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President James Lyons initiated one final resolution before leaving office in the last General Student Senate meeting of 2008. Sens. Abtin Mehdizadegan and Samantha Shulman were officially appointed to cabinet positions as well.
Lyons’ resolution amended the standing rules of student senate so that financial resolutions could not be implemented before Thursday at 9 a.m. following Senate meetings. This measure is to allow more time for the president’s cabinet to review financial resolutions as necessary. Once a financial resolution is implemented, the cabinet cannot veto it. If the cabinet does veto a resolution, the senate has an opportunity to reverse the veto.
Lyons wore a smile throughout the meeting and, at the conclusion, thanked the senate for a successful semester. He also spoke about his time in office.
“I’ve learned so much [as president] about Student Government, about the university, about how to work with people and get things done,” Lyons said. “I think I’ve done an OK job as president, but I also think I’ve learned so much from having the position, it’s going to be interesting moving on.”
He expressed his confidence in the President-elect at the time Owen McCarthy, noting that he had to be “flexible” and be able to “roll with the punches.” McCarthy and Vice President-elect Ross Wolland were inaugurated on Wednesday night.
At the meeting, Mehdizadegan was confirmed as vice president of Student Entertainment (VPSE) and Samantha Shulman was approved as vice president of Student Organizations. Justin Labonte was approved as vice president of financial affairs, a position he held during the previous administration. Mehdizadegan was the assistant VPSE and took over on an interim basis after Andrew Gerke’s resignation. He spoke about his plans for the upcoming semester.
“I tentatively want to bring three large-scale events that, based on the survey we conducted, would appease the majority of students,” Mehdizadegan said. He said getting a comedy act was “very high” on his list of priorities.
Shulman was also an assistant, and became interim VPSO when Matthew Bennett resigned in October. She had been assistant VPSO since January 2008. She explained that she would work with the new executives, including Labonte to better organize the active clubs.
“There will be an all-club meeting where all club presidents and treasurers meet with me and [Labonte] to talk about how to keep updated with Student Government . also how to request funding,” Shulman said.
Along with Lyons’ resolution, four financial resolutions passed through senate. The senate allocated $2,800 as compensation for holiday bonuses for full-time Student Government employees, $1,020.50 to the Mock Trial club and $4,910 to the International Students Association for its dance festival and weekly coffee hour. Labonte also noted in his report that $200 was allocated to the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and $964 was allocated to the Athletic Training Student Organization. He stated that $540.46 was transferred from the Professional Classes fund to Legal and Accounting to cover the 2007-08 audit fee and that $871.06 was returned unallocated.
At the end of the meeting, the senate elected Sen. Zachary Jackman over Sen. Nate Wildes to the Executive Budgetary Committee.
