ACTIVIST'S PAST BARS HER FROM U. SENATE

One of the University Senate's most outspoken student members, Stacia
Cosner, lambasted university officials late last week after they said
a nearly two-year-old drug violation prohibits her from running for
reelection.

Students who have academic or judicial violations are not allowed to
run for the senate, according to the senate's plan of organization.
But Cosner, who doubles as president of Students for Sensible Drug
Policy, was allowed to run last year despite the judicial violation on
her record.

During her time in office, Cosner, a junior communication major,
worked to alter the university's perspective on drug use and students
who use drugs recreationally.

She unsuccessfully lobbied for a Good Samaritan policy, which would
allow students to seek help for dangerously intoxicated friends
without fearing punishment for underage drinking or drug use. She also
advocated for less severe punishments for drug possession in dorms.

Cosner has been on disciplinary probation since spring 2006, when she
was caught with less than half a gram of marijuana, she said.

Senate and Office of Student Conduct officials called last year's
oversight a mistake and said they were following procedure in removing
Cosner's name from the ballot on Thursday. Voting begins today and
will continue all week.

Cosner, however, said she sees the action differently.

"I am not going to let them strong-arm me out of there," she said.
"I'm obviously qualified and eligible to run because nothing has changed."

Bill Montgomery, the senate chair, said that another student was also
not allowed to run, but officials declined to provide the student's
name or the reaon he or she was being barred.

John Zacker, director of the Office of Student Conduct, could not say
why his office failed to review those records last year and declined
to give details on the cases. The Office of Student Conduct is charged
with reviewing the records of students applying to become senators and
sending the results to the senate, which then notifies the students if
they are ineligible.

"I don't have a recollection of who did that or who conducted it,"
Zacker said of last year's reviews. "I don't have an answer."

Cosner said she will fight to get her name back on the ballot, but
Montgomery said to do that, a bill would have to go before the entire
senate, at which point the voting period for next year would have passed.

"Why do they think they have no control over things?" Cosner said of
the senate. "We don't even know if I'll be elected. Just put me on the
f---ing ballot. This is ridiculous."

Laura Slavin, the senate's interim executive secretary and director,
said she was following senate procedure in taking Cosner's name off
the ballot.

"I'm just following the rules of the senate," she said. "I had no
choice."

Cosner said she was angry about being notified of her ineligibility
Thursday, when voting starts today. Slavin said she only learned of
Cosner's ineligibility on Thursday and e-mailed her as early as possible.

Though Cosner was not initially going to run for reelection, opting
instead to study abroad in the fall, she ultimately changed her mind
and decided she could correspond with the senate via e-mail.

"I can do more from the Netherlands than some can do on campus," she
said.

Montgomery expressed regret at losing one of the senate's most active
members.

"Oh dear, that's too bad," Montgomery said after hearing Cosner wasn't
being allowed to run. "Evidently that was just missed last year. She
gave good service, so maybe it's a good thing that they missed it last
year."