At tonight’s Student Government Association meeting:
- Three senators resigned— Louisville senior Michel Stephens, Bowling Green sophomore Emmett Stephens and Lexington sophomore Daniel Shaw.
Michel Stephens was the first to resign. In his resignation speech to fellow senators, he cited President Kevin Smiley’s nomination of Lexington junior Greg Capillo to the Student Publications Committee as his ultimate reason for resigning.
He said he was offended after he was looked over for the position, which has responsibilities such as choosing the Herald’s editor-in-chief.
Michel Stephens said Smiley’s nomination was not based on merit or past experience.
He said he was also a victim of slander by someone within SGA and refused to remain part of the organization.
Smiley said that Michel Stephen’s accusations of favoritism and corruption within SGA were unfounded and that the resignations were a result of a misunderstanding.
Smiley said he’s going to contact Michel Stephens to better understand the problem.
Smiley said the three senate seats will remain vacant until he appoints new senators and the student senate approves the appointments.
He said he’ll immediately begin contacting people who have expressed interest in SGA and who ran in the fall SGA election.
- SGA passed a bill that gave $2,000 to the Wilson Family Endowment Fund for Injured Student Athletes.
The money will go to scholarships for student athletes who lose their athletic scholarships because of injury, senator Kaylee Egerer said.
- SGA passed a resolution to support National Make a Difference Week.
The week consists of multiple philanthropic events, according to SGA’s Web site.
- A bill to allocate $525 from the general senate budget to the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps failed.
ROTC hadn’t applied for organizational aid, senator Austin Wingate said.
Senator Skylar Baker-Jordan said passing the bill was unfair to organizations that apply for org aid.
The bill would have given ROTC more than the maximum $500 organizations that apply for org aid can get, he said.
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……..really??? This sounds like an episode of the O.C.
michel stephens’ claims are absurd
was he even qualified for the position?
Sure – he worked for a newspaper for 2 years. And he started his own publication and corresponding website. Likewise, he was part of WFPK public radio in Louisville
Yes, I am qualified. [I worked for a newspaper for 2 years, worked in public radio, and started an alternative paper with friends from the ground-up.]
The point was that I talked to Smiley the preceding week and was promised at least a chance – a nomination – for the position at the next meeting.
But when all was said and done, I wasn’t even given that chance – I wasn’t listed among the possible candidates.
The point is: they are close friends and the only person up for nomination was his friend.
I wouldn’t have cared if I was given an opportunity, if I hadn’t been led on, but that wasn’t the case.
I have no affiliation with SGA and I myself have heard about Smiley appointing his close friends to SGA and neglecting to nominate others for the positions. SGA stands for STUDENT government assc. not SMILEY government assc.
-Thomas Bolen