On Jan. 28, the University of Maine Student Government (UMSG) held its second meeting of the semester.
General Good and Welfare
The meeting began with a rare invocation of the General Good and Welfare clause, which allows any community member to speak in front of the Senate for a five minute period. Former senator Meredyth Waters spoke on the issue of the Student Activity Fee (SAF) and a potential raise that has been proposed by President Keegan Tripp. While Tripp has presented a number of scenarios (including an $11 raise and a $22 raise, endorsing the latter), Waters strongly supported a more modest increase that would see the fee increased while still lessening the potential burden on students who are already paying a great deal in other costs, such as meal plans and tuition raises.
Senator Inaugurations
Four senators—Hazel Sparks, Zachary Szelog, Samuel Brown, and Ryan St. Lawrence—were inaugurated by Vice President Memphis Peterson. According to Vice President of Student Leadership Elizabeth Oldfield, no available seats remain from the roster allotted to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). Any CLAS student hoping to join UMSG would have to be nominated as an at-large senator.
Executive and Periodic Reports
Tripp met with UMaine Cheer to move towards a resolution of the financial roadblocks faced by Cheer that have prevented them from attending national competitions. Tripp also announced that the first town hall-style meeting will be held with the Dean on Feb. 5 in the Bangor Room. Donuts will be provided.
Tripp was invited by UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy to join the SRE Academic Portfolio Implementation Group for recommendations on campus policy and development. Currently, many of Tripp’s efforts are focused on working towards finalizing a proposed plebiscite question on the debated raises to the SAF. According to the president, a tentative request for a raise must be submitted by the Feb. 18 meeting of UMSG.
Peterson and Senator Casper Cowan also shared that they will meet with John Bear Mitchell, the Wabanaki Center outreach and student development coordinator at UMaine, on crafting a land acknowledgment unique to UMSG. Peterson will also be scheduling meetings with newly-elected committee chairs and board representatives upon the conclusion of the internal election process to share expectations and discuss the purview of their roles.
Vice President of Financial Affairs Oliver Bois reported that the remaining unallocated funding, which can be disbursed to clubs and organizations upon approval by the Senate, stood at $56,203.23.
Vice President of Student Entertainment Dillon Leeman reported that roughly 1,700 tickets remain as part of UMSG’s collaboration with Black Bear Cinemas. Currently, there are no plans to extend the program once ticket supplies are exhausted. Otherwise, Leeman expressed confidence that the name of the UMSG Spring Concert artist will soon be released.
Plans to develop a small band festival sponsored by UMSG have also been progressing. Finally, the Student Entertainment office has processed an order for 500 “Beat UNH” shirts that will be distributed to students in line at the Alfond Arena on Feb. 14, when UMaine men’s hockey competes against the University of New Hampshire Wildcats in the Border Battle.
Vice President of Student Organizations Amanda Levesque once again stated her intention to meet with clubs that are seeking recognition and continues to look forward to scheduling club visits with President Tripp.
Fair Election Practices Committee Commissioner Zoe Stankevitz finalized details on the presidential and vice presidential election timelines, notably the pre-election debate and the inauguration ceremony. The nomination process has been announced by UMSG’s public channels, and Stankevitz is hoping to engage the student body through a public submission contest to create an “I Voted” sticker for the UMSG presidential race.
Applications are due Feb. 7, with 200 signatures required for inclusion on the final ballot.
Representative Board Reports
The Greek Life representatives reported that this is the final week of the spring rush period and that all executives of Greek Life organizations will be meeting on Jan. 29. After the conclusion of this meeting, Greek Life will hold a broader joint meeting to discuss their goals for the upcoming semester.
Representative Zachary Wentworth of the Senior Class Council (SCC) announced the Class of 2025 Winter Gala, to be held in Buchanan Alumni Hall on Feb. 7. He reiterated that more precise details can be found on the SCC’s Instagram page.
Wilde Stein Representative Kass Belaya announced that virtual auditions for the annual drag show will be held from Feb. 17 to Feb. 28. In-person auditions will also be held within that timeframe, pending the identification of a suitable location.
Representative Kaidar Donenbayev reported that the International Student Association held a productive first meeting on Jan. 27, and has many more events planned, including more coffee hour programs and the International Dance Festival.
Senator Nomination and Election Process
This meeting saw the completion of the nomination and election process. Each committee chief role being considered for election saw a second round of nominations to allow new senators (or those who previously did not run for the position) a chance to submit themselves for consideration. Upon the conclusion of the nomination period, each candidate gave a speech explaining their hopes for the role should they be chosen. The senators then proceeded to vote on a secret ballot.
The complete list of elected committee officers of UMSG is as follows:
- Faculty Senate Student Representative: Senator Ezekiel Delorme
- Legal Representative: Senator Maggy Johnson
- Graduate Student Government Liason: Senator Casper Cowan
- Orono Town Council Liaison: Senator Darrin Martone
- Old Town City Council Liaison: Senator Darrin Martone
- Representative to Military and Veteran Affairs: Senator Cynthia Shelmerdine
- University of Maine Security Representative: Senator Cynthia Shelmerdine
- Center for Undergraduate Research Liaison: Senator Josh Bohm
- Membership: Senator Kayla Kearns
- Policy and Procedure: Senator Nate Feng
- Political Activism: Senator Jeremy Collamore
- Services Committee: Senator Cynthia Shelmerdine
- Academic Affairs: Senator Jordan Thompson
- Student Mental Health Committee: Senator Casper Cowan
- Undergraduate Student Symposium Committee: Senator Matt Webber
- Food and Dining Affairs Committee: Senator Ryan St. Lawrence
- President Pro-Tempore: Senator Kyle Ricker
- Sergeant at Arms: Senator Taylor Stanford
- Student Organizations Committee: Senator Callum Velat, Senator Nate Feng, Senator Jordan Thompson, Senator Hazel Sparks
- Executive Budget Committee: Senator Beau Michaud, Senator Josh Bohm, Senator Casper Cowan, Senator Matt Webber
- Student Entertainment Committee: Senator Juliana Jolin
New Business
After the completion of the internal election process, Vice President Bois gave a five minute address on the ongoing financial timeline that outlined dates relevant to UMSG members and community stakeholders.
Tripp followed with a ten-minute discussion on raising the SAF. He sought to defend the recommendations he described in his publicly available SAF report, pointing out that Cheer may soon require an $8,000 check to attend a national competition, and that spring concerts put on by UMSG have seen flagging attendance in recent years due to a lack of appealing talent. Tripp stated that UMSG has an obligation to provide student events for free, as enshrined within its constitution, but that this is difficult without further financial support.
Senator Kyle Ricker then initiated public dialogue, backing the full increase proposed by Tripp for its use in funding club trips and activities. Some senators, however, expressed reservations about the proposal. Senator Beau Michaud questioned how Tripp would defend his plan to the public after the last increase had been passed a mere two years prior. Generally, senators seem broadly favorable towards sending the full increase to a vote.
While the discussion period was truncated by a time limit set by the president, it will likely remain a contested point of debate over the next few meetings.
The next meeting of UMSG will be held on Feb. 4 at 6 p.m. in the Bangor Room of the Memorial Union. All meetings are also recorded and posted here.