The following is a response from Matthew Hall, Student Government Senator at Large, to an issue addressed in Mike Herrera’s interview with Senator Juan Sebastian Mendive.
“The issue over the Executive Order had been brought up by a number of Senators, and I had agreed to serve as the voice of our collective concern during the next meeting. The actual debating in the meeting lasted a bit less than two minutes; we actually have a rather cool understanding to drop any issue that becomes polarizing during a Senate meeting. We have to keep to the meeting agenda, after all.In the end, both parties came to an amicable conclusion, and the Senate moved to approve the project, Senator Mendive making the motion and I seconding it. Debates are, indeed, a part of the democratic process. Such discussions are normal in any legislature, from the SG Senate to the United States Congress. The important thing is for debating parties to be able to come together under mutual respect and reach a fair resolution in good time.”