The first baby steps of what will surely be a long journey were taken Wednesday night at a meeting of the Government of the Student Body Constitutional Convention.

Convention members are planning and writing a new constitution for next year’s student government.

With enough members present for a quorum, a meeting was held to determine convention officers, committees and to discuss ideas for the new constitution. Last semester the convention had problems getting enough delegates to attend meetings.

Jamey Hansen, a senior in elementary education, was elected chairperson of the convention. Hansen said the convention will be able to accomplish more this semester than last due to the pressure of having the new constitution completed and ratified by the student body before the end of the semester.

Last semester’s meetings were plagued by no-shows, he said.

Yasmin Blackburn, a senior in English, was elected vice chair. Mike Pogge, a sophomore in journalism and mass communication, was elected secretary.

“I think we’re going to get a document done. We’re going to submit it to the students by April.

“I just urge all the students to take an active role and become aware of what’s happening and vote,” Pogge said.

An election committee was formed to plan a method for getting the constitution ratified. For ratification, the constitution will need to be approved by at least 50 percent of the student body in an election with at least a 20 percent turnout.

Hansen said he is pleased that Trish Sandahl, a graduate student in community and regional planning, will be heading the election committee. Sandahl has previous experience in GSB elections.

The transition committee, which does not yet have a chairperson, is “responsible, for whatever constitution we come up with, to make a smooth transition between the two governments,” Pogge said.

A research committee, led by Pogge, will study other university’s constitutions and focus on organizing the convention.

Dean of Students Kathleen MacKay is helping the convention delegates with planning the constitution.

Ideas created at Wednesday’s meeting include considering a bicameral form of government, as opposed to the current unicameral government, and making an effort to open lines of communication with students.

“One of the major problems that’s frustrating students is that GSB is not communicating to the student body,” Pogge said.

Reforming the yearly budget process was another consideration mentioned by the delegates.

“By the first week of February we will have an idea, a basic structure that we’ve agreed upon,” Hansen said. “We need an agreed upon structure to get this thing going.”

The next conventional meeting is on Super Bowl Sunday, Jan. 26, at 4 p.m., which, Hansen said, was the only time the delegates could meet without schedule conflicts.