Michael Levenstein
Member for Freshmen
College ‘13
UA History
1st Term: Member for Freshmen, Student Life (09-10)
2nd Term: Member for the College (10-11)
Candidate Statement (2010)
Greetings, fellow Quakers! My name is MICHAEL LEVENSTEIN and I’m running for re-election as a College Representative on the UA.
Last year, the goals I tackled included speaking with the heads of Penn Dining in issuing online disclaimers notifying incoming students of the tremendous waste associated with certain dining plans, thereby preventing students’ unnecessary loss of either meals or money. I have also initiated discussions with the administration to install new-and-improved lighting along the McClelland Staircase in the Quad, helped redesign/revamp PennPortal as well as help to publish a handbook making students aware of some of the technologies available to them on-campus, such as Laundry Alert.
My goals for next year include increasing social science/humanities tutoring, helping increase Penn’s financial aid and ensuring at least one dining hall remains open during each academic break.
Voting Record
2010-2011 (Session #38, Amalfitano)
| Date | Proposal | Vote | Result |
| 4/25/09 | Muslim Chaplin Resolution | N/R | PASS (18/1/4) |
| 4/25/09 | Confirmation of Speaker Pro Tempore | N/R | PASS (23/0/0) |
| 4/25/09 | IFC-UA Textbook Exchange Resolution | N/R | PASS (23/0/0) |
| 4/25/09 | New York Times Budget Authorization Resolution | N/R | PASS (23/0/0) |
2009-2010 (Session #37, Webley)
| Date | Proposal | Vote | Result |
| 9/13/09 | University Council Seat Resolution | – | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 9/13/09 | Attendance Policy Revision | – | 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 | – | 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 | – | PASS (13/10/0) |
| 9/13/09 | Ivy Council Resolution | – | PASS (22/0/1) |
| 9/27/09 | Climate Action Plan Resolution | – | PASS (UNAN.) |
| 10/4/09 | SFS Feedback | – | 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 | – | FAIL (3/14/1) |
| 10/4/09 | International Student Housing Resolution — Commit to Committee | – | PASS (15/3/2) |
| 10/4/09 | ECAASU Letter of Support | – | 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 mce_marker to $1410 | PRO | FAIL |
| 11/1/09 | Ivy Council Amendment 2 — Change the Budget Committee’s Recommendation from mce_marker to $730 | PRO | FAIL (12/16/0) |
| 11/1/09 | Ivy Council Amendment 3 — Change the Budget Committee’s Recommendation from mce_marker to $1310 | PRO | FAIL |
| 11/1/09 | Ivy Council Amendment 4 — Change the Budget Committee’s Recommendation from mce_marker to $530 | PRO | 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) | PRO | FAIL (8/17/4) |
| 11/15/09 | UA Reform Amendment 3 — Lock out both freshmen and transfers from running for President | CON | 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) | CON | 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 | PRO | PASS (28/1/2) |
| 12/6/09 |
Student Representation | N/R |
PASS (UNAN.) |
| 12/6/09 | NEC Request for Contingency Amendment 1 — Cut the $500 DP ad | N/R |
FAIL (11/16/0) |
| 12/6/09 | NEC Request for Contingency | N/R |
PASS |
| 12/6/09 | Recycling Bins Budget Request Amendment 1 – Full funding for the project | N/R |
PASS (23/0/3) |
| 12/6/09 | Recycling Bin Request | N/R |
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 | CON |
PASS |
| 1/24/10 | Bylaws Amendment: University Committee Appointments | CON |
PASS |
| 1/24/10 | Wharton American Sign Language | PRO |
PASS (UNAN.) |
| 1/24/10 | Omnibus Recycling | PRO |
PASS |
| 1/31/10 | Budget Request: Undergraduate Research Symposium | PRO |
PASS (UNAN.) |
| 1/31/10 | Green Events Checklist Amendment 1 – Change “UA Green Events” to “Green Events Certification” | CON |
FAIL (1/27/0) |
| 1/31/10 | Green Events Checklist | PRO |
PASS (23/2/2) |
| 2/7/10 | Upgrading Academic Testing Environment | CON |
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 | CON |
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 | CON |
PASS |
| 2/28/10 | SCUE New Member Orientation Amendment | PRO |
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 | PRO | FAIL (9/19/3) |
| 2/28/10 | NEC Student Government Information Session Handout Amendment: Horsley – fund flier, decrease funding for Spring candidate packs | PRO |
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 | PRO |
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 | PRO |
FAIL (4/25/2) |
| 2/28/10 | SPEC Connaissance Amendment: Liu – Move $3000 from Spring Non-Annual Co-Sponsorships to Philomathean Society line item | PRO |
FAIL (5/23/2) |
| 2/28/10 | SPEC Connaissance Amendment: Sanchez – Increase SPEC Spring Non-Annual Co-Sponsorships by $3000, cut from SAC | CON |
PASS (20/5/6) |
| 2/28/10 | SPEC Fall Fest Amendment – Increase Fall Fest by $2000 from SAC | PRO | 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 | PRO | PASS (19/10/2) |
| 2/28/10 | UA Annual Budget 2010-2011 | PRO | PASS (UNAN.) |
*Please see Voting Rights here.
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)
General Meetings Attended 13/15 (86.7%)
Committee Meetings Attended 9/10 (90%)
