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>

TODAY'S DATE: 10-27-04

Today's Agenda: Announcements, Committee Reports, Open Comments,

Discussion of five open senate seats for underrepresented groups,

Informal

discussion of cafeteria's cleanliness

Minutes from Meeting: 10-20-04

I. Call to Order

Meeting is called to order at 7:50 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. No announcements

V. Committee Reports

Policy 1. Met but had no members and nothing to discuss

Executive 1. Met with Dr. Jones and discussed the Card Playing Bill

VI. Open Comments

a. Moderator Skier exclaims "Go Sox!"

VII. Committee Assignments

a. Committee Chairs describe the tasks and aims of each

committee

b. Freshmen fill out cards that show their first, second,

and third preferences for committees

VIII. Card Playing Bill

a. Dean Lautman and Mrs. Wood's presentations were

very persuasive and enlightening; in terms of fairness

to them and to their work load, this bill should be

defeated

b. Some of the comments during the bill's debates

have been exaggerations and have failed to show

card playing's true nature; too many value judgments

are being made and something should be said for

students' free time

c. Instead of asking "Why shouldn't card playing be

reinstated?", we should be asking "Why should card

playing be reinstated?"

d. It is reiterated that the inappropriate behavior and

negative vibes associated with card playing is the

problem and not the playing itself

e. Taking away card playing from those behaving badly

will not prevent these students from acting

disrespectfully; they will find other ways to do so

f. Ms. Wood is perhaps the only person who can

truthfully report on card playing's affects on LHS;

she has done her job by coming to senate and

sharing her experiences and because of this, the bill

should be voted down, seeing that playing has made her

job harder

g. It is not a question of whether card playing itself is

bad; it is about curtailing the behavior associated with

cards and the only way to do this is to get rid of

card playing all together

h. It is frightening that the administration is trying to

decide how students should spend their free blocks

i. People have to ask whether the "mock gambling"

amendment is actually enforceable; this is about looking

at practicality versus idealism

Motion Motion by Senator Choi to call to Question

Vote: Motion Passes (29-14)

Question Called: Bill Passes (22-20)

IX. New Business

Motion Motion by Senator Richardson that senate be recessed

next week, 10/3, seeing that it will be the day after the

election and people will be tired

Motion Motion by Senator Choi to call to Question

Vote: Motion Passes

Question Called: Motion Fails (24-23)

List of Senators Absent from Senate meeting

*Denotes excused/notified absence.

Savage* Chung Paulsen Alspaugh