The Sept.11 ASG meeting’s agenda was disrupted when the president focused on alleged misconduct by the vice president, disregarding regular order.

Christopher Washington, the president, displayed a series of emails written by Angela Van Gilder, the vice president, criticising the Environmental Health and Safety Committee Operating Agreement, and speaking for ASG when the issue hadn’t been decided as a committee.

Van Gilder, in an email to FCC President Goldsmith, wrote that one tenant of the agreement–that having a proxy would not negate the absence of a member–was pointless.

Van Gilder argued that the point of a proxy taking notes on behalf of an absent member was to negate that absence. “Otherwise, what is the point of even having a proxy come to get it and take notes when you could just ask the chair for the COM officer for that committee to email you the minutes,” Van Gilder wrote.

Deborah Lewis, a child development instructor, had expressed a concern about Van Gilder in an email to Washington.

Ernie Martinez, ASG adviser, tried to bring the focus of the meeting back to the agenda.
“Our unfinished business from last week was the FAC/ EHS Operations Agreement. Are we here to further that discussion?” Martinez asked. “I’m just wondering if we’re getting off topic here.”

Martinez had to redirect the meeting twice, saying he was concerned about the relevance of the emails in the approval or disapproval of the agreement.

Washington explained that the discussion was necessary in order to address the extreme faculty concerns resulting from Van Gilder’s email and to provide clarity on the operations agreement for the committee.

“Some of us are lost here,” said Carlos Rodriguez, student trustee. “I think Dr. Martinez is saying that we need to finish the resolution before we move on to the emails.”

However, Washington continued to read the vice president’s emails, ignoring suggestions to strictly follow the agenda of the meeting.

Washington said the emails were relevant to provide clarity for the senators to vote and approve the agreement.

The senators were unaware of what the operations agreement was and still approved.

The council moved on after spending over 50 minutes strictly on the misconduct of Van Gilder.

And just like that ASG was back to normal.