DSG gives OK to popular tent policy

There's good news for those planning to pitch tents in Krzyzewskiville this basketball season. Duke Student Government has passed a policy hailed as one of the best in history. "My tent policy is the most popularly received thing at Duke since beer-on-points came to the 'Dillo," Head Line Monitor and Chronicle Senior Associate Sports Editor Norm Bradley told the DSG legislature at their second meeting of the year last night. Apparently equally as pleased with the proposal, DSG unanimously voted to enact the senior's policies.

But it seemed the discussion of K-ville was one of only a few smooth moments at the meeting. Still moderately unfamiliar with legislative procedure, legislators were forced to sit through their second two-and-a-half hour meeting while bungled votes and misunderstood procedures took up valuable time.

In the last minutes of the meeting, legislators took on the most contentious debate of the night: a proposal to support Medical Center nurses' unionization efforts.

Brought to the floor by DSG co-coordinator for student activism Carrie Johnson, the resolution urged DSG to support the nurses' right to unionize, and cited inadequate staffing levels, an unresponsive administration, and mandatory overtime among the reasons for supporting unionization.

The junior's proposal met with both strong support and disapproval. "[The resolution] violates the letter and the spirit of the DSG constitution," said senior Jason Bergsman, vice-president for academic affairs. Bergsman said that he did not feel that the resolution fell into the category of a "student concern or cause," and that by supporting it, legislators were not necessarily representing their constituents. A number of other legislators expressed concern that they themselves, as well as the student body as a whole, were not adequately informed about the matter to make a decision.

A motion was approved to delay consideration of the recommendation. Since the nurses will be voting on Oct. 13 and 14, the matter will be a moot point at DSG's next meeting two weeks from yesterday.

IN OTHER BUSINESS: Juniors Jimmy Carter, chief of staff, and Drew Ensign, Student Organizations Finance Committee chair, presented a policy statement that would allow DSG to hold referenda when legislators gain feedback from students. DSG will hold a referendum Nov. 1. The referenda items will be set by the legislature one week before the election. DSG also elected freshmen Adam Katz, Karen Huang and Kai Lin to the SOFC. Sophomore Justin Ford and junior Brian Planchard were re-elected to the committee.

DSG voted unanimously to recognize Duke Students for a Free Society as a new campus political organization, and approved several detail-related amendments to the legislative by-law concerning Committee of the Year.