Student Council unanimously passed a bill last night to create an ad hoc committee to address acts of intolerance at the University.
Council President Jequeatta Upton, Executive Vice President Darius Nabors and Engineering School Rep. Pavan Gupta sponsored the bill to create the ad hoc committee.
"The Committee to Address Acts of Intolerance [has] been created tonight, and the unique aspect of this committee is that it is mostly composed of University students and not just Council members," Upton said.
Nabors said the ad hoc committee will be focused on action.
"Mainly, it is going to be an action-oriented committee in addressing the acts that have happened around the community," Nabors said. "What we are going to do is think of creative ways to address what has happened around the University. We want to actually address these acts instead of just talking about them."
Upton said the committee will look to the future to prevent the kind of acts of intolerance the University has seen in the past.
"This committee will look at ways to deter acts of intolerance in the future as well as research efficient ways to report incidents once they occur," she said.
Upton added that she is confident the committee will be effective because it is different from most other Council ad hoc committees.
"We have an enthusiastic chair, [fourth-year College student] Ben Sachs, who also created the Student Watch Group," Upton said. "I'm confident that this committee will come up with creative yet practical ways to address acts of intolerance."
Council also unanimously passed two other pieces of legislation, one establishing a constitution and bylaws reform ad hoc committee and a one supporting the creation of a new memorial on Grounds.
College Rep. Tom Gibson sponsored the resolution to support the creation of a new memorial, which he said will be dedicated to students who have died while attending the University.
"It's a gathering place for when students pass away," he said. "It seems like this is the way [it will be] most effective."
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