Fourth meeting of the semester
Student Association held its fourth senate meeting Tuesday in Lanigan 103 at 6 p.m.
The senate welcomed two new senators, Laura Smith and Tyler Markowski. The two were sworn in and then Vice President Benjamin June announced that one senator had resigned since the week before.
Fourteen senators were in attendance and the minutes were approved from the previous meeting. The agenda was amended to add two bills written by President Anthony Smith regarding executive spending accounts.
LSU asks for additional funds
Latino Student Union President Kaylina Rivera addressed the senate with a presentation asking for additional funds for their annual dinner. Rivera told the senate they were requesting additional funds to make Hewitt Union feel more like a carnival. The event will celebrate Latino culture, and Rivera would like to keep guests entertained with carnival games and team building exercises. She said that it has been about four years since the event has had a speaker and she is hoping the funds will help bring one. She would also like decorations to add more to the feel of the event. She went through her plans for the event, which call for renting a popcorn machine for $48, a cotton candy machine rental for $128.98 and posters for $109.99. She said that a DJ will cost the organization $200 and the speaker would cost $500. While this event is mostly covered by the organization’s budget, they are requesting $540 in additional funds to help make the event a success. Senator Francisco Perez will write the bill requesting the additional funds.
Rhay Guillen, director of student affairs, made remarks on behalf of SA’s president. He said that Smith asked the senate to vote to approve those he hired for director positions. He also noted that Smith put in a bill for a leadership conference that SA will be holding and Guillen is working on. He also noted that an anti-hazing event is being planned for club sports teams.
June reminded senators that they are required to attend a bill-writing workshop that is open to the public on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Lanigan 101.
Director of Finance Hassan Al-Shareffi told the senate that he believes its audit went well and hopes to hear more about that in the coming weeks. He talked about meeting with the finance committee and how he will be attending its meetings for the next few weeks to help it with its tasks. He reminded the senate that it still has the same amounts of money in its accounts from the week prior. He also noted that the senators should remain unbiased when they decide on bills and resolutions, and that they represent 250 students each in the Oswego State community.
Rules and Judiciary
The Rules and Judiciary committee reported to the senate that it will have a bill on the election timeline at the next meeting. It also voted unanimously to support the approval of Luke Carbonaro for chief justice of the supreme court for SA. Perez became the chair of the election sub committee.
Before the senate voted on the chief justice nominee, Al-Shareffi gave his support of Carbonaro.
“I believe he’d be an asset as chief justice,” Al-Shareffi said.
The senate approved Carbonaro 13 yeses, zero noes and one abstention.
Finance and Appropriations
The Finance and Appropriation committee reported that it discussed how to run better and Perez went over how to look at a bill with them.
Student Involvement
Perez reported that the Student Involvement committee discussed its recommendations for director positions. Christopher Collins-McNeil spoke to the senate about becoming the civic engagement director and about how he would work with Guillen on the leadership conference. He said he has already been working on hosting political members to speak to students on campus. He noted that he plans on studying abroad next semester and that his position would just be for the short term. He plans on having his large projects done and giving his smaller projects to some members of a civic engagement committee to work on. He noted that he spoke with Smith about this prior to his hiring and that Guillen would take over the position’s responsibilities next semester. He also said he would be trying to organize a public forum to hear from the student body about issues they have. The senate approved Collins-McNeil with 12 yeses, zero noes and two abstentions.
Perez recommended Tiffany Jenkins for assistant director of campus community relations. She told the senate that she plans on getting the “campus and the community more intertwined.” She said that the students do not have a very good reputation in the community and that she wants to change that. Both Perez and Al-Shareffi spoke highly of Jenkins. She was approved unanimously.
Erica Eiche was recommended unanimously by the committee for director of athletic affairs. She could not attend the meeting, but Perez told the senate about her plans for the anti-hazing event for sport clubs. She said she would be the liaison for the sport clubs and SA. She was also approved unanimously.
Perez supported Sarah Harbacz for SA’s graphic designer and showed the senate a poster she had already made them for its tabling. The senate unanimously approved her as well.
New legislations presented
First, a resolution written by Perez was presented to the senate. The resolution represents the thoughts of the entire student body at Oswego State. It announces SA’s resentment towards the shutdown of the federal government that lasted 16 days. The resolution was intended to be sent to New York’s two senators and Oswego’s representative in the House, Dan Maffei. The resolution was passed with 12 yeses, one no and one abstention.
Readings for two other bills that deal with money were both referred to the Finance and Appropriations committee for a period of one week. Those bills were written by Smith and readings of both bills were waived without objection.
The next SA senate meeting will be held Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Lanigan 103 and, as always, is open to the public.
