During a brief meeting on Feb. 18, the Student Government Association voted-down an amendment to the groups’ constitution. They also prepared a trip to Kokomo, Ind., for the following morning of Feb. 19.

Three SGA members headed to IU Kokomo the morning of Friday, Feb. 19, to attend the years first IU Board of Trustees meeting.

SGA press secretary Candice Boudreaux, business junior, SGA pro-temp Jennifer Broadus, education sophomore, and SGA president James Bonsall, business junior, made the 200-mile trip to Kokomo, Ind.

According to the IU Newsroom, “The Board of Trustees is Indiana University’s governing board, its legal owner and final authority. The board holds the university’s financial, physical and human assets and operations in trust for future generations. Its membership, terms of office, responsibilities, powers and electoral procedures are governed by the Indiana Code.”

“I’m excited about going,” said Broadus.

The positional amendment, authored by SGA treasurer Kevin Evans, education freshman, lost with a 7-to-6 vote in favor of the amendment. Amendments to the SGA constitution require a three-fourths majority to be approved.

The amendment sought to change the chairperson of the student senate to the student body vice president.

Seuth Chaleunphonh, dean of Student Life and acting director of Residence Life, said, under the current government system, the vice president is under the executive branch of the constitution, and a senator is under the legislative branch, so there’s a checks-and-balances.

“But if you put the VP presiding over the senate, with agenda-setting powers, there’s not as much of a check,” Chaleunphonh said. “The executive branch might have more power over your agenda. Imagine your bills. If the VP really wanted to, he or she could leave it off the agenda if he didn’t like the bill.”

During the SGA officers’ report, Bonsall nominated former SGA tech officer, Leslie Drury, psychology junior, to the elections committee.

Last week, Drury — along with former SGA senator Elizabeth Jackson, international studies junior — formally apologized to the SGA for working more than scheduled, resulting in the two students getting paid more than budgeted.

These two students offered to volunteer as a means to refund the organization.

Bonsall said Drury would not be getting paid for her involvement with the elections committee.

Also, during the officer reports, SGA senate chair Jonathan Moody, psychology junior, warned fellow members about misusing the SGA office printer.

“Someone printed a 30-page slideshow,” Moody said, “and nobody ever admitted it.”

During the external committee reports, Boudreaux discussed plans for campus staff fixing a broken handicap door and student initiatives to implement a larger environmental organization on campus.

Boudreaux said other schools employ full-time staff to curb environmental waste.