IUSG appoints new committee chairs, former Parliamentarian resigns

IU Student Government’s former Parliamentarian, David Conarty, resigned and IUSG appointed two new committee chairs during their IU Student congressional meeting on Monday.  

The Parliamentarian is a leader in Congress responsible for understanding the internal rules and functions of Congress and guiding the members to their goal outcome through specific procedures.

Conarty resigned from his current position as representative during general discussion, near the end of the meeting.  Conarty took to the podium during the meeting and spoke of his experience in IUSG.  

“While I have used my extraordinary workarounds to get my way in this organization, have engaged in frivolous debate with some of the most realistically meaningless topics, I can at least say that I did my darndest. I tried my best. I put in as much work as I could,” Conarty said. “In fact, I found for my time in this Congress, both as a legislator and as a leader, that seems to be the sole problem in this organization — the lack of participation and zero drive to better this organization.” 

Conarty went on to explain how the only thing he felt the Congress had accomplished in the past year was fund Plan B at the Student Health Center, which he described as just transferring money from one area of campus to another. IUSG began raising money for and funding Plan B at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year as a part of the Emergency Contraceptive Access Appropriations Act passed in August 2022. This was to ensure that students had access to emergency contraception.  

“Our Constitutional mandate tells us that we are the repository of student voices, perspectives and concerns, and that we shall serve as a policy-making authority within IUSG,” Conarty said. “It appears that a repository for student voices, perspectives and concerns is at the limit of what we can accomplish.”  

He continued to address the behaviors he had witnessed during his terms. These behaviors included frivolous debate, snickering at other’s opinions and the lack of those willing to voice their own thoughts.   

“We were elected to this Congress to advocate for students and try to change this university for the better,” Conarty said. “We shouldn’t be here to fill a line on your resume or because you have nothing better to do on Monday nights.”  

Conarty’s resignation officially began at the adjournment of the meeting.  

Earlier on in the meeting, Rep. Enzo Caggiano was named Chair of the Committee on Student Life, and Rep. Violet Landrum was named Chair of the Committee on Student Rights and Concerns. The Committee on Student Life reviews and discusses matters including student health and wellbeing, campus housing and student recreational activities. The Committee on Student Rights and Concerns is responsible for matters pertaining to tuition, environmental affairs and city and government relations.  

The Committee on Oversight and Finance and Committee on Equity and Justice chairpersons will remain the same for this new term, being led by Rep. John Lane and Rep. Abbey Miller respectively. The Committee on Oversight and Finance is responsible for matters involving IUSG, including budgets, amendments and elections, while the Committee on Equity and Justice discusses matters relating to diversity, equity and inclusion.  

According to the IUSG, each of these committees research and review legislation that falls under their respective policy areas before forwarding them to the full Congress. Congress representatives are divided among these committees, which will each meet separately every week to discuss and review legislation.  

In addition to the committee chair appointments, there are vacancies in the IUSG Congress. According to Speaker of Congress Jack Tyndall, these vacancies include: