The University of Maine Student Government (UMSG) met for their weekly meeting on Oct. 8 in the Bangor Room of the Memorial Union. The meeting was conducted by UMSG President Keegan Tripp and Vice President Memphis Peterson.
Club Maintenance:
Men’s Club Basketball (MCB) sought preliminary recognition. This club will meet twice a week and their location is to be determined. Plans for advertising include an Instagram page and posted flyers around campus. League fees are expected to be $1000 annually. This will be a tryout-based league, depending on how competitive the numbers are. The vote to grant the club preliminary recognition passed unanimously.
The president of the Maine Society of Microbiology (MSM) also sought preliminary recognition from UMSG. Some events the club offers for its members are “paint with E. coli night” and tours of local labs. They are also planning a “pathogen clue night.” Roughly ten people currently attend the meetings, but the club is looking to expand.
Guest Speaker:
UMaine General Manager of Sodexo Matthew Legault, spoke as the guest speaker at the UMSG meeting. He was accompanied by Executive Director of Auxiliary Enterprises Richard Young. Legault and Young started their speech singing the praises of UMaine’s dining experience with Sodexo. They noted the growing number of Kiwibots and Hilltop Dining renovations. These renovations will include a “you-cook” station and a Simply Zone, which will supply hot and cold food for individuals with different food allergens that are not currently represented on the dining hall menu.
Some concerns brought up by UMSG members included the price hike in food at the Bear’s Den and the portion size. Legault addressed these concerns by noting, “The goal is not to skimp, but to be consistent.” It was also noted that the goal is to keep the prices of campus dining in line with outside competitors such as Aroma Joes, Dunkin Donuts and Pat’s Pizza.
Legault and Young ended their discussion with UMSG by encouraging them and the whole student body to fill out the surveys using the QR codes at the dining halls and to reach out via email with any additional concerns.
Matthew Legault: matthew.legault@sodexo.com
Richard Young: ryoung@maine.edu
Executive Reports:
Tripp provided a brief report at the meeting. He touched on conversations he had this past week concerning funding for the upcoming Lewiston vigil, and the conversation he had about parking with Young.
Peterson spoke about scheduling meetings after fall break with UMSG senators to make sure everyone is fulfilling their requirements for their position and that they have the resources they need to do so.
“Anti-hazing is a non-partisan and non-profit program, but if anyone is interested in this issue contact me,” said Peterson.
New Business
An act to allocate funds for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AICHE) was brought to the attention of UMSG. The funds requested are to go towards the AICHE 2024 National Conference fees. This conference offers many networking and job opportunities for chemical engineer majors at UMaine. With a clear majority, the request for funding passed.
Model UN / INT affairs association requested funding for the University of Pennsylvania Model UN Conference. This conference helps develop club members’ speech and writing ability while discussing foreign affairs. After a lengthy debate amongst UMSG members, the request passed for $1,120 in funding.
UMSG meetings are held every Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the Bangor Room of the Memorial Union for those who wish to attend. The meetings are also recorded and posted here for viewing.
