The Student Union Senate will hold its first meeting of the academic year on Thursday at 10 p.m. in order to avoid violating the Student Union Bylaws, said Student Union President Herbie Rosen '12 in an interview with the Justice, a change from the originally planned meeting scheduled for Sept. 25.

Prior to yesterday evening, Rosen and Student Union Vice President Gloria Park '13 said in separate interviews with the Justice that the first Senate meeting was scheduled to follow the Student Union elections scheduled for Sept. 22.

According to Section 2 Article V of the Student Union Bylaws, which is posted on the Student Union website, "Meetings of the Senate shall be held at least once every ten academic days during the Spring and Fall Semesters."

There are 23 elected Senate positions, only four of which are currently filled, according to Park.

When originally asked about the bylaws yesterday afternoon, Rosen said that there would be no Senate meeting until Sept. 25 because the "Senate is meant to represent the student body, or at least get as many facets as possible, … and they can't get anything done with just four senators. They can't vote on clubs, they can't recognize, they can't charter."

Rosen added that the Constitution can be "flexible" and said "I think as my job as a Student Union president, yes I have a constitution, … but I also need to best represent the student body. We are not going to waste our time in something that won't yield a result."

Later yesterday evening, Rosen said in a statement to the Justice that "at least three of the elected members of the Senate will be meeting on Thursday at 10 p.m. in the Student Union office. Gloria Park, vice president, will be there as well."

"Originally, it had been decided between myself and the executive board that the Senate wouldn't meet until the 25th, after the elections when we have a full seat," said Rosen last night.

Rosen and Park originally both cited the lack of a quorum of senators as a reason for not holding the Senate meeting within the first 10 academic days of the semester.

Rosen explained that in the past, he has interpreted a quorum "as the majority of possible positions, which in our current state we only have four that have been filled," he said. That would mean that a quorum would require 12 senators out of the 23 possible senate positions.

However, Rosen recognized yesterday night that a quorum could also be considered a majority of the four students who currently hold the elected Senate positions.

"Our goal is to efficiently serve the student body and originally we didn't think four members would get much work done but at [by] least having the senate meeting, [and] following the constitution, we are covering all the bases and just make sure we can start off the year without bumps," said Rosen.

Earlier yesterday afternoon, Rosen and Park expressed doubt that a four-person Senate would be effective.

"Having four senators sit in a meeting for the sake of having the senate meeting would be pointless in my opinion," said Park yesterday afternoon. "If there are four senators at the Senate meeting, I wouldn't say that really speaks for the entire student voice. I think it's best to wait until the entire student body elects the quad senators so that everybody can have a meeting together."

Similarly, originally Rosen said of a meeting of four senators, "It doesn't make sense for four senators to vote on behalf of an entire senate. … Four people can't decide the future of a body that has yet to be filled."

Senator-at-Large Shekeyla Caldwell '14 said that she is serving as the interim executive senator because one was not elected last semester.

When asked how she felt about the fact that there have been no meetings this semester, Caldwell said in an interview with the Justice, before the meeting was rescheduled, "It is difficult because I want to help clubs but I can't because the seats in the Senate have not been filled as they should be."

"We as a Union are working our best to encourage student participation in the Union because of the effect that it has on our ability to better the campus," added Caldwell.

After the Thursday meeting was scheduled, Caldwell wrote in an email to the Justice, "The Student Union is excited to have this Senate meeting kick off the new academic year. I know we will see some outstanding work from our current and future senators."

—Alana Abramson contributed reporting.