The Student Government Association has a new man controlling the gavel at Senate meetings.
Michael Lipe, a junior political science major, was elected the speaker of the Senate during the Sept. 22 meeting after Aaron Peevyhouse resigned from the position.
Peevyhouse officially resigned before the meeting began, citing differences of opinion with the other executive officers of the SGA.
"The president, vice president and I disagreed over how I should run the Senate," he said. "I also had an issue with time commitment, so I felt it was best for me to step down to better serve the students."
A minor controversy has arisen surrounding his resignation.
At issue is the scholarship each executive member of SGA is awarded. Each member receives a full scholarship, book stipend and free garage parking during their tenure.
His resignation came after the funds were disbursed to pay for his tuition, and as of right now, it is uncertain if he has to pay it back.
SGA Vice President Brandon Gravley is not happy with the situation.
"I feel he is, in essence, taking student funds for nothing in return," he said. "He was elected in April and presided over three meetings, yet his school is being paid for. It's just wrong."
Julia Rhodes, senior administrative secretary to the dean of students, said the matter is being investigated.
"His stipend and parking privileges have already been revoked, and we are still looking into the scholarship matter," she said.
Gravley said the other officers feel betrayed by Peevyhouse. He claimed communication was impossible with him over summer while they were holding executive meetings, and many of the tasks that were required were not completed.
"I was confident he would do his job well when we started, and it never worked out," he said. "Michael (Lipe) is already working twice as hard as he did, and we are excited about this Senate session now."
The new speaker is ready to hit the ground running, and he has already selected the new Freshmen Council and setup the Senate committees.
"The office was cluttered when I came in, so I have been spending the first few days organizing things," Lipe said. "I think things are moving in the right direction now, and I plan on being here on the job for the students."
Lipe has two years experience with the SGA. He served on the Freshman Council and was an adviser to last year's council before he was elected to the Senate last spring.
One issue he wants to address is the need to have the SGA office manned during all business hours.
He is working on assigning office hours for the senators in order to ensure someone is there at all times.
"If we are to be the voice of the students, then we need to make sure someone is here to hear those voices," Lipe said.
He plans on working closely with the other members of the executive council in order to achieve their goals this semester, including offering student bussing to football games and 24-hour library access.
"Hopefully we will get some things accomplished for the students, so they will see we are working for them," he said. "I know it's going to be hard work, but I'm ready for it."
