By Farris Willingham, Editor-in-Chief
By a 14 to 6 vote, student senators approved an impeachment resolution April 10 against the Student Government Association president.
Emma Velez, political science/philosophy junior, will be removed from office, and Senate President Sarah Cook will assume the role until the SGA inauguration April 19.
Following the inauguration, Senate President-elect Robin Ladd will fill the vacancy until officials decide how to proceed with placing a new student in the president’s seat.
Ladd expressed fervor for both sides of the argument, often welling up with tears when she spoke on behalf of Velez and Student Senate.
“It’s more important to me, regardless of personal decision, that we have a leader we can trust,” Ladd said in reference to Velez.
Ladd, who worked on Velez’s campaign during her sophomore year, said she has trusted Velez’s administration during her time in Student Senate.
“We should not be here tonight,” she said. “There is one reason why we’re here.”
The steering committee wanted to inform the rest of SGA and the student body about issues occurring within the association, Ladd said.
Ladd said she is unhappy with Senate’s decision to impeach Velez, but supports it if the process honors the association’s governing documents.
The impeachment meeting drew in crowd, consisting of many SGA members, students interested in the case and three former SGA presidents.
Kortnee Robbins, elementary education junior, said she hoped the senators considered the number of students who attended in their decision.
“They claim to represent us, but I don’t think they recognized how many people came to be involved with the process,” she said.
Matt Patrick, youth ministry freshman, said he was happy about the student turnout at the meeting, but is undecided about the issue.
“I think if you’re on either side, that it is an unpleasant thing,” he said. “Moving forward, SGA will have to take better care of what they’re doing and be more accountable.”
Click here for more information about events preceding the meeting.
