ALLENDALE, Mich. — The Grand Valley State University Student Senate has decided to bring back the Pledge of Allegiance after voting to stop saying it at meetings last week.
GVSU tweeted Tuesday the decision came through "deliberative dialogue" and the solution "will meet the needs of all the students."
The new changes will give each student the "opportunity" to stand or not stand. The pledge will also be included regularly on each Student Senate agenda.
GVSU Student Body President Eric-John Szczepaniak provided 13 ON YOUR SIDE with the following statement regarding the decision:
"Late last night, I vetoed the Senate's decision and reinstated the Pledge of Allegiance after hearing from students and the broader GVSU community. Our Constitution allows the President to set the agenda so this will remain an item on each agenda. While I differ with some of my peers, I value their passion and focus on the students.
The original decision was meant to acknowledge differences that exist on our college campus. In no way did the Senate intend to cause any harm or offend people. I truly believe that all actions taken by Senate are with the best interests of the student body at heart. While we may disagree, we value discourse and the differences that make us strong.
Through many hours of conversation, and guidance from advisers, I came to the conclusion that allowing the Pledge of Allegiance is the best course of action so that those that would like to participate in this can do so.
This has truly been a learning and growing opportunity for our students. More than anything, we appreciate the constructive feedback that we have received and know that Student Senate is continually focused on creating a student body that is engaged, healthy, and empowered."
GVSU's Student Senate decided to vote on removing the pledge because it is not entirely inclusive to international students nor non-religious students.
The decision came after some back-and-forth on the issue earlier this fall. The Grand Valley student newspaper, The Lanthorn, reports that the Student Senate previously voted to omit the pledge, then reinstated in October before ultimately voting again.
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