Tuesday night, the ASB Senate tabled Bill 13-3 regarding the future name of the homecoming personality election formerly known as “Colonel Reb.”
The bill, drafted by last year’s ASB cabinet members, proposed the changing of “Colonel Reb” to “Mr. Ole Miss” and gives incoming members of the ASB senate until April 30 to make a decision.
With a deadline fast approaching, members of the ASB Senate began the process of including student input in renaming the election by introducing last night’s legislation.
ASB Vice President Morgan Gregory is encouraged by the commitment of the new ASB government members.
“It was a very long, late meeting, but that did not stop the senators from making sure they didn’t pass something through the students would be blindsided by,” Gregory said.
“I’m very glad to have a group that, regardless of personal opinion, is committed to transparency and student representation.”
ASB Vice President Morgan Gregory points towards ASB Attorney General Rob Pillow Tuesday night’s ASB Senate meeting. (Austin McAfee/The DM)
According to current ASB Judicial Chair Rob Pillow, a school-wide poll of student suggestions for the new title would have to go through the office of the attorney general. Pillow said this process would likely take more than two weeks to complete.
“There isn’t time to conduct a formal poll due to the end of school quickly approaching,” Pillow said.
Pillow urged ASB senators to take it upon themselves to survey their constituents with their own informal surveys, proposing that online surveys might be a good option.
“I’m very, very excited to see senators going back to their constituents and going back with this decision to the student body,” Pillow said.
In order to get enough student feedback, the bill was pushed back until next week’s meeting for further discussion and debate.
The next two ASB meetings will be open to the public to encourage student input on the subject.
