Session of August 27, 2020
Minutes Recorded by: McKenzie Craycraft, Secretary
Visitors: Jonathan Edwards, Nathan Moyes, Kylee Anson, Nate Bright, Dean Conn
Call to Order at 11:02 AM
Senator Avent prays
Roll Called
Approval of Minutes
Minutes approved at 11:04 AM
Officer Reports
None
Committee Reports
Senator Gowing: For constitution, we have been collaborating on changes to the voting district. We will discuss this in new business soon.
Senator Dittman: For elections, senators have to go through their RA and be approved by the floor and then the RA can message me, and they can get sworn in. We need people to vote you in.
Senator Anderson: FAC committee, we have updated the email list for the FAC committee, it appears that our tests didn’t work so I will follow up with it and Hannah Eisen to get the club lists.
Motion to add Senator Lockridge to the roll
Approved
Senator McClain: Unofficially for the student life committee, there will be ice cream tomorrow.
Senator Lockridge: Time for ice cream?
Senator McClain: To be determined.
Special Business
None
Old Business
None
New Business
Senator Gowing: Motion to bring the Voting Districts bill to the floor
Approved
VP Murphy: Any discussion on this amendment?
PPT LaQuey:The rationale behind this is we had an issue having more than one senator per floor. We can have 2 unless you have 50 people than there can be 3 senators. This allows commuters to be a voting district. This gives us an even number of 10 senators.
Senator Gowing: To add to what LaQuey said this prevents issues with fluctuation on floors. We won’t fall victim to this issue again.
Senator LaQuey: I move to call the question
Approved
VP Murphy: All in favor of approving this amendment
Amendment approved
VP Murphy: This has a 10-day ratification, but it has initially been approved.
Senator Gowing: Motion to bring AO Nuclear Arms Deal of Fall 2020 bill to the floor
Approved
Senator Avent: Why is it $101 to purchase a used microwave?
Senator Gowing: This is a powerful microwave; AO is selling it to us at half the value.
Senator Gonzalez: Before this passes through, 41 has a microwave, that we do not need anymore.
Senator Gowing: From what I understand we might need both.
Dean Steve: Is there an inventory of the replaced microwaves? Student life purchases microwaves for people in isolation. We could use the left-over ones for the students in isolation
Motion to add Senator Willis to the role
Approved
Senator McClain: All of the safe for use microwaves have been sold. All the good ones are gone, and the rest have been thrown away.
Senator Gowing: Motion to bring this bill to a vote
PPT LaQuey: Call for a division of the house
One vote in favor, remaining against
VP Murphy: The bill is not coming to vote. Is there more discussion on this bill?
Senator McClain: Would it be beneficial to find out how many microwaves we need?
VP Murphy: Can anyone speak to how many microwaves Penn Hall needs?
Senator Gonzalez: Other floors could donate their microwaves temporarily and next week we can replace the donated microwaves.
PPT LaQuey: As I am understanding, last year we replaced microwaves, they were each $99. The question we have is, do we need to by a microwave or can we get a free one from 41?
Senator Gowing: In response to that, I would like to say I don’t know how many microwaves we might need, depending on how many people in isolation need microwaves.
Senator Lockridge: One thing we could do is buy microwaves as the need arises. We need one at least in Penn Hall. We do not know if we will need more for the other floors of Penn Hall.
Senator Avent: Motion to move to student life committee.
Approved
Senator McClain: Motion to table this discussion to a later date.
Approved.
PPT LaQuey: Motion to table the bill
Approved
PPT LaQuey: The proper phrase is table indefinitely
Senator Avent: Motion to table indefinitely
Approved
Senator Anderson: Motion to call for a division of the house.
Eight in favor of tabling indefinitely, one in favor of not tabling indefinitely
Senator Willis: Motion to bring Ice Cream Socially Distanced Funding bill to the floor
Approved
Motion to bring to vote
Approved
Bill passes
Announcements
Senator Willis: Student life committee, this Friday’s ice cream social will be brought to each dorm and we will invite them to come out and get ice cream
VP Murphy:McClain have you spoken to Bon Appetit about hours
Senator McClain: I have spoken to them, their hours our set by LeTourneau, they cannot do anything about changing their times, they are also willing to come whenever we would like them to come.
VP Murphy: Dean Steve, how much adjusting is available with these new COVID rules?
Dean Conn: I think these were adjusted because of COVID. I do not know about this. I would not be optimistic about the ability to get more from them. I think we were fortunate that we already didn’t have to pay more. From what I understood because of the costs of everything they are having to do we are lucky to not pay more. My question is to what are the details on this issue?
Senator Gonzalez: With the schedule I have, I can go to breakfast, being at this meeting I cannot go to lunch. I have senate and class. I am sure I am not the only one who has schedule conflicts.
Senator Gowing: I have the same issue. The fact that the Hive is closed has made Saga take a lot longer time.
Senator Willis: Point of information, we are in the announcement phase.
Open Forum
Senator Anderson: I do know at least one athlete who cannot get food.
Senator Lockridge: Maybe we could shift the hours to better serve people.
Senator Dittman: I have noticed a lot of people cannot make it to lunches because of short hours, the Hive is making people use flex to get lunch. People cannot use up their meal swipes. People are not getting good nutrition. Everyone goes to dinner between 5:15-6:00, there are hardly enough seats. If you have a lab or something at 6 you have a small amount of time to get food and the lines are very long. The Hive closes early and there is no food to get there. As students, we didn’t see the factors that tuition didn’t get raised.
Dean Conn: I don’t like cooking as an answer.
Senator McClain: I have the Buzz app open to the Saga mobile ordering site, there are general things you can get, it says food specials, but it does specify what the actual things are.
Senator Gowing: I believe most of this issue stems from the Hive being closed. Now you have massive lines. These are a health risk. I think closing the Hive is causing harm.
Dean Conn: I know this was a discussion, Bon Appetit has decided the Hive was a less safe decision. It wasn’t just a money thing. We will just have to make the café work. I will say the reports about people not able to get lunch are something I am interested in learning more about.
VP Murphy: I will make it a point to speak with Bon Appetit today and get them here soon.
Senator Lockridge: 1st I cannot get lunch three days a week. I eat fruit for lunch. I just grab as much food as I can at breakfast.
Senator Avent: I also have a situation with classes over lunch and I have been in isolation. The mobile ordering is very bad for food allergies. I can only get one piece of chicken through the app. I know I can eat other stuff in the café but the app does not show these options. Point of information cooking is a good thing. I think we should focus on improving mobile order.
PPT LaQuey: In the interests of moving forward we should contact Bon Appetit, work with the athletes, and move the issue to student life committee.
VP Murphy: Let’s think about categorizing
Dean Conn: Specifically, for aviation they can get food, but we need communicate it better. Last I spoke with a student they are having an issue. Aviation students are missing a link.
Citizen Nate: Are the minutes posted before the meeting?
PPT LaQuey: Generally, yes, they are posted
Citizen Nate: Are voting records kept? Like who voted for what?
PPT LaQuey: We have had certain bills we have done vote by roll call. We had some large amendments and they were voted by roll call.
Senator Anderson: If you would like to access the minutes you can go to letustudgov.org and go to recent minutes.
VP Murphy: Everyone has access to this information.
Senator Gowing motions to adjourn.
Senator Dittman seconds.
Meeting Adjourned at 11:52 AM