New Senators and Officer Appointments
New senators Mitchell Domagala, Ashley Sarra and Angel Loredo attended their first meeting this week and will be sworn in the following week.
Club Maintenance
The Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) for Women was granted preliminary recognition for their new UMaine chapter. The ACM was founded specifically for women studying computer science and engineering, but membership is open to both genders. A number of ACM scholarships are currently written meant for those who identify as women, so they admit there is a need to expand the criteria. They plan to connect with other pre-established women’s chapters at UMaine and help with events.
The Fiber Arts Club came seeking final recognition this week. The social club focuses on teaching knitting and crocheting, hold ‘Crochet-a-thons’, host the Winter Arts Festival and crochet blankets for domestic violence support organizations. Final recognition was granted.
Executive Reports
Vice President Jared Dumas spoke with the Director of Parking Services to voice the students’ parking concerns. Plans are in the works to add parking assistance to the Campus Sidekick app, in addition to the 581-INFO line already in place. He also gave a quick reminder to “wash your hands and all that good stuff” with cold and flu season quickly approaching.
Vice President for Student Organizations Jacob Johnson mentioned denying requests made by the Inter Fraternity Council’s Alpha Delta and UMaine Geology Club. Official talks have also begun about getting a new public ice rink, hopefully this winter or in the near future.
Vice President for Student Entertainment Isaiah Mansour was proud to announce the success of the tailgate at the last home football game, having personally handed out slices of 100 pizza and not a slice was left.
Periodic Reports
Legal Services is still working on incorporating the automated online insurance forms. New senators will be having one-on-one social meetings for legal training, essentially covering what can and cannot be done now that they represent the student government.
Graduate Student Representative Mary-Celeste Floreani described the new proposal for classes to be cancelled on the date of the UMaine Graduate and Undergraduate Research Symposium, citing classes as the reason for low attendance in previous years.
The next meeting of the Old Town City Council will be held on October 3.
Director of Communications Cody Rubner began promoting the open Board of Trustees position and is in the process of drafting a media request form for student organizations. His push for new senators continues.
Representative Board Reports
The Panhellenic Council is welcoming a new sorority chapter, Tri Delta, this spring.
Community Association Reports
The Student Heritage Alliance Council is in the beginning stages of planning for Culturefest 2016, currently scheduled for November 5.
The Student Women’s Association is fleshing out their schedule for Coming Out Week, from October 11-14.
Unfinished Business
The motioned to allocate $2,970 to the Equestrian Club for hotels, class fees and bus fare passed.
The application for the Board of Trustees position is out and available.
Floreani and Laredo were nominated for the position of Policy and Procedure Committee Representative. Elections are next week.
Nominations for Sergeant at Arms have been tabled yet again.
New Business
$2,011 was allocated to the Fast Pitch Softball team. This NCAA women’s team was rebuilt after being inactive for four years. The funding will cover travel for their two away games this season. The team originally requested $2,361, which included van rentals. An amendment was requested to reconsider vans instead of having to take personal cars. The act was amended to include van rental as a line item and passed.
The International Student Association requested $2,240 for Culturefest 2016. The motion passed.
UMaine REACH was granted $3,000 to fund their upcoming Spring Break trip to help families in unfortunate environments. This funding will go towards program fees, travel costs, security, supplies, etc. The group originally asked for $9,000, but the Executive Budgetary Committee (EBC) cut the number down due to frequent drop offs in the past.
Tennis Club requested $2,400 to cover fees for the use of the Hampden indoor court and Harvard Tournament fees. The EBC denied the request for new equipment among the line items, including balls, ball hoppers, racket strings. The motion passed.
President Kevin Bois spoke regarding an act to modify the standing rules of UMSG, Inc., by striking Letter (g) from section 2, which read: “The next session of the General Student Senate shall begin on the first Tuesday of the Spring semester of the University of Maine, baring that Tuesday is the first day classes are in session of the semester.” The act was amended to strike everything past “baring,” so the first meeting of the spring semester will be held on the first day class is in session and passed.
Senators Bohrer, Laredo, Sarra and Domagala were all nominated for the EBC Position. Elections will be held next week.
Allocations
$750 was allocated to Students for the Exploration and Dev. Of Space for Space Vision to cover their program fee.
$200 was allocated to the Tennis Club for their office budget.
$150 was allocated to the South Asian Association of Maine for their office budget.
$40 was allocated to the Athletic Training Student Organization for their office budget.
$200 was allocated to Engineers Without Borders for their office budget.
President Kevin Bois, realizing that he did not give his executive report due to being late, discussed the student surveys regarding further use of the Wade Center. The Cabinet may have an official proposal for the Disc Golf course expansion, estimating the construction at $6,000. He briefly mentioned plans to create a new senator position for future GSS meetings, the Senate of Undergraduate Research Liaison. He was also approached by a senator regarding the success of the Debate Watch event at Memorial Union last Monday and is looking to have the GSS hold similar events, hoping to show that “There’s more to this group than making transactions with other organizations.”
The senate moved to a private executive-only session. Non-executives left the room around 7:35 p.m. and were welcomed back in at 7:58.
