Recent turmoil in the USF St. Petersburg Student Government caused senators to question Carly Chaput’s position as the Judiciary and Ethics Chair.
During the Feb. 4 senate meeting, members voted on her position. Ultimately, she was retained.
Multiple members at Wednesday’s senate meeting said there is “bad culture” in SG.
“The situation started when I didn’t hold an emergency meeting to review election procedures, which made some members think elections would be halted entirely. That was not the case,” said Chaput.
Additionally, comments made by Chaput via social media upset some SG members, who Chaput said contacted her with unprofessional messages.
“People have been texting and messaging me embarrassing and petty things,” said Chaput. “They attacked my character. It is important to remember that we are not only representing students, we are students ourselves.”
Chaput believes that she followed proper procedures and that personal issues played a large role in the vote.
“There is obviously a maturity gap in SG,” said Senator Joey Catalano. “Members range between 18 and 27, so some have less experience in working at the professional level required for a Student Government.”
Jared Pieniazek, the senate president pro-tempore, also expressed concern about his position.
“I have been asked to do things that step beyond my ethical boundaries,” said Pieniazek. “I’ve also had people come to me and tell me that I am going to be removed from my position.”
At the senate meeting, Pieniazek requested that senators vote on whether or not to remove him from office, and 78 percent of the senators voted to retain him.
Jozef Gherman, the chief financial officer, addressed the communication problems within SG.
“We need to start sitting down and talking with each other when we have problems,” said Gherman.
