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At 7:30 PM on Tuesday, January 14th, Speaker of the Assembly Mario Thaqi was sworn in as the next president of the Central Student Government (CSG) at the University of Michigan. Mario Thaqi is the first-ever president inaugurated following the impeachment and removal of a previous president. An unprecedented impeachment trial ousted Former President Alifa Chowdhury last December. Former President Alifa Chowdhury, was elected last spring on the SHUT IT DOWN (SID) party platform of withholding student government funding to force the University of Michigan to divest from Israel and Israel-affiliated organizations.
In his first address after assuming office, President Thaqi committed to restoring and reforming unfunded CSG programs. Thaqi specifically mentioned reforming the ‘SAFERide program,’ saying, “I’d like to focus on people with demonstrated financial need.” Historically, the SAFERide program, a free shared-ride taxi service, has been criticized as unnecessary following the rise of rideshare apps like Uber and Lift. However, advocates argue SAFERide offers a cost-free alternative for lower-income students.
President Thaqi also argued for advancing student representation in the University’s administration. One solution Thaqi offered was to place two non-voting student members on the University of Michigan’s Board of Regents.
Forty-two of the top 50 public universities, and 81.25% of BIG10 Institutions, offer student representation on their Board of Regents, with many even allowing those students to vote at meetings.
With Thaqi’s speakership vacated, a two-person race between Vice Speaker of the Assembly Eric Veal and Parliamentarian Stefan Nielsen emerged. Ultimately, Vice Speaker Veal secured the spot after an in-session vote.
To staff President Thaqi’s administration, the Executive Nomination Committee reviewed 11 nominees; 10 passed unanimously. Jake Frederick, the nominate for Vice President, faced fierce opposition on multiple fronts, even receiving a negative recommendation from the Executive Nomination Committee. The criticism stemmed from Frederick’s service in the Herle Administration, the government before SHUT IT DOWN’s takeover, which suffered a landslide defeat against SID in last spring’s election. Frederick worked in the communications wing of the executive and was responsible for generating outreach to students during the election campaign.
Additionally, three new representatives were sworn in to fill vacancies in the STAMPS, Engineering, and Architecture & Urban Planning schools. This follows a season of seat vacancies due to mass recalls of many SID representatives, who violated attendance policies by not showing up to meetings.
Ten bills were also considered during the marathon meeting, all for the first time. Seven were promptly referred back to committee while three were voted on, all of which passed. This includes AR 14-054, or the UM Student Regent Act, which would encourage the Board of Regents to allow two non-voting student members to sit on the board. Sponsored by President Thaqi, AR 14-054 argues the University of Michigan should join the 42 of the top 50 public universities in offering student representation to their Board of Regents.
Newly elected Speaker Veal concluded the meeting with a strong statement: “It’s time to work… The relationships you build now will translate to [what you get done]. I look forward to working with all of you.”
The meeting, over 5 hours in length, lasted into the early morning of January 15th. CSG meetings resume every Tuesday until Spring Break at 7:30 PM. Meeting locations vary, with all meetings having a Zoom option listed on the agenda on the CSG Website.
DISCLAIMERS:
Wade Vellky, Co-President of the Michigan Review, serves as an elected representative (LSA) in CSG. He had no input, prior knowledge, or editorial control over this article.
Tyler Fioritto served and ran in CSG for two years with multiple members who are currently elected. He also had input, authorship, and promotion of various bills in the 14th Assembly. Please contact the author at tfioritt@umich.edu for any inquiries.