The General Student Senate of the University of Maine Student Government, Inc. (UMSG) held its eighth meeting of the semester on Oct. 28, led by President Keegan Tripp and chaired by Vice President Cynthia Shelmerdine. In this meeting, senators (many of whom had donned Halloween costumes as part of an annual tradition within the body) voted to update the language of internal documents and approved funding requests from student organizations.
Appointments and Resignations
Two senators, Payton Warren and Dennis Stewart, resigned.
Club Maintenance
The Photography and Visual Media Club (PVMC), which hopes to provide a “safe and inclusive” space for students to practice their skills in digital photography, video and other digital media realms, was approved for preliminary recognition.
The Riichi Mahjong Club, a club founded with the intention to promote and facilitate the play of what club leaders described as a “fast-growing” Japanese variant of mahjong, was also approved.
Executive Reports
Vice President Joshua Bohm reported that the remaining unallocated portion of the annual budget stood at $175,532.42.
Vice President of Student Leadership Nate Feng announced that elections to UMSG had begun in accordance with a new timeline passed earlier in the semester.
Advisor to Student Government Lauri Sidelko reminded students to vote at the Collins Center for the Arts on Tuesday, Nov. 4, and to re-register at the polling station if they had moved residences since whenever they had last voted.
New Business
Senators considered two funding resolutions at this meeting. As with the Men’s Club Ice Hockey team the previous week, the Women’s Club Ice Hockey team was approved to receive the remainder of their tier funding, which amounted to $2,313.09. The International Affairs Association requested $3,409 for travel to an upcoming trip to Boston for a Model United Nations conference, which was approved by the Senate.
Three vacant positions were considered for nomination by senators: the Old Town City Council Liaison, Student Legal Services Liaison and the Representative of Military and Veteran Student Affairs. In accordance with usual nomination policies, senators receive two weeks to nominate members to these roles, with all three seats being filled at the succeeding meeting.
An internal resolution brought to update the retirement plans for UMSG employees was easily passed. Two minor procedural resolutions formulated in order to remove the now-defunct Political Activism Committee and Marketing and Public Relations Committee from the Standing Rules of UMSG were also passed without debate.
