Senator avoids impeachment, then resigns
Former Senator Chinaza Nwosa, who avoided impeachment by CSC’s Student Senate last week, resigned her seat effective Thursday, just three days after her hearing, Chief Justice Nathan Cronin said.
At Monday’s senate meeting in the Student Center, Scottsbluff Room, Cronin read an email Nwosa sent last Thursday, then explained the resignation to senate.
“Effective last week, on Thursday the 18th, Sen. Chinaza has officially resigned from the Student Senate,” Cronin said.
Nwosa did not responded to a request for comment as of press time Wednesday.
After her hearing Nwosa took exception to The Eagle’s coverage of it. She declined to comment and said she did not want her “business out for the student body to read.” In a Thursday email to The Eagle, Nwosa accused the newspaper of libel, invasion of privacy, and demanded The Eagle retract its story.
The newspaper replied to Nwosa Friday saying it recognized she thought she had been aggrieved and said “relying on established U.S. legal precedents,” it would decline her request.
At its Monday meeting, senate discussed the fact that its meetings and business are public information publishable by the press.
“I know a couple of senators read last week’s paper and they had something to say about their votes being pulled or named and reported that way,” Senate President Lily Umeta said.
The article listed how each individual senator voted in last week’s impeachment trial.
“Before I start discussion, I would like to tell you guys that everything that we do in senate, every single report, everything to do with finances, everything we discuss is an open discussion,” Umeta said. “So anyone can come into the senate and report about it, including your votes.”
Umeta also mentioned people’s right to question the legitimacy of reports about themselves.
“If you think that your words are taken in the wrong way, you can contact whoever and explain yourself,” Umeta said.
Cronin also entered the discussion about open speech.
“Anything you do as a student senator is public knowledge,” Cronin said. “So, if I send an email to Konery saying something to do with; anything we do as an executive board for senate is completely open.”
Senate Secretary Natalie Boyd mentioned the importance of open discussion during meetings.
“The discussion portion of votes is extremely important,” Boyd said. “If you feel like you’re being misrepresented or something could be misrepresented, it’s extremely important to talk in the discussion period and ask questions and explain how you see things.”
“It’s a little bit of media training, a little bit of professionalism and leadership training,” Umeta concluded with.
In other news:
> Senate had $24,674 in unallocated funds.
> Senate had $30,000 in unallocated trip funds.
> A Kent Hall and liberal arts senator position remains available.
> The Campus Activity Board is having free bowling night at Hilltop Lanes this coming Sunday from 5-8 p.m. It is open to all students, and pizza and drinks are free.