LUCC debates cabinet, pets, and accessibility

Ryan Young

LUCC has been very busy as of late, and the concluding weeks of the school year promise even more activity. At the most recent meeting, the issues debated included proposed constitutional amendments, pets in small houses, and ways to become more accessible to campus.The proposed amendments come in the wake of a controversy surrounding the selection of the new LUCC cabinet. The committee heard objections to the fact that applications for cabinet positions are kept confidential. Only the president and vice-president may view them under current policy. When the current cabinet was selected, many objections were raised about the secrecy of the applications and various rumors surrounding them. The proposed amendment seeks to make the selection process more open to the general council and the public.

The council also debated whether to allow pets in certain small houses. President Chris Worman favors the establishment of blocks of “pet-friendly” houses where dogs or cats could be kept. When asked if the approach of simply letting the house residents decide for themselves on the matter was reasonable, he agreed that that approach was worth considering.

Worman also said that a top priority of his is making LUCC more accessible to campus. An idea proposed at last week’s meeting involved having hall representatives set up times to hold meetings with their constituents where questions and concerns could be raised.

Next week’s meeting promises to be very eventful. It will be held next Tuesday, May 15, at 4:45 p.m. in Riverview Lounge. Proposals for next year’s theme houses will be heard, an issue of great concern for many campus residents. A vote will also be held that will be determining the fate of smoking in the Memorial Union.

“As far as smoking in the union is concerned, I don’t particularly care,” says Worman. The measure would ban smoking in the entire union, not just Riverview Lounge, unlike a failed vote held last year. Also being discussed will be election procedures, as this year’s presidential and vice presidential elections were contested. So-called “electioneering” may be banned, such as candidates advertising near voting tables.

In other news, anyone who has tried to access LUCC’s web page recently (www.lawrence.edu/sorg/lucc) has noticed the message that pops up that says “you are not authorized to view this page.” When asked about this, Worman said, “The web page is down right now. Hopefully it will be up soon.”