Lexington (MA) High School Senate

LEXINGTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-FACULTY SENATE

2004-2005

Moderator Ben Skier, Assistant Moderator Jim Williams, Secretary Lexy Smith

<http://lhs.lexingtonma.org/senate>

5-11-05

Agenda: Announcements, Committee Reports, Extension of Veto, Recruiter Resolution, Executive Summary, Community Service Bill

Minutes from Meeting: 5-4-05

I. Call to Order

Meeting is called to order at 7:51 by Moderator Skier

II. Approval of Minutes

Motion Approved Motion by Chair to approve Minutes of last meeting

III. Approval of Agenda

Motion Approved Motion by Chair to approve Agenda

IV. Announcements

a. Four visitors from Concord-Carlisle Senate are welcomed

b. End of the year senate schedule announced; next week is

the seniors' last meeting; senate does not meet on the 18th

due to MCAS; and the 25th is first meeting with new senators

V. Committee Reports

Communications1. Met yesterday to discuss final chores of the year

Elections 1. Important meeting for all members on 5/10 in room 520

VI. Open Comments

a. Senator Kafrissen has noticed that Commons 1 is only 2/3 full

during lunch because students eat in stairwell and near athletic

offices; trash is accumulating and oversight should revisit this

b. Senator Skier encourages all seniors to come next week

because there will be surprises

VII. Dr. Jones' Weighted GPA Bill Address

a. There are still parents who have misconceptions about what

GPAs mean and how they affect college admission

b. Many school committee members feel that the school

should make this decision itself

c. The new unweighted GPA should begin with the class of 2009

d. Dr. Jones still supports the bill

e. Duke University has even said that it doesn't matter to them

whether GPAs are weighted or unweighted

f. Senator Williams wrote an excellent letter to The Minuteman

explaining the bill and the process through which it was passed

g. On 5/24, senators should attend school committee meeting to

fight for the bill; the committee has to see senate unanimity

h. We must convince people, re-state information, and calm

people; let's keep the faith

VIII. Override of Recruiter Veto

Motion Motion by Senator Lubershane to Call to Question

Vote: Motion Fails (23-14)

a. Support still expressed for bill but it is not the time for this

b. Tim Kelly words were well-measured and articulate last week

c. The bill is not anti-military but anti-military policy

d. Our army excludes valuable people by discriminating against

homosexuals; homosexuality is a trivial part of a person

e. We must concentrate on this to fulfill LHS' mission statement

f. As elected representatives, it is our duty to vote with

both the

interests of the student body in mind and our own conscience

g. Will a resolution better communicate the original aim of the

bill?; No, a resolution will not encourage as much debate

h. News coverage would be " a ripple in the pond"

i. We're not lawyers and shouldn't be concerned with legality

j. A person's opinion of homosexuality does not matter here

k. Senate is a unique body and we should take advantage of our

ability to deliver loud messages; we can make a difference

l. Debate around this issue has been the best ever seen in senate

m. It is very unlikely that the veto would be overrided

n. Senate stood up and attempted to make a difference;

disappointment expressed that bill was vetoed

o. The right-wing trumps the left-wing's efforts too often; if we

don't stand up, we will continue to lose

Motion Motion by Senator Collins to Call to Question

Vote: Motion Passes

Question is Called: Motion Fails (23-17)

Motion Motion by Senator Girondel to bring resolution to table

Vote: Motion Passes

VIII. Recruiter Resolution

a. Is "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" a law or a policy?; It was an

executive order made by Clinton

Motion Motion by Senator Colarusso to amend bill to read "policy"

Friendly Amendment Accepted

b. If this resolution is passed, where will it go?; it will be

posted

on the website and the executive committee will write to

elected officials

c. This resolution should be sent to The Globe, The Minuteman,

and to the school committee

d. How will we express our views through the executive

committee?; the point "Be it further resolved" explains this

e. Technical comments are important

f. There have been resolutions in the past and the reason why

we now don't hear about them is because they disappear

g. We should not discuss this resolution until a letter is written

List of Senators Absent from Senate meeting

*Denotes excused/notified absence.

Chung Hsieh Weiser Alspaugh Metzger-Traber Savage* Beyer Miake-Lye LeesSullivan Kalsow-Ramos