The Student Association held their fifth weekly meeting of the semester Tuesday evening. Sixteen senators were present.
Two new senators were sworn in, taking the oath of office on the SA constitution. Then the minutes from last week were approved and the agenda for this week was amended as needed.
There were no guests to the senate.
There was no public comment.
In executive reports, SA President Tucker Sholtes reported to the senate that the main thing he had been concentrating on this week has been the 10th annual Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit on Oct. 16. He mentioned the Marano Campus Center Ice Arena’s extreme overnight transformation, where a professional stage for the Media Summit was set up for this year’s historic team of panelists.
SA Vice President Neely Laufer made an exciting announcement to the senate, a project she’s been working on. She said she and Jerri Drummond, the SA adviser, have come up with a proposition to invite more students to attend SA weekly meetings to express their concerns about things happening on the Oswego State campus. Laufer proposed that once a month, the SA hold a special meeting where food is provided and invite students to attend. She also suggested that they could have special speakers attend these meetings.
“We know that students have concerns, questions and whatnot and don’t always feel comfortable about coming to the meetings,” Drummond said.
The proposition included posters for such a special meeting that could inform students about these meetings.
Regarding advertising, Sen. Jillian Kranz suggested not referring to specifically the senate but referring to it as SA and being student-friendly. She said that the word “senate” might make it sound like regular students can’t attend.
Laufer will continue putting more details into the plan for the time being.
Ryan Hopf, President Sholtes’s chief of staff, introduced Katrina Webber as the new assistant director of student affairs.
In community reports, Rules and Judiciary Committee Chair Jillian Kranz said the rules and judiciary committee met and talked a lot about the issue of student safety on campus.
Finance Committee Chair Tyler Jodeit said the finance committee continued talking about the bill involving DECA. DECA is an international association of high school and college students that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges across the globe. DECA is looking for money to fund various events on campus. Jodeit also said they have been examining the provisions of a bill for funding for the table tennis club.
Student Involvement Chair Shantol Williams reported that they had mainly dealt with meeting with the interim directors to confirm their legitimacy. Williams also said the committee discussed “Do You Know Who Your Senator Is?” posters to put up around campus. In the discussion about “Miss a Meal,” an event that happens at campus dining halls several times throughout the year, Williams said the committee talked about the possibility of sending the money from “Miss a Meal” to foundations that send supplies to U.S. troops overseas.
Several interim directors who had met with all committees were then approved and officially granted their positions by a unanimous vote from the senate. Ryan Hopf was approved as the president’s chief of staff, Chris Romita as director of student affairs, Renee Ricketts as director of public affairs and Christopher Collins-McNeil as director of civic engagement.
In hall council reports, Kranz said the hall council in Funnelle Hall had met and mostly consisted of freshmen that were eager to plan community-building events.
A student representative visited the Diversity Student Summit at the University of Connecticut last weekend with Collins-McNeil and Justin Brantley, the director of multicultural affairs. She discussed her experience at the summit, which said even opened her own eyes to segments of the word “diversity” and what exactly it entails.
There was one special order. Legislation SLE 50.03 was brought to the floor, which regards funding for the table tennis club, which asked for funding for nets, table tops, money for tournaments and regulation panels. The club currently has no budget and Laufer said the club approached the senate years ago and was never given any attention. The club requested $460. The club regularly holds its practices in Funnelle Hall, which has two people. It is reported that 30 people regularly show up.
The senate passed the bill unanimously.
There was no new legislation.
Sen. Sarah Woods expressed a senator concern about security in the residence halls and recent events involving intrusions and the trespassing in Onondaga Hall in September. She believes it is an issue that needs to be addressed.
The SA senate meets every Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Lanigan 102. All meetings are open to the public.
