"It's good that people are getting more involved in USG and watching what's going on, but then again, I didn't enjoy going to court every week," Van Osten said.
South Halls Sen. Michael Jozkowski said the charges were certainly warranted.
"I guess a lot of people thought ... the rules didn't apply to them and that it didn't really make a difference," Jozkowski said.
Town Sen. Sean Miller said the Senate could have corrected problems if they were brought to the group's attention before formal complaints were filed.
"No one set out to break rules or do things shadily, as some alleged," Miller said.
"I think it was a shame. I don't think any group should have to go through what we did," she added.
But the problems weren't all negative, Miller added.
"If anything, USG is going to become better from the whole situation and learn," he said.
External successes
While the Senate only passed one piece of legislation this semester that was not internal or funding-related, some senators said that the group was still working for students.
"You can't really judge what we're doing based on what's being legislated," Yohannan said.
East Halls Sen. Julia Graham said an "amazing" amount of research must be done while working on student life issues, such as the legislation passed last month encouraging Penn State to have community members pay to use campus recreational facilities.
Earlier in the term, the Senate voiced its opinion on surveillance cameras in State College by passing legislation and sending a letter to the borough.
Miller said that while legislation is right for some issues, other things can be better promoted by meeting with officials.
"If anything, [legislation] would detract the time and attention of the senators from trying to accomplish the task," Miller said.
But Jozkowski said the Senate had a lack of major accomplishments and few external goals this year.
The Senate spent the last three weeks primarily working on constitutional amendments. In November, the body revamped its bylaws to restructure its committees, which Jozkowski said would help the Senate more clearly define goals.
The Senate dealt heavily with allocations this year, as groups petitioned the Senate for money at almost every meeting this year.
The annual USG elections code, passed in December with few senators present, was vetoed, amended, passed and rejected through March when campaigning was supposed to have begun.
Internal affairs
In addition to the expelled senator, at least 10 senators resigned throughout the year, most of them citing class conflicts with senate meetings.
Graham said she doesn't know what attributed to the high turnover rate, but that senators knew well ahead of time that Tuesday nights are reserved for Senate meetings.
Some senators resigned to work on USG's new off campus student union, Yohannan said.
While most senators said the Senate worked together much better than the division with the last Congress' conservative coalition, Jozkowski cited feelings of "backroom dealings."
Gallo also expressed a less optimistic view of this year's Senate.
"Our Tuesday evening meetings are like playtime in kindergarten: loud, raucous and if someone doesn't get their way, they're cranky and need to be placated," Gallo said.
Van Osten said that what students read in the newspaper about USG doesn't really reflect what the Senate does, citing senators' researching the possibility of co-ed housing and improved lighting -- neither of which action evolved from.
She added that the Senate did more research this year so that the next Senate can accomplish things.
Looking ahead
Many senators agreed that tuition will have even greater importance for the new Senate that will be sworn in tonight.
"USG as a whole really needs to step up its lobbying," said Graham, who was re-elected.
Few senators participated in the two lobbying trips last semester, and the Senate has yet to fill its governmental relations coordinator position.
"It could be one of Senate's most productive committees," Jozkowski said.
After seeing changes to Student Rating of Teaching Effectiveness (SRTE) and publication were goals in many presidential candidates' platforms last month, Yohannan said they could become a major topic in the fall.
Graham also said Senate needs to get people outside of USG involved.
"That's something I was really happy about during elections," she said.
"You didn't see people you know in the campaigns."
Regardless of their previous experience, the new round of senators will lay the groundwork tonight for whether next year's Senate will become known for internal acrimony or making a difference in students' lives.
