Dunn appoints chief justice, discusses USCard changes


By
 in ,

Undergraduate Student Government President Austin Dunn appointed a new chief justice to the Judicial Council at the USG Senate meeting on Tuesday.

Charlynn Yeung, a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law and business administration, was a justice on the court this past year. The Senate will have to approve Yeung’s appointment at the next USG Senate meeting.

The new appointment for chief justice was necessary as the previous chief justice, Kshitij Kumar, graduated last year. Chief justices are required to have served at least one year on the court and must be a USC student, according to Dunn.

A new justice will also need to be appointed in order to fill the vacancy left behind by Yeung as she takes on the new position. A group of USG officials will select the justice in order to ensure balance and fairness, according to Dunn.

Dunn emphasized the detachment of the selectors from the candidates for the new justice, and described the selection process as removed and unbiased.

In addition to the Chief Justice appointment, the Senate also discussed a bill which would change the phone numbers listed on the back of all students’ USCards. Currently, all USCards list USG’s phone number and an emergency information line, but a resolution to institute a change in the USCard numbers passed last year, according to Dunn.

The resolution includes five phone numbers that may be added to the USCards, and USG will vote to select two of these numbers. They include the DPS emergency line, the USC Engemann Student Health Center’s phone number, a direct line to the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention and Services office and a potential 4-1-1 number to connect students to any of the aforementioned services, depending on their needs.

Dunn said that the 4-1-1 number — which has yet to be created — is his favorite option, as he said it would be the most accessible and efficient. It would serve as a 24-hour line, similar to a 9-1-1 hotline.

The Senate will vote next Tuesday on which changes to make to the USCards.

“The USC 411 [number] would be a new avenue for students to have access to all of the resources the school has,” Dunn said. “I think it would be great to have this avenue at USC.”