Calls of irresponsibility prevailed Thursday night when a scheduled Associated Students of Madison Student Council meeting failed to occur, as the council lacked quorum.
Fourteen of 16 representatives needed for quorum attended the meeting. Representatives Nicholas Lankford, a UW-Madison senior, Joe Moschella, a UW-Madison law student and Adam Walsh, a UW-Madison sophomore, did not have excused absences, according to Austin Evans, chair of shared governance for ASM and a UW-Madison junior.
Thursday's agenda included an eligibility hearing for El Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, budget approval for Homecoming events and approval of appointments to shared governance committees and student judiciary.
\The council members that aren't here tonight showed they don't care,"" Rep. Brian Jenks, a UW-Madison junior, said to the students in attendance.
The council meeting comes on the heels of Wednesday night's Student Services Finance Committee meeting that also failed to meet quorum.
When council representatives realized quorum was being met, a 30-minute recess was called so representatives could find those who were absent. This, was unsuccessful and the meeting was adjourned.
""For whatever reason we didn't have quorum tonight, I'm sorry,"" Bryan Gadow, chair of ASM and a UW-Madison junior, said to all in attendance.
Rep. Dan Dogs, a UW-Madison junior, told the group that some representatives asked him not to attend the meeting so that quorum would not be met.
""Some of these people who aren't here tonight felt that they were serving student interest by not having some of these nominations approved tonight,"" he said.
MEChA co-chair Darrell Balderrama, a UW-Madison senior, said members of the group are disappointed. He said he believes the absence of representatives was politically motivated with the backing of the Badger Party, the conservative wing of ASM.
""MEChA is very frustrated with what's been going on and members not attending council just adds to that fire,"" he said.
Representative Tom Clark, a UW-Madison graduate student and Badger Party member, said he finds no basis with that claim since the Badger Party lacks a majority on council.
""If [the liberal side] had been able to get people there, they would have had quorum,"" he said.
Clark was excused from the meeting in advance due to an exam.
Balderrama, however, is disheartened since he had to miss another meeting to be present.
""These students don't think we have anything else to do,"" he said.
