Ryan Houston
Member for Wharton
Wharton ‘11 (Finance and Management)
UA History
1st Term: Member for Wharton, Budget Committee (08-09)
2nd Term: Member for Wharton (09-10)
Candidate Statement (2009)
Hey! Last year I ran for the UA to fund the wine tasting preceptorial. Now we do. And for twice as many students. The budget I worked on includes a $25,000 increase for Fling’s main act and a $16,000 increase for SPEC’s fall and spring speakers. I am also excited to share that I just finished up a project to give away 150 free summer storage vouchers through a UA lottery going on right now. My next project is the huge vacant space in the basement of Commons. I want an indoor mini golf course, President Gutmann doesn’t, and so the UA is still looking for ideas. Let me know if you have any! In the meantime, I would appreciate your support for reelection as a Wharton representative. Thanks, Ryan Houston
Voting Record
KEY: Result (#Pro / #Con / #Abstain) OR (UNAN)imous 2009-2010 (Session #37, Webley)
| Date | Proposal | Vote | Result |
| 9/13/09 | University Council Seat Resolution | PRO | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 9/13/09 | Attendance Policy Revision | PRO | PASS (22/1/0) |
| 9/13/09 | Ivy Council Relations Amendment 1 — Change to strike part of an enactment that would commit the UA to following this policy in the future | PRO | PASS (13/7/3) |
| 9/13/09 | Ivy Council Relations Amendment 2 — Change to strike an enactment addressing relation with Vice Chair External and UA Steering | PRO | PASS (13/10/0) |
| 9/13/09 | Ivy Council Resolution | PRO | PASS (22/0/1) |
| 9/27/09 | Climate Action Plan Resolution | PRO | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 10/4/09 | SFS Feedback | PRO | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 10/4/09 | International Student Housing Amendment 1 — Change to strike enactment clause 2, which would obligate university to waive or reduce the housing fees | PRO | FAIL (3/14/1) |
| 10/4/09 | International Student Housing Resolution — Commit to Committee | PRO | PASS (15/3/2) |
| 10/4/09 | ECAASU Letter of Support | PRO | PASS (19/0/1) |
| 10/11/09 | International Student Housing Resolution | PRO | PASS |
| 11/1/09 | Ivy Council Amendment 1 — Change the Budget Committee’s Recommendation from $0 to $1410 | CON | FAIL |
| 11/1/09 | Ivy Council Amendment 2 — Change the Budget Committee’s Recommendation from $0 to $730 | CON | FAIL (12/16/0) |
| 11/1/09 | Ivy Council Amendment 3 — Change the Budget Committee’s Recommendation from $0 to $1310 | CON | FAIL |
| 11/1/09 | Ivy Council Amendment 4 — Change the Budget Committee’s Recommendation from $0 to $530 | CON | FAIL (13/15/0) |
| 11/8/09 | PennCard PIN Resolution | PRO | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 11/8/09 | MERT Housing Proposal | PRO | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 11/8/09 | Textbooks Letter to Faculty | PRO | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 11/15/09 | UA Reform Amendment 1 — Change provision to read: “In the case of the President ONLY, the candidate must have at least six months of service …” | CON | FAIL (4/17/4) |
| 11/15/09 | UA Reform Amendment 2 — Allow freshmen to run for President (while barring transfer students) | CON | FAIL (8/17/4) |
| 11/15/09 | UA Reform Amendment 3 — Lock out both freshmen and transfers from running for President | PRO | FAIL (9/16/4) |
| 11/15/09 | UA Reform Bill | PRO | PASS (25/1/3) |
| 11/15/09 | Objection to Consideration on Open Letter on Constitutional Changes (Vote to stop discussion on the bill) | PRO | FAIL (15/13/1) |
| 11/15/09 | Dismissal of Open Letter on Constitutional Changes | PRO | PASS (22/3/4) |
| 11/22/09 | Support of Native Students at Penn | ABS | PASS (28/1/2) |
| 12/6/09 |
Student Representation | PRO |
PASS (UNAN.) |
| 12/6/09 | NEC Request for Contingency Amendment 1 — Cut the $500 DP ad | CON |
FAIL (11/16/0) |
| 12/6/09 | NEC Request for Contingency | PRO |
PASS |
| 12/6/09 | Recycling Bins Budget Request Amendment 1 – Full funding for the project | ABS |
PASS (23/0/3) |
| 12/6/09 | Recycling Bin Request | ABS |
PASS (23/1/2) |
| 1/17/10 |
SCUE White Paper | PRO |
PASS (UNAN.) |
| 1/24/10 |
Bylaws Amendment, Amendment 1 – Replace Trustee on Committee of Budget and Finance from (1) NEC to (1) UA | PRO |
PASS |
| 1/24/10 | Bylaws Amendment: University Committee Appointments | PRO |
PASS |
| 1/24/10 | Wharton American Sign Language | PRO |
PASS (UNAN.) |
| 1/24/10 | Omnibus Recycling | PRO |
PASS |
| 2/1/10 | Budget Request: Undergraduate Research Symposium | PRO |
PASS (UNAN.) |
| 2/1/10 | Green Events Checklist Amendment 1 – Change “UA Green Events” to “Green Events Certification” | CON |
FAIL (1/27/0) |
| 2/1/10 | Green Events Checklist | N/R |
PASS (23/2/2) |
| 2/7/10 | Upgrading Academic Testing Environment | PRO |
PASS (14/4/4) |
| 2/7/10 | Contingency Budget Request: Lunar New Year | PRO |
PASS (UNAN.) |
| 2/28/10 | Suspend: Brooking Amendment – Suspend the rules to consider amendment | PRO |
PASS |
| 2/28/10 | Brooking Amendment: Original – Removal and Redistribution of Ivy Council Funding to SCUE items | CON |
FAILS |
| 2/28/10 | Brooking Amendment: Lum – Decrease SCUE New Member Orientation, increase CURF Undergraduate Advisory Board, Increase SPEC Spring Co-Sponsorship, Decrease Philomathean Society, $111 to SAC | CON |
FAILS |
| 2/28/10 | Brooking Amendment: Ernst – Change Philomathean Society Spring Co-Sponsorship to Spring Non-Annuals in SPEC | CON |
FAILS |
| 2/28/10 | Brooking Amendment: Budget Committee – redistribute funds to SCUE banner, toner, and Telephone, remainder to SAC | PRO |
PASS |
| 2/28/10 | SCUE New Member Orientation Amendment | CON | FAIL (10/18/1) |
| 2/28/10 | SCUE CURF Undergraduate Advisory Board Amendment | PRO |
PASS (30/1/0) |
| 2/28/10 | NEC Student Government Information Session Handout Amendment: Original | CON | FAIL (9/19/3) |
| 2/28/10 | NEC Student Government Information Session Handout Amendment: Horsley – fund flier, decrease funding for Spring candidate packs | CON |
PASS (22/4/5) |
| 2/28/10 | NEC State of the School Reception Amendment | CON |
FAIL (4/21/3) |
| 2/28/10 | NEC Midnight Breakfast Amendment | CON |
PASS (10/10/2) |
| 2/28/10 | SPEC Contingency Amendment: Original | CON |
FAIL (4/22/3) |
| 2/28/10 | SPEC Contingency Amendment: Sternberg – add a condition to the extra $20,000 (must be used only in emergency situations) | CON |
FAIL (7/20/4) |
| 2/28/10 | SPEC-TRUM Amendment | PRO |
PASS (UNAN) |
| 2/28/10 | SPEC Connaissance Muslim Students Association Amendment | PRO |
PASS (28/0/2) |
| 2/28/10 | SPEC Connaissance Amendment: Philomathean Society – fund Philo line item, cut SAC | CON |
FAIL (4/25/2) |
| 2/28/10 | SPEC Connaissance Amendment: Liu – Move $3000 from Spring Non-Annual Co-Sponsorships to Philomathean Society line item | CON |
FAIL (5/23/2) |
| 2/28/10 | SPEC Connaissance Amendment: Sanchez – Increase SPEC Spring Non-Annual Co-Sponsorships by $3000, cut from SAC | ABS |
PASS (20/5/6) |
| 2/28/10 | SPEC Fall Fest Amendment – Increase Fall Fest by $2000 from SAC | CON | FAIL (7/18/6) |
| 2/28/10 | SPEC Connaissance Amendment – Increase Spring and Fall Non-Annuals by $2250 each, cut SAC by $4500 | CON | FAIL (5/22/3) |
| 2/28/10 | UA Dolphin Accounts Amendment | PRO | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 2/28/10 | UA Ivy Council Amendment – Ivy Council Fall Conference | PRO |
FAIL (5/23/3) |
| 2/28/10 | Class Board: Sophomore Skimmer Increase Amendment | CON | PASS (19/10/2) |
| 2/28/10 | UA Annual Budget 2010-2011 | PRO | PASS (UNAN.) |
2008-2009 (Session #36, Tong)
| Date | Proposal | Vote | Result |
| 9/14/08 |
Website Proposal | PRO | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 9/21/08 | NSO Fraternity Party Safety Proposal | CON* | PASS (18/4/0) |
| 10/5/08 | Standing Orders / Bylaws Proposal | PRO | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 10/5/08 | Move Out Proposal | PRO | PASS (24/0/1) |
| 10/5/08 | IVC Fall Budget Request | PRO | PASS (15/2/8) |
| 10/26/08 | PLTV Budget Request | PRO | PASS (22/1/0) |
| 11/9/08 | Bike Sharing Proposal | PRO | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 11/9/08 | Website Budget Proposal | PRO | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 11/16/08 | Zimride Proposal | PRO | PASS (19/0/2) |
| 11/16/08 | UA Winter Airport Shuttle – motion to table the proposal | CON | FAIL (1/20/0) |
| 11/16/08 | UA Winter Airport Shuttle – amendment to require each member to take on at least one hour-long shift | PRO | FAIL (7/14/0) |
| 11/16/08 | UA Winter Airport Shuttle – amendment to have absences accrued from not doing the Winter Break shuttles be counted towards fall semester absences and not spring absences. | PRO | PASS (17/2/1) |
| 11/16/08 | UA Winter Airport Shuttle Proposal | PRO | PASS (21/1/0) |
| 11/23/08 | Casino Development Proposal – amendment to remove language from background alleging that discussion around the casino development hadn’t been sufficient. | PRO | PASS (15/14/1) |
| 11/23/08 | Casino Development Proposal – Approve Enactment Clause 1 | CON | PASS (17/11/1) |
| 11/23/08 | Casino Development Proposal – Approve Enactment Clause 2 | ABS | PASS (23/2/4) |
| 11/23/08 | Casino Development Proposal – Approve Enactment Clause 3 | CON | PASS (17/9/1) |
| 11/23/08 | Online Syllabi | PRO | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 1/18/09 | Penn Green and Penn Arts Pre-Orientation Program Funding Request |
PRO | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 1/18/09 | Open Letter to the Faculty RE Inauguration Day | N/R | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 2/1/09 | Undergraduate Research Proposal | N/R | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 2/1/09 | Bike and Pedestrian Safety | N/R | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 2/1/09 | Ramadan Fast Food | N/R | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 2/8/09 | Perelman Quad Reservations | N/R | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 2/8/09 | Stair Beautification Proposal | N/R | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 2/15/09 | College Day Proposal | N/R | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 2/22/09 | Spring Break Airport Shuttle Proposal - amendment to permit members to “make up” one absence by doing extra shifts on the Spring Airport Shuttles. | N/R | PASS (11/6/2) |
| 2/22/09 | Spring Break Airport Shuttles Proposal | N/R | PASS (18/1/0) |
| 3/1/09 | 2009-2010 Annual Budget – amendment to reduce NEC budget for Williams Hall useage in nominations interviews by $100, redistributing it to food for the State of the School Address. | N/R | FAIL (9/13/0) |
| 3/1/09 | 2009-2010 Annual Budget – motion to consider changing the amount of the SPEC Contingency allocation (requires 60% majority to pass) | N/R | FAIL (9/13/0) |
| 3/1/09 | 2009-2010 Annual Budget – motion to consider changing the amount of the Senior Class Board allocation (requires 60% majority to pass) | N/R | FAIL (7/12/1) |
| 3/1/09 | 2009-2010 Annual Budget – amendment to transfer $3000 from the UA Contingency fund to the SPEC Contingency fund. | N/R | FAIL (5/17/1) |
| 3/1/09 | 2009-2010 Annual Budget | N/R | PASS (18/6/0) |
| 3/22/09 | NEC Slate Confirmation | N/R | PASS (22/1/0) |
| 3/22/09 | Latino Coalition — Minority Education Proposal | N/R | PASS (22/1/0) |
| 3/22/09 | Asian Pacific Student Coalition — Minority Education Proposal | N/R | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 3/22/09 | Lambda Alliance — Minority Education Proposal | N/R | PASS (17/2/0) |
| 3/22/09 | UMOJA — Minority Education Proposal | N/R | PASS (18/0/1) |
| 3/22/09 | United Minorities Council — Minority Education Proposal | N/R | PASS (14/3/2) |
| 3/29/09 | PCUW Distribution Proposal | N/R | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 3/29/09 | NSO Night Time Activities Proposal | N/R | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 4/5/09 | Meal Donation | N/R | PASS |
| 4/5/09 | Final Toast Budget Request | N/R | PASS |
| 4/5/09 | Contingency Disbursement | N/R | PASS |
| 4/5/09 | Diwali Proposal | N/R | PASS |
| 4/5/09 | Airport Shuttles | N/R | PASS |
| 4/5/09 | Textbook Proposal Amendment – amendment to add an endorsement of publicizing used textbook vendors through the UA. | N/R | FAIL |
| 4/5/09 | Textbook Proposal | N/R | PASS |
| 4/5/09 | Intellectual Property Rights Proposal | N/R | PASS |
*With Rights
Attendance Record
All UA members are required to comply with the UA’s absences policy, which requires that they attend 75% of all general meeting and committee meetings.
2009-2010 (Session #37)
No meetings held this session (semester hasn’t started yet!).
2008-2009 (Session #36)
General Meetings Attended 18/19 (94.7%)
Committee Meetings Attended 23/24 (95.8%)
