New senators, officer appointments and resignations
The Student Senate meeting on Jan. 29 began with the swearing in of six new student senators: Stanley Prophete, Remus Anderson, Tia’liyah Pollard, Courtney Hatton, Zachary LaBonne, Tiffany Curro, Shane Blodgett and Jacob Palmieri.
Guest speakers
Lauri Sidelko, the Student Life advisor to Student Government, commented on the recent death of undergraduate student Dylan Cooper. Cooper, 24, was a third-year electrical engineering major and a member of the Alpha Delta fraternity at the University of Maine. Sidelko mentioned that his memorial services would be held on Saturday, Feb. 2, in Lincoln, Maine, and that an on-campus memorial service for Cooper would be held on Monday, Feb. 4, from 4-6 p.m. in the Buchanan Alumni House.
Executive reports
President Logan Armando began his report by acknowledging his absence from the cabinet the previous week due to involvement with the Student Alumni Association. Armando reported that the Student Government Leadership Awards had been decided and would be awarded sometime this semester. He added that the timeline for executive elections had been finalized and copies of it should be ready by the next GGS meeting, and that he would soon be meeting with a student member of the UMaine Board of Trustees. Armando concluded by touching on the forthcoming Student Government Conference Meeting, scheduled for April 13-14, at the University of Maine in Presque Isle. He encouraged his fellow senators to attend and expressed his desire to speak with those interested.
Vice President Bentley Simpson started his report by reminding the senators that the day’s meeting would include round two of committee chairship nominations, and would be immediately followed by elections. He specified that the senators who had been sworn in earlier in the meeting were able to be nominated. All the senators nominated for a position, he said, were allowed to give a one minute speech to express why they would be best for the position. Simpson mentioned that there would be an upcoming Spring Senate Retreat and concluded his remarks by stating that he and Armando were still scheduling a future meeting with Dean of Students and Vice President of Student Life Robert Dana.
Vice President for Student Entertainment Corey Claflin reported that planning for the spring concert was still ongoing.
Vice President for Student Organizations Taylor Cray told the Senate that the Student Organizations Fair, which had been held the previous Friday, had been successful. She added that “Club of the Week” awards would be starting Monday. Feb. 4, and that, if possible, she would like to introduce a nomination form for the award.
New business
The UMaine American Marketing Association requested $1,250 in order to cover the expenses of traveling to a collegiate conference in New Orleans. The motion to allocate funds passed by a clear majority.
UMaine’s 3D Printing Club requested $4,230 for the purchase of two 3D printers which passed by a clear majority.
The Flying Club requested $2,000 toward the purchase and installation of a transponder required by the Federal Aviation Administration. The motion passed by a clear majority.
Finally, the Student Senate voted to allocate itself funds totalling $5,000 for payment to taxation attorney Dan Pittman. Armando stated that Student Government will need the attorney to review its tax returns to make sure they are in compliance with Internal Revenue Service regulations. The motion passed by a clear majority.
Elections
The rest of the meeting was spent dealing with elections for various committees and chair positions. Senators are, according to Simpson, required to serve on one or two committees during their term. The elections were successfully completed in slightly over an hour.
