The Gustavus Adolphus College student body voted on Thursday, April 24, regarding the amendment for removing the International Student Representative from the Student Senate. The result was announced the same day, and declared that the amendment failed to pass with 541 people (87.3 percent) voting “no.”

 International Student Representative and First-Year Herchran Singh was pleased with the result.

“I think the results clearly show how this campus feels about this position. So many students voted, and close to ninety percent of them believe this position is needed,” Singh said.

Before being presented to the student body, a ballot vote was passed in the Student Senate where Senate Speaker and Senior Nick Nigro argued strongly for passing the amendment.

Upset by the result, he explained why there is a discrepancy between the Senate’s decision and the student body’s decision.

“I think the discrepancy comes from misinformation and how some students chose to frame the issue. I also think Senate benefitted from having spent several hours debating the issue over two meetings. Just handing students a ribbon and explaining it as, ‘they’re taking away the international students’ senator,’ makes it appear as if international students would no longer be represented in any way in Senate,” Nigro said.

Both sides have claimed that the international students’ voices should be heard and represented, but the disputes arise about how international students’ needs can be met, what it means to be inclusive and diverse, and what type of a fair system is needed.

Singh believes that international students’ opinions can only be represented through the International Student Representative, and she accounts for her logic behind the point.

“If I, as an international student, went up to my class representative or my dorm representative and said ‘I have these concerns,’ are they gonna listen to my concerns or are they going to listen to the majority and represent that? They can’t vote based on my needs only. They have to do it based on the majority,” Singh said.

However,  Senator and Senior Sam Hoppe holds that without the International Student Representative, there are other ways that international students’ concerns can be properly addressed and opinions reflected.

“The biggest way is just for senators to go out and talk to their constituents. I think senators who are involved in more groups are better. Not just be a student senator, but also be involved in greek life, be involved in multicultural events,” Hoppe said.

Hoppe also argues that the International Student Representative seperates people by where they were born, creating obstacles to cross-cultural communication.

“By sectioning out that group into one representative, you lose the opportunity for having really good cross cultural discussions,” Hoppe said.

Relating her personal experiences, Singh regards Hoppe’s claim as invalid.

“I’ve made a point to go to the Diversity Center to talk to all those students. I’m part of International Cultures Club and I talk to those students. And it’s not just international students, it’s all students. So it’s inclusive,” Singh said.

Even though both Hoppe and Nigro think it is necessary to remove the position, Nigro has a different angle looking at this issue.

“It dates back to when Student Senate was composed of representatives of different organizations. There was a CAB representative, a Black Student Organization representative, and there was an International Student representative. In the past decade or so, at some point, Student Senate made a switch to have class representatives and dorm representatives, and we still have this international representative. It doesn’t make sense in the modern framework because there are plenty of minorities that ought to be represented and should be represented,” Nigro said.

Singh disagrees and points out that the needs of other minority groups are not as varied as international students’.

Nigro also thinks that the arguments from his side are not adequately understood by the student body.

“I’m always amazed by Gusties’ ability to rally in support of a cause, especially when they know literally nothing about it,” Nigro said.