According to A.S. Vice President Sydni Powell, there are three possible recommendations that the A.S. senate could choose. Two of the three options simply move existing members and rename positions.
“It wasn’t us trying to strike down or take away student involvement,” said Powell. “We obviously see there’s a lot of flaws and we’re trying to address them.”
The last recommendation is making the S.P.A.C.E. members unhappy, according to Powell. The proposal calls for the addition of a separate entity composed of staff members and graduate students to handle events such as Big Show, leaving the current S.P.A.C.E. members to plan smaller events on campus. The recommendation would instead, compose a student evaluation committee to review the planning process.
“The main problem with the restructuring is that it would take focus of certain events away from Associated Student S.P.A.C.E.,” said a S.P.A.C.E. member who chose to remain anonymous. “It wouldn’t let us use our full potential of creating large based events.”
According to A.S. President Amanda Flavin, a task force composed of Senate members, S.P.A.C.E. board members and cabinet members put forth the three possible restructuring recommendations for the organization.
“Even if S.P.A.C.E. is unhappy with the changes, then they need to run for office and be elected by the students to make changes,” said Flavin. “S.P.A.C.E. is ultimately an extension of student government and is controlled through the board of directors, so the board of directors has the ultimate say of what the structure of S.P.A.C.E. should be.”
Powell gave a special presentation explaining the three avenues of change for S.P.A.C.E. during Tuesday’s senate meeting.
She explained that the controversial plan created problems because it called for more money to hire new staff, lacked the office space for the new members, and could not be implemented overnight. She added that existing members could serve to help alleviate the cost in the meantime.
“A lot of their concerns revolves around student involvement,” said Vice President Sydni Powell. “One of the proposals kind of takes responsibilities away from students and puts it in staff hands.”
Some senators, however, do not feel like the restructuring is necessary.
“Why are we fixing something that isn’t broken?” Senator Sooni Livingston asked shortly after Powell’s presentation.
President Flavin did not allow Powell to answer Livingston’s question, saying that only questions that were valid and concerning the Vice President’s powerpoint presentation were to be answered at that time.
Flavin also said that any further comments could be made during discussion. Despite three S.P.A.C.E. board members sitting in the audience for three hours, this discussion was taken out of the Senate’s agenda in the end and not discussed Tuesday.
“Either way I will be able to function as a director,” said Executive Director of S.P.A.C.E. Noelle Chestnut.
The restructuring plans are to be discussed during the Senate’s private winter retreat in January.
