In a session marked with several unexpected turns, Friday’s Graduate Student Senate meeting also had a surprise ending with the emotional resignation of the Senate president.

GSS President Jacquelyn Walters stepped down, effective Tuesday, because of “extraneous circumstances.” The governmental body’s Vice President Luke Nichter will serve as her replacement for the rest of the year.

With tears in her eyes and a trembling voice, Walters briefly thanked senators for allowing her to lead them. A thunderous round of applause in support of the out-going president followed the short, 19-word announcement.

“Due to extraneous circumstances, I just feel that I need to step down at this time,” Walters said in a later interview. “I’m a single mother and I’ve got a lot to deal with and I just feel like I can’t fulfill my role for the rest of this year.”

Walters hopes that progress will continue without her in GSS, she said.

But Walters’ last GSS General Assembly meeting as president of the group contained more surprises than what she had predicted.

Two resolutions that were to be voted on were instead tabled for further research, with several senators voicing new concerns from their constituents.

Following the passage of Issue 1 in Ohio–a proposed constitutional amendment naming the union of a man and woman as the only valid marriage–Senator Hong Lee, representing the Philosophy Department, proposed a resolution putting GSS against the state initiative. The move was to keep the body in line with the passage of domestic partners legislation last semester, Walters said.

During discussions on the proposal last semester, senators were mainly concerned with the wording of the legislation, Walters said, but Friday’s concerns were all over the board.

The biggest questions came from Senator Amanda Kelley, representing the Psychology Department. With residency, legal, timeliness and a host of other concerns, her constituents would rather see the issue taken completely off the table, she said.

“Really the opposition was it’s out of the scope of GSS’ mission to serve all graduate students,” Kelley said. “Particularly students are worried that with passing this issue it would leave those who support Issue 1 alienated.”

Senator Stephen Swanson, representing American Culture Studies, says his constituents feel just the opposite when they think of the issue’s impact nationwide.

“When I talked with my constituency in American Culture Studies, they’re wholeheartedly for this [resolution],” he said. “[They think] that we need to take a position … whether they’re residents here or not, but because it’s affecting issues for individuals for the country as a whole.”

The unprecedented discussion on the resolution left Walters shocked. Voting was put on hold so further research into various concerns, like GSS’ legal role as a non-profit in passing such legislation, could be done.

“Everyone was concerned [before] with how we were writing it, so this was really a surprise to hear these concerns,” she said.

Walters was equally surprised that the body couldn’t come to a vote on a health insurance resolution that they’ve not only discussed before, but also brought in Dr. Glenn Egelman, director of the Student Health Center, to answer questions and define costs.

Senator Erik Towne, national, regional and local chair, proposed the legislation last semester that calls for the administration to implement a “hard-waiver” health insurance system which would require all full-time graduate students to show solid proof of health insurance in hopes of lowering the overall costs for all.

Graduate students who did not have health insurance, or insurance that was less coverage than what the University plan offers, would be required to purchase a University plan. The cost of a University plan is currently $854 a year, which is significantly higher than most universities in the state, which have an average cost of $500 a year, Walters said.

By switching to the “hard-waiver” system, the University would be able to prove to insurance providers that all graduate students who say they have insurance really do, Walters said. With this verification, an insurance provider would be able to give the University a better, more affordable plan, she said.

Once BGSU is on the hard waiver system and other schools that aren’t either–like the University of Toledo–join in, the group is one step closer to helping establish a statewide health insurance program for graduate students.

But concerns over pricing and the retention of students if the University forces them to buy a plan, were enough to table the resolution and Egelman will be asked to come and speak to the body again.

“I was really surprised by this one,” Walters said. “My hope was that it was going to pass. I wanted to bring an end to what’s been called a ‘trivial graduate student issue,’ because it could really change graduate life.”

Also at the meeting:

*The Senate passed a resolution in support of the University’s administration finding alternative funding options to ensure that the victim advocate position stays on campus.

*The Senate passed a resolution in support of Dr. Glenn Egelman, director of the Student Health Center, in his efforts to create a policy to allow the Center to forward students’ medical bills directly to their respective outside insurance companies.

*Aaron Singleton, programming and publicity chair, was elected Representative-At-Large.