Prior to the Thanksgiving break, Associated Student Government President Beau Flores created a test to check student senators’ knowledge of their constitution and by-laws. According to Flores and Vice President Jeff Vela, the test was met with resistance.
Reflecting on previous ASG President Ben Linzey requesting a grade from The Criterion regarding ASG’s performance, Flores discussed assigning a grade to the current senators with Vela. The test he created was part of the grading process.
“Jeff [Vela] kind of thought about a report card and he was like ‘well branches-wise, the executives, we’re all doing good and justices are doing good,’ and he just thought that the legislative branch could put in a little more effort,” Flores said.
“My honest assessment on the senate would have been a D. When I assessed the senate and what they’re doing […] I am a little more harsh when it comes to grading and evaluating, but I figured that a D grade would have been a fair assessment,” Vela said. “There’s no policy being made. The policy is being made and implemented by the executive branch currently.”
The lack of policy being made by the legislative branch along with the upcoming budget vote prompted Flores to create the test, which did not receive the response he’d hoped for. “We created a test of just basic knowledge of what a senator would do. They’re getting upset. The people that have answered, most of them, if not all, have failed,” Flores said.
The concept of testing senators’ knowledge is not without precedent. According to Vela, at other universities, such as USC, voting privileges are contingent upon passing a test. Last year, as a senator, Vela recommended senators take a test to achieve membership. He said his recommendation received backlash and the suggestion was not implemented.
The trend continued this year with the attempt to test senate knowledge. According to Flores and Vela, two of the senators they approached about the test, senators Erika Pacheco and Catherine Brodie, refused to take the test. Neither Pacheco nor Brodie responded to The Criterion’s attempts to reach them for comment.
The test contained 10 questions, some of which were true or false questions. The questions asked what SCRF (student controlled reserve fund) stood for, who can submit a grievance, what a quorum is, etc.
“Some people felt like they didn’t have enough time to prepare for the test, but you should know it already,” Vela said. “It’s your job, you should know it.”
Even though the senate will soon vote on the biennial budget, which according to Flores is close to $1.3 million, the resistance from senators caused Flores to cease efforts at instituting the test.
“The whole purpose of this was to see where you guys were after a semester of doing your job. It was to see if you could hold yourself accountable,” Flores said at the Nov. 14 ASG meeting. “I find it silly that some of the senators didn’t want to take the test to measure yourself.”
Flores told the senators there would not be a test, but reminded them of their obligations to their constituents. “There will not be a test anymore but just know that it is your duty to know what your job is and how to do it properly in order to help your clubs, as well as be a great senator that your constituents chose to be,” Flores said.
