U. Council policy to benefit minorities

For minorities at Penn, having a forum to speak can be a vital opportunity. And for seven representatives of mis- or underrepresented student groups, the University Council is that forum.

At Sunday’s Undergraduate Assembly meeting — the first this semester — the group passed a proposal to give one of its nine UC seats to the Nominations and Elections Committee, giving the NEC a total of seven seats.

A forum to discuss any Penn-related issues, the UC consists of faculty members, administrators and student representatives.

Each fall, the NEC allocates its UC seats to representatives of mis- or underrepresented student groups.

But the process a group member must go through for a seat is rigorous, including a 30-minute interview and a 10-page application.

“If you can’t get a foot in the door, then you’re essentially going to be shut out of the process,” said Dennie Zastrow, College senior, Lambda Alliance chairman and Daily Pennsylvanian columnist.

By contrast, three seats are given to UA executive board members. The additional UC representatives from the UA are selected through a voting process.

However, UA vice chairman for external affairs and College junior Matt Amalfitano called this process “unfair.” Candidates for the UA-appointed seat are allowed to announce their interest the day of the decision and are only required to give a speech and answer a few questions.

Additionally, Amalfitano said, past records showed the UC seat-holders appointed by the UA had far worse UC meeting attendance records than did the NEC-appointed representatives.

Ben Moskowitz, a College sophomore and the NEC’s vice chairman of nominations, said the disparity between the “incredibly thorough examination” for the NEC-appointed representatives and the UA-appointed representatives to the UC was one reason behind the proposal.

He explained that the proposal will help the NEC obtain the “biggest and most qualified group of applicants possible.”

Amalfitano agreed. “The amount that those groups can bring to the table is far superior to what a UA member can bring,” he said.

For the minority groups, the extra seat means an opportunity for representation in the larger University community.

Latino Coalition chairman and College junior Cris Barrios said the seat will give UC an “extra perspective.”

Likewise, Zastrow claimed it would give “a UC seat to a group who doesn’t necessarily have access to the administration.”

Amalfitano said the only disadvantage to the proposal is denying an interested UA member the opportunity for a seat. Still, he conceded that UA representatives have been less enthusiastic than their NEC counterparts about sitting on UC.

He added that the policy is merely a step in the UA’s plan to “unite the undergraduate caucus.”

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