Student Association members voiced their displeasure at one of Mayor Greg Sparrow’s recommendations for 7th Ward aldermanic candidates at Sunday night’s meeting.

The senators spoke hesitantly about candidate Jeff Monroe and twice tried to go into closed session to discuss personnel matters related to the recommendation. However, SA Vice President Steve Coloia said it was unconstitutional and against the Illinois Open Meetings Act to go into closed session to discuss Monroe.

At Sparrow’s request, SA President Huda Scheidelman and a panel of six senators interviewed five aldermanic candidates Sept. 25. They recommended three candidates and found two unacceptable.

The senators unanimously selected former SA President, Senate Speaker and Student Regent Nick Valadez as their first choice. The panel’s second and third choices were Thomas Gary and Roy Withirow, respectively. The panel rejected Monroe and Dulari Tikoo.

Sparrow made his own list of recommendations to the current aldermen and asked them to rank the candidates. Sparrow’s list included Valadez, Gary and Monroe, a candidate whom the SA panel called “totally unacceptable.”

The panel rejected Monroe because they “didn’t find him to be a student advocate, whatsoever,” Scheidelman said.

Monroe said he felt as though “the top two candidates were selected before I got in there” for the interview.

“There are three candidates who the mayor has chosen to be ranked by the aldermen,” Scheidelman said. “One of these the committee deemed unacceptable because the person could not advocate students, could not advocate his ward, which is 95 percent students, and did not indicate any maturity or confidence for the position.”

Monroe responded by saying, “I don’t know how they can say something like that in 15 minutes (the length of the interview).”

In other business, the second reading of a constitutional amendment which sparked debate for eight months passed last night, but the amendment might stir up trouble in the future. The amendment outlines the qualifications and duties of the Community Affairs Adviser (formerly the Tenant Union Adviser).

The original amendment divided the senate over a clause which excluded elected or appointed city and county officials from serving as Community Affairs Adviser.

Last week, the senate deleted the clause, which was intended to eliminate conflicts of interest between the SA and the city, and passed the first reading.

Some senators said the clause was unconstitutional because it discriminated against students who are public officials.

The amendment passed partly because the Community Affairs Committee “has a lot of work to do and needs to have legitimacy,” said Sen. Brad Strauss.

Although the issue is far from over, the committee now can “present a front which is unified to the city,” said Research Adviser Tom Elkins.

The SA also heard debate about putting the oath of office in the SA bylaws. Sen. David Ivers refused to take the oath last week because he proclaimed himself a “philosophical anarchist.”

Scheidelman said the oath is a “public formality. However, we have been challenged by that formality.” She said absence of the oath poses serious problems to the SA’s credibility.

Ivers cited the First Amendment and various court cases under which his refusal to take the oath is protected. “As an anarchist, I don’t want to force anyone to do anything, and I certainly don’t want to be forced to do anything,” he said.

The senate made no motion to put the oath in the SA bylaws.