Y V. N. An All-American The Sou’wester R C College Newspaper M , New Constitution Contains Big Changes B J H ’ tors—an additional senator elected by dressed in Article IV. e primary dif- approval to the Senate.” EDITOR-IN-CHIEF each class. is brings the total count ference between the two is where they Ultimately, the umbrella style consti- up to 24. Due to the expected increase acquire their authority and the extent tution makes it more effi cient to alter e Rhodes Student Senate unani- in work load from the elimination of of their autonomy. As stated in Article bylaws to any governing body. mously adopted multiple large amend- the Allocations Board—originally com- IV, Section 1, “ e associated bodies e Executive Cabinet in the new- ments to its constitution on ursday, posed of 10 sophomores, juniors and shall derive their authority both from ly adopted constitution includes the March 15. e student body, through seniors elected by the entire student their own Constitutions and from this executives of all governing bodies and an online referendum, approved of body and two freshmen elected by their Rhodes Student Government Consti- associated bodies, as well as the stu- these changes on Monday, March 19. class—additional senators have been tution, and no one foundational doc- dent trustees. e cabinet will include a Major changes included the elimina- added to help alleviate that burden. ument shall be superior to the other.” secretary selected from among the stu- tion of the Allocations Board, the es- Once again, however, Mitchell’s letter Moreover, individuals wishing to run dent body and a treasurer of the Sen- tablishment of the Allocations/Student diff ers from the text of the constitution for RSG president must have attained ate who shall be appointed by the Vice Organization Senate Committee, the which makes no specifi c assignment as at least one term in any elected offi ce on President after being recommended by addition of four senators, the whole to the number of senators each academ- any governing body prior to running. the Allocations/Student Organization restructuring of RSG and alterations in ic class shall receive. Instead, as stated in Service on an associated body is not suf- Committee from the pool of eligible terminology and style. Article III, Section 2, “ is Senate shall fi cient. Senators. e Allocations Board, as a semi-au- be composed of representatives of every Governing bodies, when wishing to al- e constitution also includes several tonomous governing body, has been class of Students and shall be convened ter their own bylaws, may approve them changes in terminology or style. Posi- eliminated in this new constitution. with the purpose of addressing the with the concurrence of the Senate. tions such as RAB President and Class Instead, as stated in Article III, Section needs and desires of the various mem- Should the Senate deny the alterations, Council President will be referred to as 2 of the constitution, “ e Senate shall bers of the Student Body that should the Executive Cabinet may override the chairpersons. is style universalizes be empowered to allocate appropriate from time to time present the Senate Senate with a three-fourths majority. the executive title of every governing funds in accordance with the bylaws with resolutions or ideas.” As stated in Article III, Section 7, “Any body—with the exception of the Sen- of the Senate or any rules composed by e Senate bylaws will regulate the governing body may, according to their ate. the Senate.” number of senators with specifi city as own practices and procedures, propose Notable changes also include lan- While RSG President omas Mitch- well. amendments to their own bylaws. Once guage giving broad powers to the RSG ell’s letter to the student body prefacing Perhaps the most profound change proposed by the governing body, these president in the interpretation of con- the proposed constitution clearly states of the constitution was its new umbrel- pending bylaws amendments shall be stitutional matters. As stated in Article four standing committees—student la-like structure—taking into account submitted to the Senate, who may vote II, Section 2, “ e President of the Stu- life, academics, communications and Class Council, the Rhodes Activity to approve or reject them. If approved dent Body shall have the fi nal authority allocations/student organizations—the Board, the Rhodes Lecture Board, the by the Senate, the bylaws amendments on matters of Constitutional interpre- constitution remains silent on which Honor Council and the Social Regula- shall be considered passed and shall tation.” committees must exist. Instead, it leaves tions Council. is change is identifi - take eff ect. If rejected by the Senate, the e Senate later examined the proce- that up to the bylaws of the Senate— able in the entirety of Article III. vote of three-fourths (3/4ths) of the Ex- dural aspects of this clause on ursday, which are approved in-house and do e constitution divides these bodies ecutive Cabinet members can approve March 22. A follow-up article on these not require a referendum from the stu- into two categories: governing bodies the pending bylaws amendments over changes and RSG executives’ expecta- dent body. and associated bodies. e govern- the objection of the Senate. All poten- tions and hopes for this constitution Additionally, Mitchell’s letter has ing bodies are addressed in Article III, tial bylaws amendments for the various will be published next issue. called for the addition of four sena- whereas the associated bodies are ad- governing bodies must be submitted for Page 2 The Sou’wester March 23, 2018 NEWS, CONT’D More on the Counseling Center By Rylan Lorance ’21 more diversity in their staff, a desire the have this idea that the counseling cen- STAFF WRITER Detrie held as well. new counseling center and the rear- ter is for people with lifelong issues but “The wheels were already moving on ranging on positions they are looking we want students to know is the wide- With a rising number of students re- that. At the same time that they were forward to the range of problems that you can bring ceiving help at the Counseling Center passing that bill, we were working on changes they plan on making. here to get help for.” at the Moore- our own list of things to change that in- “One thing I am trying to open up She also mentioned something she Moore Student health service, the cluded more diversity,” Detrie said. is group discussions. Dr. Owens, a would like to see change on a wider counseling center has decided to hire There were issues that constrained the Rhodes alumna, was hired, in part, for perspective will be less stigma related one more full-time counselor. Dr. Pam center, including budgetary limitations. her experience with group therapy,” to receiving mental health. Detrie will Detrie, head of the center, has recent- “We now have the funds needed to Detrie said. “When we have multiple continue to hope students start reach- ly been pushing the counseling center hire five full time staff members but students coming in and feeling isolated ing out early. to be more available for students who from my understanding this all came in their problems, it could help if we “When students reach a point where need these resources. from a donation, or a contribution, could bring them together to talk about they are feeling shaky and are acknowl- Detrie has hope that the increase of that stepped up and said ‘we need more these issues as a group.” edging that they aren’t at their best to counselors, in particular the increase in staff members.’” Another item on the agenda will be challenge themselves, [I want them] to diversity Whether this one-time donation will letting students know where they can reach out to someone in the faculty be- that came with the new counseling staff be enough to sustain this new salary or get help and how to solve that problem. cause a lot of times the waiting, seeing hires, will help alleviate the influx of if it would need to be renewed, Detrie “Another change that will happen, if you can push through, can create fur- students seen in previous years. A re- was unsure. hopefully really soon, is to get the word ther challenges.” cent Rhodes Student Government bill In regards to the Counseling Center’s out to students about the range of is- pushed the counseling center to have plans for the future, Detrie said with sues that we cover. A lot of students Prof. Marc Shell on His Book ‘Islandology’ By Noah Mesa ’21 excessively Egyptian in origin.” time,” Shell said. water.” STAFF WRITER He gestured to the Rhodes College In contemporary time people empha- Thinking three-dimensionally, Shell seal in Blount Auditorium and de- size the distinction between land and raised the idea that space capsules could From Montreal to Grand Mann Is- scribed how the arm was reminiscent of water in islands; prior to the 16th cen- be considered as islands. The techno- land, Professor Marc Shell’s life and Egyptian mysticism, the lotus flowers tury, however, islands were conceptual- logical implications continued as cars recent lecture have been an illuminat- which would surround Egyptian rivers ized as the merging of land and water. could be islands of cleansed air sur- ing journey of island-hopping. Mem- and be made into paper and the burn- The French define islands based upon rounded by toxic fumes emitted from bers of the audience described Shell’s ing bush located in Egypt as described concordance with weather patterns.