The Chanticleer

Issue date: 11/13/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Ryan Rutledge SGA President Jennifer Nix addresses students at the SGA meeting on monday at the TMB

Parks

The Student Government Association heard a motion to impeach Vice President of Student Activities, Jacolby Parks, on Monday. The motion came after an incident on October 25 in which Parks was arrested.

Senator Bryant Whaley addressed the situation and asked for clarification from Parks about what the incident entailed and his involvement. Parks refused to discuss the incident.

Senator Eric Osborne then made a motion to begin impeachment proceedings saying Parks could then defend himself to the Student Judiciary Council behind closed doors.

"If the only explanation we're going to get is 'no comment' then I suggest we move forward with impeachment," Osbourne said. "It isn't necessarily to remove him from office, but he goes before the judiciary to face charges."

The motion sparked heated discussion among the senators, though many said they had not heard of an incident involving Parks before Monday night.

Senator Michael Finn said he thought the SGA's time could be better spent on other issues facing students.

"At this time I do not believe the senate has any reason to go with the impeachment process," Finn said. "Vice President Parks has not been convicted of any crime and at this time it should be kept in his personal life, not made public for rumors and hear-say to get started."

The motion wasn't seconded and died without coming to a vote.

Sources in the senate, speaking on terms of anonymity, said some in the senate were afraid to vote for the measure, as they feared retribution from the executive members of the SGA.

Another source involved in the SGA claims that President Nix acted to cover up the incident and keep it from other SGA members. Vice President of Organizational Affairs Destini Mayberry denied the charge.

"We haven't been pressured," Mayberry said. "It wasn't kept hush-hush."

Osborne said the fact that so many senators didn't know about the situation was evidence of an effort to cover up the incident.

"We've been kept in the dark," Osborne said. "There was obviously something going on."

While the SGA does not have a code of conduct in its constitution or code of laws, the university does have rules for student conduct on campus. Nix said the University knew about the incident and the University Judicial Coordinator who reviews student misconduct, had ruled there was no need for disciplinary action toward Parks.

Osborne said the motion was not a personal attack on Parks.

"I've been subject to questions from members of the Freshman Forum asking me what really happened [with Parks]," Osborne said. "Senator Whaley gave Vice President Parks an opportunity to defend himself, but he felt he did not need to dignify us with an answer."

Osborne said he didn't feel any pressure from the SGA leadership and that he wasn't afraid to speak up.

"Our main job is to represent the students," Osborne said. "Sometimes the SGA worries too much about popularity."

Finn said the SGA shouldn't have spent time on the issue.

"We are there to represent the student body and Monday night we were very self-focused," Finn said. "We have much larger issues that we need to be taking care of."

Osborne said the motion was an effort to be honest with the students the SGA represents. "We have been elected by the students and they need to know if these elected officials are not upholding the integrity of the office," Osborne said. "I think the biggest show of integrity is someone who is willing to answer for their actions."

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