotic holidays.A collection of historical U.S. flags in the Minne classroom building.An international flags plaza.
Not making it into the recommendations was the proposal by College Republicans for a flag in every classroom. That proposal fermented on campus beginning in October and then blew up into a controversy that received national news coverage. It could be argued, however, that the task force recommendations for a display inside Minne and the flags outside major buildings have roots in the GOP plan.
Campus Republicans raised between $500 and $2,500 -- accounts vary -- for their classroom initiative. Schmidt said, however, that funding for the final project would likely come from a broader base. To build consensus, contributions must come from all constituencies, Schmidt said.
Absent from the 7 a.m., Tuesday, meeting at which the recommendations were finalized were students Grace Scwhab, a representative from the College Republicans, and Daryl McDaniel, who had been chosen as a veteran.
The Flag Task Force held only two meetings. The first was Friday, the last early Tuesday. The task force was working under university President Darrell Krueger's April 1 deadline. Krueger said he would determine how flags would be displayed if the task force failed to reach consensus.
Reporter: B.J. Puttbrese
Background: Task force begins dialogue
Background: Verbatim charge to task force
VERBATIM
THE CYBERINDEE IS YOUR NEWS SOURCE OF RECORD |
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WSU flag task force missionWINONA, Minn., March 23, 2004 -- This is the mission statement from Darrell Krueger, president of Winona State University, for the Task Force on Display of the American Flag:
Winona State University has a tradition of respect for civic engagement -- for maintaining meaningful connections that tie its students, faculty, and staff to the greater society. As a community of learners, we engage in intellectual discourage about matters of importance as a means of improving our world. In keeping with the spirit, therefore, the administration calls for the creation of a task force to consider how to acknowledge our collective role on society by respectful display of the American flag on campus. In creating this task force, it is the administration's hope that the campus community can foster a dialogue that welcomes and respects all voices at WSU, and that searches for suggestions that will build consensus.
The task force is asked to take into account ideas expressed by members of the WSU community and other sources of information as it deems appropriate to provide thoughtful advice to the WSU President, by April 1, 2004. |
Background: Task force begins dialogue
Police make arrest after dorm ruckusWINONA, Minn., March 23, 2004 -- Police arrested a man whose girlfriend said he entered her suite at Winona State University's East Lake dorm and trashed a room. The man threw furniture and smashed a mirror, said Deputy Police Chief Tom Williams. Also, he said, the man threatened another man with a BB gun and damaged his car. Police will recommend that the man be charged with making terroristic threats, Williams said.
WSU SECURITY
REPORT
MARCH 23, 2004 | INCIDENT NO. 1: An East Lake dorm tenant reported at 4:45 a.m. that a boyfriend entered her apartment and caused damage the previous evening. The subject also confronted the student later at an off-campus location and was arrested.
INCIDENT NO. 2: A student reported at 2:16 p.m. that she discovered damage to her vehicle upon returning to campus. Complainant is unsure of where her vehicle sustained the damage.
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WSU prof publishes biology graphsWINONA, Minn., March 23, 2004 -- A Winona State University biology prof, Emmmanuel Brako, created three micrographs on cells and equine herpes virus for a high school textbook. The 2004 book is pubished by J.M. LeBel of Dallas, Texas.
Cops called on bicyling boozers
GABBY'S
179 E. Third St.
Rival groups brawl outside Gabby's |
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WINONA, Minn., March 22, 2004 --A fight at Gabby's bar brought out the cops and damaged the bar's sign hanging outside. About 10 p.m. a group of seven drinkers started throwing quarters at another group, said bartender Brandon Rustad. Quarters went back and forth until Rustad asked them to stop. Then a woman in one group spit in Rustad's face and bit another individual, he said. "I went to throw them out, and one of them grabbed my arm and pulled me outside," said Rustad. The fight escalated until everybody in both groups, 17 people total, were involved, said bar manager Chad Brink: "We were so surprised that a fight of this magnitude," Brink said."We usually never have any fights here."
After about five minutes the fight dwindled down, and Rustad and the people in one group went back inside. "We thought it was over until the seven individuals wouldn't leave the area outside the door, said Heidi Kirchner, another bartender. "They just kept on driving around with their bikes," she said. "Then we locked the door, and they still wouldn't leave, and then we saw them throwing their bikes up at the Gabby's sign, said Kirchner. "That," said Brink, "was the last straw. Once they started vandalizing the property I called the cops."
Reporter: Kristie Rossi |
WSU constitution tally: 817-61WINONA, Minn., March 22, 2004 -- The painful, delayed announcement of the victory margin for the revised Winona State University student constitution was declared to by 817-61 by a panel of election judges. Student President Michael Hofland announced the results after judges evaluated mismarked and blank ballots. Said Hofland: "To get this passed was a year-long goal." He called the new constitution a "tremendous success and lots of hard work for everyone involved." Also, he said, it is "an exciting moment" when 12 percent of the student population votes -- a record in recent history.
The judges confirmed that 918 students voted. Ten ballots were ruled invalid with write-in entries that had nothing to do with the constitution. Four ballots were submitted blank. Some students voted for professor of the year nominations but not the constitution.
The count began at noon, Monday, with Hofland going through the same procedure as the night before, when it was discovered on opening a sealed envelope that the wrong data was inside. With the right information on Monday, the process went this way: Hofland, serving as an election judge, would find an invalid vote. A second judge, Justin Jelinek, would concur. Together they would proceed to determine the voter's intent, their conclusion going to a third judge, Ezra Kazee, for confirmation. Kazee then tallied the results. Two alternate judges, Aubrey Shermock and Tristan Pruesse, stood by.
When the count was over, Jelinek said: "I hope this creates a student government that the students want. It is better for the students now." Kazee credited Hofland for the new constitution: "Michael's vision will show through. The student association
will be stronger because of it."
Reporter: Dana Zuhlke
Background: "Envelope, please!"
WSU student speakers namedWINONA, Minn., March 22, 2004 -- A Winona State finance major, William Prate, will be the morning student speaker at the university's spring commencement and organizational communications major Elizabeth Black in the afternoon. The decision was made by university President Darrell Krueger on the recommendation of the Student Senate after auditions.
Reporter: Katie Lokker
Background: DuFresne main speaker
Ex-WSU president to address gradsWINONA, Minn., March 22, 2004 -- The guest speaker for the Winona State spring comnmencement will be retired university President Bob DuFresne. The choice was made by current President Darrell Krueger. DuFresne was president of Winona State from 1967 to 1977.
Reporter:
Katie Lokker
Background:
National anthem
Commencement detail |
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HOLDING THE DOOR
WSU President Darrel Krueger lets a predecessor, Bob DuFresne, into the new WSU library during 1999 dedication ceremonies. DuFrense is holding his history of the university, which was the first book delivered to the collection in the new building. |
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UNLIKELY JOURNALISM
APRIL FOOLERY, PART 2
Bemoaning our decision against April Fool's coverage, readers are submitting ideas for stories that never should be told:
WSU football coach Tom Sawyer will use technology to improve player behavior. Players will be required to wear sweat bands with built-in breathalyzers.
SMU will stock a new moat around Terrace Heights with a chill-resistant species of crocodiles. Said President Louis DeThomasis: "This will keep the 21st century out."
City Council member Gerry Krage proposed that WSU profs be required to wear U.S. flag decals on their foreheads.
To cut costs, WSU will go from single-ply to half-ply toilet tissue. Gov. Tim Pawlenty commended the university for "innovation in higher-ed." |
Other possible April nonsense
Discrepency alleged in Lincoln planWINONA, Minn. March 22, 2004 -- A $1.5 million Winona State University plan to buy and raze the old Lincoln school building near campus was approved by state colleges trustees last week -- on condition. The trustees insisted, in effect, that university President Darrell Krueger come up with an explanation for an apparent 11th-hour change in the university's books on how he would pay for the building. In January Krueger told student senators he would use one pot of money, so-called revenue funds, but in his presentation to the MnSCU trustees he said he would use operating funds. Tyler Despins, a Winona State student on the MnSCU Board of Trustees, caught the discrepancy. Despins insisted that his fellow MnSCU trustees delay final approval until Krueger explain himself to the Student Senate. Said Despins: "My key thing is that students know what is going on with the Lincoln building, where the money is really coming from."
MnSCU regulations require campus presidents to consult with student leaders. In his presentation to the Student Senate in January, Krueger specified that the Lincoln building, being eyed for new parking, would be financed with revenue funds. The Student Senate declined in a 16-8 vote to endorse the proposed acquisition. By MnSCU regulation, a so-called "letter of consultation" from the Student Senate, as well as one from Faculty Senate, must accompany formal proposals to the MnSCU board for any acquisition. Somehow the Student Senate document did not make it into the packet to MnSCU board members on the Lincoln proposal.
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DESPINS
Student trustee
KRUEGER
University president |
The budget plan that Krueger showed the MnSCU trustees last week was not the same one he showed to the Student Senate, Despins said. To MnSCU, Krueger said operating funds would be used, but the plan the Student Senate saw showed revenue funds, said Despins. The issue, said Despins, is not arcane. Operating funds for a university are partly made up of the tuition that students pay, along with some government funding, while the revenue fund is not, said Despins. In effect, the switch would shift some of the funding burden to buy the Lincoln building to tuition income. Tuition has become increasingly sensitive to Winona State students, who this year are paying 15 percent more and who have been told to expect another 15 percent increase in the fall.
The university's comptroller, Scott Ellinghuysen, said in an interview in January that tuition cannot be used for building and land acquisitions. Only the revenue funds, in effect the profits from university enterprises like student union building income and dorm fees, can be used for capital acquisitions like real estate, he said.
Despins said the issue for him is less whether to buy the Lincoln building but where the finances would come from. "I support land acquisitions," said Despins, "but I don't support the use of operating funds to buy more land."
Despins said that he did everything he could at the MnSCU trustees' meeting to separate the Winona State purchasing proposal from the proposals of other universities. He said the Lincoln plan was originally in a large package before the trustees. Despins succeeded in separating out the Winona land purchases, which included the Lincoln building and $150,000 for a house off Johnson Street, from the rest of the agenda. Even so, the trustees approved the Winona proposal, but Despins did manage to get a hold placed on the project until Winona State's Student Senate has "adequate consultation" on the project.
Reporter: Joanna Chinquist
Background: WSU writes earnest check
WSU stadium fire case closedWINONA, Minn., March 22, 2004 -- The investigation of a mysterious fire in the basement of Winona State University's Maxwell Field is now closed. Fire Inspector Larry Strange said he's concluded that the blaze, discovered Jan. 30, may have occurred as early as Jan. 13 but that he has not determined a cause. "There is suspicion about the cause," Strange said. "The origin of the fire was a plastic trash barrel in an old boiler room under Maxwell Stadium." Although he's suspicious that the blaze was purposely set, no clues were left and no one has come forward with information on the cause. "The fire didn't appear to be accidental because accidental fires don't just start in trash barrels by themselves," Strange said. "But it could have been an accident -- like if someone were to carelessly flick a cigarette butt into the barrel and leave." Strange said that fires leave a lot of evidence and clues behind, and that if a cigarette were to have caused the fire, a butt would sometimes be left. "I found that no maintenance workers had been in the basement since Jan. 13," Strange said. A contractor who was replacing lights discovered the fire on the 30th.
Reporter: Nathan Bortz
Background: Maxwell fire called "suspicous"
Kerry backer attacks GOP loan planWASHINGTON, March 22, 2004 -- A former U.S. secretary of education, Richard Riley, criticized a Republican proposal in Congress to tie college loans to changing interest rates -- rather than letting students lock into current rates as low as 3.2 percent. Riley said Republicans are putting the priorities of lenders ahead of students, noting that lobbyists for the lending industry have been pushing for variable interests. "Instead of cutting student loans and increasing the amount of money students owe to banks," said Mr. Riley, "we should be cutting bank subsidies and increasing the amount of grant aid going to students and families." Riley was education secretary under President Bill Clinton and active supporter of Democratic candidate John Kerry for president.
Background: Congress debates loan rates
QUICK
SPORTS
MARCH 23, 2004 |
SOFTBALL (WOMEN'S): WSU 5, South Dakota State 3; WSU 9, South Dakota State 1.
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SMU loses associate sports directorWINONA, Minn., March 22, 2004 -- The associate athletic director at St. Mary's University, Linda Anderson, will leave after spring classes for a new job as athletic director at Maryville University in Missouri. Anderson described the Maryville job as "a perfect fit." In 19 years at St. Mary's she has coached volleyball and softball and served as interim athletic director.
Students to Costa Rica field tripWINONA, Minn., March 22, 2004 -- A 15-day summer trip to Costa Rica for Winona State University students is being put together by rec prof Roger Riley. Students will learn how tourism works and how small towns can develop into big tourism areas, Riley said. "We are going there for the students to learn and get the experience while doing our best to help the locals from being over-run by tourism," Riley said. "We don't want to show up there acting like we are know-it-all Americans." Riley said the 15-day trip includes "a wide range of places, some being heavily populated and very touristy, to not very populated like rain forests where tourism hasn't hit yet." Accompanying the students are five profs -- two from recreation, two from geoscience and one from marketing. "The students will have to do things like mapping town resources, interviewing tour operators and taking surveys on accommodations and facilities," Riley said. Riley and profs Lorene Olsen and Russ Smith have been to Costa Rica to make arrangements. "It has taken us a total of three visits to Costa Rica to make sure we were going to the places where the students would get the best hands on experience and learning experience." The trip will cost students more than $2,000 plus plane fare, Riley said. Most in-country travel will be in a 21-seat bus with a luggage on the roof. "Most of the places we are staying are like small huts," Riley said. "However as a treat for everyone we are staying at an all-inclusive hotel in Playa Tambor."
Reporter: Brandon McVoy
PATRICK
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TOMORROW'S GREATEST BYLINES TODAY |
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One-stop shopping for WSU gradsWINONA, Minn., March 22, 2004 -- The annual Grad Finale Day, a kind of bazaar for prospective Winona State University grads, has been scheduled for April 16. Tania Schmidt, coordinator, said she hopes that 300 to 400 students turn out. Booths will be set up by the bookstore, registrar, job services, alumni, and grad studies offices, Schmidt said. "A one-stop shopping trip," Schmidt calls it. The bookstore will have caps, gowns and other apparel. The school trinket company Jostens will have a sales rep. The site: Kryzsko Commons.
Reporter: Katie Lokker
Republican leader: What plaques?WINONA, Minn., March 23, 3004 -- The prime mover in the Winona State University classroom flag project, Nick Ridge, denied that the College Republicans club ever proposed mounting a plaque next to the flags to credit itself with their presence. Ridge called the plaque stories "cheap partisan rumor." The plaque stories took tangible form when prof Gasapare Genna said in a letter to the Daily News opinion page that the Republican flag initiative bespoke partisanship, not pure patriotism. To demonstrate his point, Genna cited an active Republican club leader as floating the idea of the plaques in a conversation. Responding in his own letter to the Daily News, Ridge called Genna "a neo-socialist." Said Ridge: "It is shameful for a professor É to make up such a pompous lie to discredit the College Republicans' good intentions."
Background: Prof sees neo-fascism in flag plan
WSU SECURITY
REPORT
MARCH 22, 2004 | INCIDENT NO. 1: An alarm was activated accidentally in Somsen Hall at 4:30 a.m.
INCIDENT NO. 2: A student reported at 7:30 a.m. that a window was damaged on her vehicle the previous night while it was parked at the Lourdes dorm.
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Might Congress unlock loan rates?WASHINGTON, March 22, 2004 -- Republicans on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce want to end student loan provisions that lock in current interest rates on college student loans for as long as 30 years. Rep. John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, said the current system costs the government billions of dollars in loan subsidies. Boehner favors variable interest rates, with the same rate as new student-loan recipients in a given year. The current rate is 3.42 percent, an historic low. At committee hearings, Democrats blasted the Republicans plan. Said Rep, Dale Kildee, D-Mich.: "This proposal will heap thousands of dollars in increased interest costs on the backs of students and recent college graduates."
UNDER-AGE
BOOZERS
WHO GOT
CAUGHT
BEING
STUPID
DON'T
TELL
THEIR
MOTHERS
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CAMPUS
SALARIES
Darrell
Krueger
WSU president
2003: $211,836
Louis
DeThomasis
SMU president
2001: $155,245
Jim Johnson
Tech president
2001:
$125,000
OTHER
SALARIES
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New WSU student constitutionWINONA, Minn., March 22, 2004 -- This is the replacement constitution approved by Winona State Universty students in an election March 15-19:
Winona State University
Student Association Constitution
PreambleWe, the Students of Winona State University, in order to enhance our education, both curricular and co-curricular; to promote equal opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, financial status, physical disability, sexual preference, or veteran status; to provide our rights as students; to hearten free discussion, inquiry, and critical thinking; to relish general jurisdiction over academic concern, rules, and rights; and to provide self governance; do hereby establish this Constitution.
Article I. Establishment
Section 1: Name
The name of this organization shall be the Winona State University Student Association, hereafter referred to as the WSUSA.
Section 2: Authorization
This constitution is established under the authorization of the statutes of the state of Minnesota and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board Policy 2.1.
Section 3: Membership
The WSUSA shall consist of all students enrolled for credit at Winona State University (hereafter referred to as WSU) who are not represented by a WSU collective bargaining agent and are not members of the excluded management group.
Article II. Governance
Section 1: Winona State University Student SenateWSUSA shall be represented by the Winona State Student Senate, hereafter referred to as Student Senate.
Section 2: Purpose
The purpose of the Winona State University Student Senate shall be to represent, advocate for, provide and act as an official voice for, and ultimately act on behalf of the Student Association and the interests thereof; to preserve, protect, and defend the process of student consultation and the rights of students to participate in and influence the decision-making, legal, and political processes of the educational system at the university, state, and federal level; and to work to achieve and protect affordability, accessibility, and quality within Winona State University and the educational system.
Section 3: Senate Membership
Subsection A. Executive Officers
1. President
a. Shall act as official spokesperson of the WSUSA and the Student Senate.
b. Shall ensure that the provision of this constitution, the Student Senate By-Laws, and other written policies are followed.
c. Shall chair the Student Senate meetings. [Art.II.3.C]
d. Shall be a non-voting member of the Student Senate.
e. Shall call special meetings of the Student Senate when necessary.
f. Shall see to the proper execution of all motions passed by the Student Senate.
g. Shall organize the Meet and Discuss delegation and prepare relevant materials for presentation. [Art.II.6]
h. Shall ensure representation at all state student association meetings and conferences.
i. Shall, in conjunction with the Vice President, appoint all Committee Chairpersons and Affiliated Members pending Student Senate confirmation.
j. Shall be the chair of the Cabinet meetings.
k. Shall appoint students to Judicial Board, All-University Committees, Task Forces, and other university-wide groups, pending Student Senate confirmation.
2. Vice President
a. Shall perform the duties of the President in his/her absence, or in the event that a vacancy occurs in the Presidency, shall assume the title and responsibilities of that office.
b. Shall serve as chairperson of the Student Senate Working Documents Committee.
c. Shall uphold the WSUSA Constitution, Student Senate By-Laws, and other written policies.
d. Shall be a non-voting member of Student Senate.
e. Shall appoint all Student Senate standing committee members, pending Student Senate confirmation.
f. Shall, except in cases where a direct conflict of interest may result, coordinate all Student Senate elections and referendums.
g. Shall serve as the chief facilitator of the Executive Board.
h. Shall perform other duties as assigned by the Student Senate President.
i. Shall be coordinator and ex-officio member without a vote on all committees of the WSUSA.
j. Shall serve as the Student Senate liaison to the Alliance of Student Organizations.
k. Shall serve as sergeant-at-arms of the Student Senate.
3. Treasurer
a. Shall be the chairperson of the Student Activity Fund Committee (SAFC).
b. Shall uphold the WSUSA Constitution, Student Senate By-Laws, and other written policies.
c. Shall be a non-voting member of the Student Senate.
d. Shall be responsible of the financial affairs of the Student Senate.
e. Shall be responsible for Financial Reporting.
i. All spending must be reported on an item by item basis.
ii. All spending greater or equal to $100 must be approved by the Student Senate.
iii. All spending greater than 3% above a budgeted line item must be approved by the Student Senate.
f. Shall preside over audits of organizations funded by the Student Activity Fund if such audit is deemed appropriate be the Student Senate.
g. Shall, in conjunction with the other Executive Officers, prepare the Student Senate budget and submit it to the Student Senate for approval.
h. Shall be a chairperson of the Student Fee Management Committee (SFMC).
Subsection B. Senators
1. Representation
a. There shall be two Student Senator positions from each degree granting academic college.
b. There shall be three Student Senator positions from each credit classification (Senior, Junior, Sophomore, Freshmen) as prescribed in the Student Senate By-Laws.
c. There shall be two Student Senator positions for students enrolled in Graduate Studies.
d. There shall be four At-Large Student Senator positions.
2. Duties and Responsibilities
a. Shall be the only voting members of Student Senate.
b. Shall uphold the WSUSA Constitution, Student Senate By-Laws, and other written policies.
c. Shall regularly attend the Student Senate meetings as prescribed in the Student Senate By-Laws.
d. Shall serve as a voting member on one Student Senate standing committee.
e. Shall serve as a voting member on at least one All-University committee if there are any vacancies.
3. Seniority
a. Pro-Tempore
i. The most senior member, as defined by the number of Student Senate meetings attended while serving in an elected Student Senate position, shall hold the title of Senate Pro-Tempore.
ii. Should a vacancy occur in the Vice Presidency, the Senate Pro-Tempore shall serve as the interim Vice President, assuming all Vice Presidential duties and responsibilities thereof, until the results of the special election are ratified.
b. Further Classification
i. The remaining senators shall be ranked after the Pro-Tempore as determined by the number of senate meetings attended while serving in an elected Student Senate position.
ii. The highest ranking member present shall assume the duties of the Pro-Tempore for the duration of his/her absence.
Subsection C: Chair Succession
1. Order of Succession
a. The order of succession is: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Pro-Tempore, and remaining Student Senate members according to seniority.
b. In the event that the Student Senate President is unable to call the scheduled meeting to order the most senior member in the order of succession present shall call the meeting to order and act as chair.
2. Transfer of Chair Authority
a. In the event that the Chair speaks in favor of one side of a question, he/she must pass the gavel to the next eligible member in the order of succession.
b. The gavel shall not be passed to a member who has already spoken in favor of one side of a question.
c. The gavel shall remain with that member until passed again, or the main question is resolved and the gavel is passed back to the highest person in the order of succession present.
d. Along with the gavel goes all chair responsibility and authority.
e. If the gavel is passed to a voting member, that member votes last while chairing the meeting.
Subsection D.
Eligibility, Elections, and Impeachment
1. Eligibility of Senate members
a. All members of and representatives to the Student Senate and its committees must be members of the WSUSA.
b. All members of and representatives to the Student Senate and its committees must have a minimum 2.0 GPA at time of election or appointment and maintain it while holding office.
c. All members of and representatives to the Student Senate and its committees placed on disciplinary or academic probation while in office shall forfeit his/her position.
2. Election Procedures
a. Applications
i. Applications shall be made available at least two weeks before they are due.
ii. Applications shall be due one academic week prior to the opening of the polls.
b. Elections
i. Spring General Elections
1. Executive Officers, Academic College Senators, Senior Senators, Junior Senators, and Sophomore Senators will be elected in the Spring General Elections.
2. These elections shall be held during the fifth academic week prior to the end of the spring semester.
ii. Fall General Elections
1. Graduate, At-Large, and Freshmen Senators will be elected in the Fall General Elections.
2. These elections shall be held during the fourth academic week of the fall semester.
3. Any additional vacant Student Senate positions at the time Fall General Elections applications are made available shall be filled in this election.
iii. Supplemental Elections
1. The supplemental elections shall be during the fifth academic week prior to the end of the fall semester and during the sixth academic week of the spring semester.
2. All senator positions that are vacant at the time applications are made available will be filled during the respective supplemental election.
iv. Special Elections
1. Vice President and Treasurer vacancies shall immediately initiate the special election process.
2. A Presidential vacancy shall be filled by special election only if there is also a simultaneous Vice Presidential vacancy.
3. The Student Senate Vice President or a majority of the Student Senate may call up to two additional special elections to fill Student Senate vacancies.
c. Ratification
i. Election results will be disclosed at the first regular Student Senate meeting following tabulation.
ii. A motion to ratify the elections must be considered at the first regular Student Senate meeting following the meeting at which disclosure of election results occurred.
3. Term of Office
a. Senators and Executive Officers elected in the Spring General Election shall serve from the day immediately following the last day of finals for the spring semester through the last day of finals for the spring semester the following year.
b. Senators and Executive Officers elected subsequently shall serve from the time of the ratification of the elections through the last day of finals for the spring semester of that academic year.
4. Impeachment
a. The President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Senators of the WSU Student Senate may be removed from office for gross neglect of duty or ineligibility for office. Impeachment notice may be presented by any member of the WSUSA to the WSU Student Senate.
b. The Impeachment Procedure shall be as follows:
i. Any impeachment notice shall be presented in writing at a Student Senate meeting. Specific charges shall not be brought up at this time but rather shall be referred to the Judicial Board.
ii. The impeached member shall not vote and shall not count against quorum while the impeachment process in underway unless exonerated.
iii. Judicial Board shall act as the investigative committee as per Robert's Rules of Order.
iv. The proceedings shall be held at a set date at least twenty-eight days after the impeachment notice is brought forward during a closed session of the Student Senate. These proceedings shall occur as per the disciplinary procedure outlined in Robert's Rules of Order.
v. Each impeached member shall have a separate hearing.
vi. The Student Senate shall have the final vote for or against removal.
Subsection E: Affiliated Members
1. Administrative Office Assistant
a. Shall be hired by the Student Senate President pending Student Senate approval.
b. Shall act as secretary at the Student Senate meetings, post minutes and agendas, and fulfill office hours and duties as prescribed in the Student Senate By-Laws.
2. Statewide Student Association Representative
a. Shall be appointed by the Student Senate President pending Student Senate confirmation.
b. Shall act as a liaison to the statewide student association, and shall head the WSU delegation at statewide student association functions in the absence of the Student Senate President.
3. Parliamentarian
a. Shall be elected by the Student Senate during the preceding spring following ratification of the Spring General Election as prescribed in the Student Senate By-Laws.
b. Shall assist the Chair and act as a reference to the Student Senate concerning Robert's Rules of Order.
c. Shall be a non-voting member of Student Senate.
Section 4: Student Senate Committees
Subsection A: Standing Committees
1. Names and Purposes
a. Academic Affairs -- Duties shall include advising and making recommendations to the WSU Student Senate and pursuing projects regarding academic concerns.
b. Diversity Awareness -- Duties shall include advising and making recommendations to the WSU Student Senate and pursuing projects regarding diversity concerns and promoting diversity awareness.
c. Legislative Affairs -- Duties shall include advising and making recommendations to the WSU Student Senate and pursuing projects regarding legislative issues and coordinating WSUSAÕs lobbying efforts.
d. Public Relations -- Duties shall include advising and making recommendations to the WSU Student Senate regarding matters of public relations and promoting the Student Senate and its projects.
e. Student Activity Fund Committee (hereafter referred to as SAFC) -- Duties shall include advising and making recommendations to the WSU Student Senate regarding the Student Activity Fund and the management thereof.
f. Student Services -- Duties shall include advising and making recommendations to the WSU Student Senate and pursuing projects regarding student services.
g. Technology Services -- Duties shall include advising and making recommendations to the WSU Student Senate on technology issues and pursuing projects regarding the application of technology.
2. Membership
a. Each committee shall consist of up to four senators, as well as Associate Senators as prescribed in the Student Senate By-Laws.
b. The Student Senate Treasurer shall be chair of the SAFC.
c. All remaining standing committee chairs shall be Student Senators and shall be appointed by the President pending Student Senate confirmation.
Subsection B: Specialized Committees
1. Cabinet
a. The purpose of the Cabinet is to advise the Student Senate President; to consider policies and to establish priorities for the Student Senate committees; to make recommendations to WSU Student Senate; and to act as a coordination body for the WSU Student Senate.
b. Membership shall consist of the Executive Officers, standing committee chairs, the statewide student association representative, and ad-hoc committee chairs.
c. The Student Senate President shall act as chair of the Cabinet.
2. Election Committee
a. The purpose shall be to oversee and operate all elections.
b. Membership shall consist of up to five WSUSA members appointed by the Student Senate President pending Student Senate confirmation. Members shall not have a direct conflict of interest in the election they are overseeing or operating.
c. The Student Senate Vice President shall act as chair in all cases except where a direct conflict of interest exists.
d. The committee members shall act as election judges.
3. Executive Board
a. The purpose shall be to discuss and recommend matters of personnel and to manage the Student Senate operations.
b. Membership shall consist of the Student Senate President, Vice President, and Treasurer.
c. The Vice President shall be the chief facilitator of all meetings of the Executive Board.
d. Any member of the Executive Board may call a meeting, but all members must be present to constitute a quorum.
4. Working Documents
a. The purpose shall be to review and update the Student Association Constitution, the Student Senate By-Laws, and other written policies, and to make recommendations to the Student Senate regarding said documents.
b. Membership shall consist of the Student Senate Vice President, the Student Senate Parliamentarian, and up to four Student Senators, as well as Associate Senators as prescribed by the Student Senate By-Laws.
c. The Student Senate President shall appoint Working Documents Committee members pending Student Senate confirmation.
d. The Student Senate Vice President shall act as chair.
Subsection C: Ad- Hoc Committees
1. The Student Senate may form ad-hoc committees and task forces as seen appropriate and necessary in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order.
2. All ad-hoc committees and task forces shall remain in effect through the current academic year unless earlier dissolved.
Section 5: Affiliated Organizations
Subsection A: Student Fee Management Committee
1. The purpose shall be to review and manage all student fees, and to make recommendations to the Student Senate regarding any changes thereof.
2. The voting membership of the Student Fee Management Committee shall consist only of Student Association members.
3. The Student Senate President shall appoint all members pending Student Senate confirmation.
Subsection B: Alliance of Student Organizations
1. The Alliance of Student Organizations shall consist of representatives from all official student organizations.
2. Student organizations shall be officially recognized following the approval of the organizationÕs constitution by the Student Senate.
3. The Student Senate Vice President shall act as liaison to the Alliance of Student Organizations.
Subsection C: Judicial Board
1. The Student Senate President shall appoint, with the consent of the Judicial Officer, all student representatives to the Judicial Board pending Student Senate confirmation.
2. Duties are to hear and investigate charges against students and to recommend to the Vice President for Student Affairs or his/her designee action as in accordance with their Constitution and By-Laws. Duties shall also include investigation of impeachment charges of student government members and election grievances as per Robert's Rules of Order.
Subsection D: Grievance Board
1. Members shall be appointed in accordance with WSU Regulation 4-2.
2. Duties are to hear and investigate student charges against Faculty and Administration in accordance with the Grievance BoardÕs Constitution and By-Laws.
Section 6: Meet and Discuss
Subsection A: Purpose
The Meet and Discuss Team is an agency of the Student Association created to facilitate discussion between the WSU Administration and students.
Subsection B: The Meet and Discuss Team shall consist of up to ten members:
1. The President of the WSU Student Senate or his/her designee.
2. The President of the Inter-Residence Hall Council or his/her designee.
3. The President of Alliance of Student Organization or his/her designee.
4. Up to two representatives of the WSU student mass media.
5. Three Student Senate members as designated by the Student Senate President, in conjunction with the Vice President.
6. Up to two additional Student Association members, not excluding Student Senate members, as designated by the Student Senate President, in conjunction with the Vice President.
7. Designated members will serve in their position at one Meet and Discuss.
Subsection C: The Meet Discuss Team shall meet at least every two months.
1. Special meetings may be called by either the Student Senate or the WSU Administration.
2. One week notice of the meeting shall be given, unless both parties agree otherwise.
3. The agenda for the Meet and Discuss meeting shall be determined by input from both the students and the WSU administration.
Section 7: Meeting ProceduresSubsection A: Quorum
Two-thirds of the filled membership of the Student Senate shall constitute quorum.
Subsection B: Senate Meetings
1. The Student Senate shall hold regularly scheduled meetings as determined by the Student Senate President.
2. Meetings shall be held no less than once every two academic weeks during Fall and Spring semester.
3. The first meeting of the newly elected Student Senate shall be called by the President of the Student Senate by the second week of the Fall Semester.
Subsection C: Agenda
The agenda for the Student Senate meeting shall be made public at least twenty-four hours in advance of the scheduled meeting.
Subsection D: Parliamentary Procedure
Meetings shall be run in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order unless otherwise specified by this Constitution or the Student Senate By-Laws.
Section 8: Sexual Harassment and Discrimination
Sexual harassment or discrimination within the Student Senate, be it physical or verbal in nature, shall not be tolerated. Policies and procedures regarding grievances shall be addressed in the Student Senate By-Laws.
Section 9: Student Senate By-Laws
Subsection A: Contents
The Student Senate By-Laws shall contain policies and procedures relevant to the operations of the Student Senate and may not contradict the WSUSA Constitution.
Subsection B: Amendment
Student Senate By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds majority of the Student Senate.
Article III. Initiative and Referendum
Section 1: Initiative
Subsection A: Petition
The Student Senate shall develop rules concerning the format for resolutions and the validation of signatures on the petition. A petition introduced at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Student Senate containing a draft resolution signed by five percent or 250 members of the WSUSA, (whichever is smaller), shall require the Student Senate to vote on the presented resolution.
Subsection B: Senate Action
The Student Senate shall vote on a presented resolution within two academic weeks following the date that the presented resolution was submitted to the Student Senate. If the resolution is defeated by the Student Senate, it must be submitted for referendum to the WSUSA within two academic weeks of the Student Senate vote.
Subsection C: Counter-Initiative
Within four academic weeks of passage of a resolution by the Student Senate a petition against the resolution signed by five percent or 250 members of the WSUSA, whichever is smaller, may be presented to the Student Senate. In such an occurrence the original resolution shall be suspended until the counter-resolution can be brought to a referendum. This referendum shall take place within two academic weeks of the date the counter-resolution was submitted.
Section 2: Referendum
Subsection A: Referenda Administration
Referenda shall be administered by the Student Senate Vice President.
Subsection B: Referenda Passage
The resolution shall become effective if at least ten percent of the WSUSA cast votes and if a majority approves the referendum.
Article IV: Constitutional Amendment Procedures
Section 1: Amendments
Proposed amendments shall be in accordance with the laws, rules, and regulations of the Minnesota State Legislature and the policies of the MnSCU Board of Trustees.
Section 2: Proposal Methods
Subsection A: Through the Working Documents Committee
1. WSUSA members may propose constitutional amendments to the Working Documents Committee for consideration.
2. Upon receiving majority support from the Working Documents Committee, a proposed amendment shall be then brought forward to the Student Senate.
3. Upon receiving two-thirds support by the Student Senate, the amendment shall then be put to the WSUSA for a vote; the amendment shall become effective if at least fifteen percent of the WSUSA cast votes and if a majority approve the amendment.
4. If the amendment does not receive two-thirds support by the Student Senate, the Working Documents Committee may then put the amendment to the WSUSA for a vote; the amendment shall become effective if at least fifteen percent of the WSUSA cast votes and if at least two-thirds approve the amendment.
Subsection B: Through Petition
1. Proposed amendments may be presented to the Student Senate by a student petition signed by five percent or 250 members of the WSUSA, whichever is smaller.
2. Upon receiving two-thirds support by the Student Senate, the amendment shall then be put to the WSUSA for a vote; the amendment shall become effective if at least fifteen percent cast votes and if a majority approve the amendment.
3. If the amendment does not receive two-thirds support by the Student Senate, the amendment shall then be put to the WSUSA for a vote; the amendment shall become effective if at least fifteen percent of the WSUSA cast votes and if at least two-thirds approve the amendment.
Article V: Sunrise Clause
Section 1. Application
A. All articles of this Constitution regarding elections, election procedures, and classification of Student Senators shall take effect with the first Spring General Election following the adoption of this Constitution.
B. The entirety of the Constitution shall take effect following the commencement of terms for those elected in the first Spring General Election as set forth in this Constitution.
Section 2. Article V Expiration
Article V is null and void after the entirety of this Constitution has taken effect.
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