With no outside members addressing the Senate this week, the Student Government took roll call, approved meeting minutes and started with club maintenance.
Club Maintenance
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics received preliminary club recognition.
The Maine Power Builders received preliminary club recognition.
Club Presentations
The African Student Association thanked the General Student Senate (GSS) for helping to fund their trip to the African Development Conference at Harvard University. The event ran from March 4 to March 6 with 26 students attending.
The Cheerleading Club thanked the GSS for funding their trip to the Collegiate Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida. At the end of the competition, they earned the national title in their division.
The Dressage Club thanked the GSS for helping fund their spring show in Newburg, Maine.
REACH thanked the GSS for helping in fund their trip to Ecuador over spring break. The group of 20 students plus an advisor worked with kindergarten through sixth-grade children renovating a playground, gathering clothes and teaching English and math.
The Women’s Soccer club thanked the GSS for funding their equipment and traveling needs during their away games this semester.
Periodic Reports
Connor Scott presented on the recent board of trustees meeting held at the University of Maine at Farmington on March 13 and 14. He reported that along with the University of Maine System (UMS) campuses integrating, MaineStreet will also be redesigned. Overall, enrollment in the UMS system is increasing. As of March 16, there were over 14,000 applicants in the system. Students not accepted by this time have the option of being waitlisted for the Orono campus or being able to enroll in another campus and later transfer to Orono.
Although the overall enrollment in the UMS system is increasing, the University of Maine at Machias (UMM) as an individual is facing a decrease in enrollment. Due to this, UMaine and UMM will soon be entering in a primary partnership to attract more students and improve overall finances. In other news, 15 faculty members on the Orono campus recently received tenure. Additionally, Scott reported that for the fourth year in a row, Maine has the oldest average age in the country.
Senator Adam Shaw returned with information from the recent Orono Town Council Liaison meeting. He reported that the Woodmen’s Bar and Grill as well as the Bear Brew Pub were unanimously approved to renew their liquor licenses. A lunch wagon license was awarded to The Family Dog Restaurant — the owner said that it will be available for events in Orono starting soon.
Additionally, an order was approved to fund four new special police details targeting seatbelt use in the Orono area. Along with this, the Bulletproof Vest Partnership is giving money to the Orono Town Council to purchase four new bulletproof police vests. Finally, the city of Orono has adopted a new contract for their waste management system — waste will now be delivered to a new facility currently under development called “Fiberight, LLC” in Hampden, Maine. The new facility will process solid waste into industrial sugars and biofuels. Typically, about 80 percent of waste is able to be refined, and the other 20 percent is sent to local landfills.
Allocations
$300 was allocated to the Maine Peace Action Committee for their movie night.
$141 was given to Student Women’s Association for the Beautiful Project.
$800 was given to the Maine Steiners for their summer tour.
$250 was given to Mock Trial for their murder mystery.
$100 was given to South Asian Association of Maine for the Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan New Year.
