Assembly Refuses to Permit Delegate to Hold Two Seats

The Student Assembly last night refused to allow a South Hose delegate to hold more than one seat on the assembly.

Steven L. Abrams '80, elected in February to the assembly, ran for and won a second seat in elections held last week at South House.

But Joseph F. McDonough '81, chairman of the assembly, declared the election invalid, citing passages of the assembly's constitution that forbid students from voting twice for the same candidate and that stipulate one delegate for every 75 students.

"I thought the constitution was so clear I couldn't let him go through with it," McDonough said last night.

Abrams said he disagrees with McDonough's interpretation of the assembly's constitution, but added he would relinquish his second seat.

Abrams who said he did not hide his membership on the assembly from South House students, ran on the position platform of "I stand on my record." Three other candidates also ran for the two vacant South House seats.

"My purpose on the Student Assembly is to represent South House as well as possible. I felt I could enhance my effectiveness with more than one vote," Abrams said.

But Marc J. Sobil '80, chairman of the South House Committee, said yesterday that 'Abrams' action would give ammunition to people who think the assembly is a joke.

Abrams said, however, he does not want students to misconstrue his running for a second seat to mean he does not take the assembly seriously.

Sobil said he has heard only a few complaints from South House residents about Abram's second candidacy.

McDonough said he will meet with the vice chairman of the assembly and with Sobil to determine how to select a replacement candidate. Sobil, however, said the House Committee probably will not conduct another election.

The assembly referred to committee a proposal to frame a bylaw prohibiting one delegate from holding two seats and another to form a rules committee on constitutional issues.

In other business, the assembly will solicit reservations from Tuesday to Thursday for a train it is running to New Haven, Conn., for The Game November 17. Round-trip cost to students is $23.75. The assembly needs at least 500 students to pay before it can rent the Amtrak train at $13,500.

The assembly will also send a letter to the Food Services Department and to several administrators protesting a memorandum requiring Food Services checkers to ask for the bursar's cards of every student--even students they know. Having to show his bursur's card to the checker in his own House is "a royal pain in the neck," Michael J.W. Rennock '81, an assembly member from Eliot House, said last night.