The lights went down and the glow sticks went up in the air at last night's Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Senate meeting.

USG Vice President Luke Adams handed out glow sticks to each senator and USG President Galen Foulke turned off most of the lights in the meeting room.

Then, glow sticks in hand, the Senate voted to reject an amendment to the USG Constitution that would allow USG's other legislative body, the Academic Assembly, to issue executive orders on the USG President.

The amendment passed the Assembly last month, after the USG Supreme Court determined that a similar amendment from the 1990s was never officially a part of the constitution.

Despite debate over how members are elected to each legislative body, East Halls Sen. Matt Ritsko said the amendment was necessary to give both the Senate and the assembly equal power. The Senate currently has the ability to issue the orders.

"I do feel Academic Assembly members do represent students," he said. "It's just through a different process."

But Town Sen. Diana Maxham expressed concern over giving the assembly authority to tell the president what to do, since assembly members are not directly elected to their positions. Members of the assembly are appointed or elected by their respective student councils.

"Academic Assembly did not get chosen by the students," he said. "I don't think this is fair."

During his executive report to the Senate, Foulke expressed concern over the proposed amendment because, while the assembly's reach is restricted to academic issues, the amendment would have given them power to issue an executive order on non-academic issues.

He said the vagueness also allowed for the possibility that the Senate and the assembly could issue opposing executive orders for the president.

"There is a reason it's set up the way it is right now," Foulke said.

Foulke also said that in a meeting with university officials yesterday, he was able to confirm "preliminary plans" to establish a shuttle bus to Lot 83, a student parking lot north of Park Avenue by Beaver Stadium -- one of the main proposals he floated during last spring's elections. The shuttle will run on a trial basis beginning next month. "We're going to have to ride the short bus until we're sure there's a demand for it," he said, adding, "I know that people will use it."

Foulke said more details on the project will not be released until today.

At the end of the meeting, Senate Vice President Zach Merritt announced his resignation last night as he prepared to graduate at the end of this semester. Town Sen. Brian Jacobs also resigned so he can study abroad in Australia next semester.