New Senators and Officer Appointments
New senator observations include Bethelham Abay, Lauren Genenbacher, Marissa Sewell and Alex Casburn, whose application has not yet been submitted.
Club Maintenance
The Coral Club, a group dedicated to growing, raising and propagating corals, came seeking preliminary recognition this week. The club had 67 members signed up at the time of the meeting, and have a UMaine Professor of Aquaculture, Dr. Ian Bricknell, as one of their supervisors. Recognition was granted.
The Ewe Maine Icelandics Club originally started as a research project in September 2014 to study sheep parasites, and is now a student-run organization teaching veterinary care and sheep agricultural practices, also came seeking preliminary recognition, despite having already received it Feb. 2, 2016. According to senate executives, their form had not been fully updated last semester. The motion was amended to grant the group final recognition and passed.
Executive Reports
President Mary Celeste-Floreani moved $49.27 to Commuters and Non-Traditional Students due to an over-purchasing issue.
Vice President Logan Aromando discussed retreat plans and carpooling duties.
Vice President for Financial Affairs Song Ping ‘Ryan’ Wong reported $365,063.87 in unallocated funds this week.
Vice President for Student Organizations Jacob Wood has been making his rounds at club meetings. He has sent notices to organizations on the active list to have up-to-date information.
Vice President for Student Entertainment Jared Dumas met with talent agents and representatives from Waterfront Concerts. Maine Day concert planning has begun.
Periodic Reports
Student Legal Services Liaison Maria Maffucci met with Sean O’Mara this week, who has been working with Vice President Wong over protection documents, and has met four of the new senators. O’Mara has a high number of clients this week, and a court case Wednesday.
Army ROTC Representative James O’Neill introduced his successor for future senate meetings, Leeanna Cmar. The number of cadets has increased to 85, and projected numbers for next year in the 90s. Their focus is on a mandatory fall training exercise in Bog Brook, a dining event and an awards ceremony to kick off the new semester.
Representative Board Reports
Interfraternity Council (IFC) had a big weekend planned with three philanthropic events: the Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) annual Humvee push, the Alpha Sigma Phi Phoenix Fest and the Alpha Gamma Rho Paint Wars. Next week they will hold an All-Greek Meeting, as well as Hazing Prevention Week.
Community Association Reports
Wilde Stein has submitted a proposal to gender neutralize the language in their bylaws, to better keep with the organization’s purpose.
Student Heritage Alliance Council held their second meeting this week. The Salvation Association had a barbecue on Sept. 16. Plans for Multicultural Thanksgiving and the South Asian Association’s Color Fest are in the works. The Italian Student Union will host a pasta making workshop, and the Asian Student Association have plans for an apple picking outing.
Student Women’s Association is preparing for their annual Take Back the Night in October. They will also have their production of Out of Silence, a series of vignettes about abortion in the same vein as the Vagina Monologues, on November 11.
New Business
The Dressage Club requested $1,527 for arena rental, judge fees, horse rental, entry fees and van rental for their fall season. The motion was passed.
The Women’s Fast Pitch Softball team requested $3,115 for hotels, rental van, rental van insurance and league fees for both the fall and spring semesters. The team had previously been given $885 for their game against Northeastern last weekend, and this resolution would cover the rest of their season. The motion was passed.
The Field Hockey club originally requested $6,075 for travel, goalie equipment, matching jerseys and NFHL dues for the fall and spring seasons, but the newly implemented tier system had created miscommunication about allocations and their connection to fundraising, cutting the funding for jerseys and equipment, leaving $4,025 in the resolution. The motion to amend the resolution to $6,075 passed.
The Equestrian team requested $4,000 for hotels and van rentals for their fall season. The motion passed.
The Men’s Rugby team requested $8,000 for lodging, van rental and entry fees for the fall and spring season. The line items were amended to include a weightlifting program for its members. The motion passed.
IFC/Beta Theta Pi requested $200 to cover food for their annual Kan Jam. The motion passed.
A UMaine student requested $50, the maximum that can be allocated to an individual, as a sponsorship to represent the university in the Miss Maine USA pageant. Executives were concerned that it would set an unwanted precedent, and rather than pass the motion, suggested a possible donation of $50 from executive funds.
The Women’s Soccer club requested $760 from the $2,000 already prepared to be allocated to their team in advance to cover van rentals, field fees and referees for the Round Robin Tournament in Bath, Maine. The motion passed.
Unfinished Business
Senator Trevor Lessard was elected Graduate Student Senate representative.
Special Orders and Announcements
The specifics of the tier system will be discussed for new senators in the next meeting.
