The Article below was published in Vol. 135, Issue 4 of the Lake Forest College Stentor on December 6, 2019
By Ellerese Topcio ’21
Associate Editor
Throughout the fall semester, Lake Forest College Student Government strived to implement a constitutional amendment that will change the Executive Board’s term from the calendar year to the academic year. On November 19, following a four-day voting period, Student Government President Zachary Jenkins ’21 sent an all-campus email announcing that 88 percent of the student body had voted to approve the amendment. Stentor staff spoke with Jenkins about the purpose and impact of this amendment.
According to Jenkins, the possibility of an amendment “has been kicked down from Senate to Senate, year to year.” Direct action was spurred this year due to the Executive Board (which consists of the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary of Student Government) and the larger Senate’s (which consists of Class Senators, Residence Hall Senators, and Commuter Senators) mutual belief that the amendment is an important provision that must be implemented.
Jenkins noted that “before this amendment, the elections of Senators and the Executive Board were not scheduled at the same time. Senators were elected at the beginning of the academic year and Executive Board members were elected about halfway through the academic year.” As Jenkins explained, “this change will officially move the Executive Board elections from the fall semester to the spring semester and will now allow the new Executive Board a month to shadow and be trained by the old Executive Board before starting their term in the next academic year.”
Explaining the rationale of the amendment, Jenkins noted, “the thought process behind this was simple: always keep either the Executive Board or the Senate experienced.” Referencing the Five Stage Model of Group Development—Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing and Adjourning—Jenkins stated that “with this amendment in place, the hope is to allow Senates and Executive Boards to develop together and reach the mystical stage four: Performing.”
Jenkins said that he “thanks the [student body]for [their]support in improving Student Government. Whether you voted yea or nay, we on Student Government appreciate your engagement in the democratic process.”
Ellerese Topacio can be reached at topaciome@mx.lakeforest.edu
