Session of September 2ND, 2021

September 2nd, 2021

Minutes Recorded by: Gabriel Willis, Imposter Secretary

Visitors: Stephan Foster, Brooke Madsen, Francis Ko, Caleb Livingston, Garrett Willsea

Call to Order at 11:01 AM

Moment of Silence for Haven Slocum

Senator Moyes opens in prayer

Roll Called

Approval of the Minutes

Minutes Approved

Officer Reports

PPT Moyes: Good morning everyone. We have no sergeant at arms today, and our secretary is in isolation. That is why Chairman Willis is taking the minutes. IT will be this way until approximately the week after next. Glad to have everyone here, thank you for visiting.

Committee Reports

Chairman Allen: Club funding budgets are due on this Saturday. Make sure clubs send them to the FAC committee.

Chairman Crowder: We are adding some new variations on Ice Cream. We will be switching off between two flavors and vanilla/drumsticks. As for the library situation, we have still not gotten word back on that.

Chairman Willis: I have found out how to request that messages be put on the TV.

Senator Edwards: We are working on fliers as well as chapel and communicator announcements for senate.

Special Business

VP Avent: We have new senators to swear in.

Senators Hoekstra, Vincy, and Fuentes are sworn in.

PPT Moyes: Fuentes will be in GoPro, Vincy will be on Student Life, and Hoekstra will be on Student Life.

Old Business

Senator Rubingh: Requesting an update on the status of the letter delivery.

VP Avent: Dr. Mason has confirmed he will meet with me and the scheduling is in process.

Chairman Willis: When will we get our senate polos man?!

(Paraphrase since I had to speak and couldn't type at the same time)

VP Avent: I am working on ordering them now and finding out the specifics. I don't know what happened to last year's.

New Business

Chairman Crowder: I motion to bring a bill to the floor.

Bill brought to the floor: Student Sustenance Act of Fall 2021

PPT Moyes: I motion to friendly amend the amount specified in the bill to fix the typo.

Senator Rubingh: I motion to add Senator Hofer to the floor

Senator Rubingh: I motion to add Senator Hofer to the roll

Senator Hofer is added to the roll

Chairman Allen: Is that the written number or stated number?

Chairman Crowder: We will be adjusting it to the $1,500 and not the $1,750.

Chairman Allen: So we are indeed doing this bi-weekly and not weekly?

Chairman Crowder: I chose to do this bi-weekly and see how well it is received. We will see if they want more.

Senator Bright: With the changes now, I move to bring this bill to a vote.

Bill is approved

Chairman Willis: I motion to bring a bill to the floor

PPT Moyes: So, what are the details on working with the Solheim staff on actually replacing the old bag and dealing with the old bag. Where does that fall within the rules.

Chairman Willis: Another staff member

Chairman Allen: Do we have a cost breakdown of what the bag costs and what the equipment costs

Chairman Willis: A pretty decent punching bag especially with recommendations is only 100-125 dollars, the stand is fine, chains might need replacing, but the main thing that needs to be replaced is the punching bag, which has seen 1 too many fists

Senator Eaton: Can we get a cost breakdown before passing the bill

Chairman Willis: No.

Senator Bright: A cost breakdown will delay the process.

Senator Rubingh: At what time last night was the bill made and was it submitted before the deadline.

Chairman Willis: That info is irrelevant

Senator Hofer: This bill has support and can help students directly. We don't want to be slow and useless. This will be direct and helpful for students.

Senator Hofer: I motion to amend the bill that it is stipulated to schlap a senator sticker on it.

Approved

Amended

Chairman Willis: I will make sure the sticker is not where people are punching.

Senator Eaton: In response to senator Hofer's comment the issue is that "I have not had a opportunity to discuss this with my floor." Most won't have an issue with it but I would like to discuss with my floor before hand.

Senator Sushi: Let's get this bill through. I motion to bring this bill to a vote.

Approved

Bill Passed

PPT Moyes: If there is ever a need for a cost breakdown or if complications arise please send information regarding spending and funds to FAC.

Announcements

Chairman Crowder: This Friday we will be having Friday senate ice cream. We will be moving it a bit further forward. It will be from 4-5 PM. It will still be happening. If people can show up at about 3:45 for setup that would be greatly appreciated. We will be meeting in the AFSC Hallways.

Chairman Willis: If anyone wants to publish articles on the senate website, let me know.

VP Avent: I have added all the committee chairs and officers to the EMS system so you should be able to reserve rooms now.

Open Forum

Senator Bright: Senator Bright, I'd like to bring an issue to the floor for some discussion. I had some people on my floor talk to me about the classrooms in Glaske and how students are not able to use the classrooms for studying later in the day. They're all locked after a certain time. The regulation is for them to be locked although they're not always. The EMS people in Belcher were mentioning that people would need to reserve the classrooms way out. Considering that there are so many classrooms in Glaske, and many are rarely used. Can we ask if several are left unlocked just as study rooms?

Chairman Willis: Senators could reserve these classrooms in EMS.

Senator Bright: That's a great suggestion. Could you elaborate a little bit more on our need to be there?

Senator Eaton: I think to sort of elaborate on that, another large part of the reason for them to be locked is similarly as to why Speer Chapel has to be locked. It's a pretty far back pretty private space that isn't going to be interrupted. If it's open for students to just go into where people cant find them then it could be used for "interesting things" hence why having a representative would be good.

Citizen Ko: What is EMS?

VP Avent: EMS is an events managing service.

Citizen Foster: If I'm not mistaken, only organization leaders have access to reserve things in EMS.

Chairman Willis: That is why senate leaders would have to reserve it, or even RAs or other IMPACT leaders.

Senator Bright: Some more information on that, while only IMPACT leaders can reserve, anyone can email the offices of C&ES to get a reservation. Laypeople can find ways to reserve but you may have to email the offices themselves.

VP Avent: Dr. Matthew Green has also gotten complaints of these problems several years ago. With people trying to distance more, this could be a good thing to pursue. I'll ask him and see if he has any thoughts.

Senator Bright: I motion to table this matter since you will do that.

Senator Bright: Can we bring this up in old business later?

VP Avent: Yes.

Senator Eaton: Would that be on the agenda?

PPT Moyes: I could put it there, but issues like this may not be addressed during session.

Senator Gonzalez: We're thinking about conducting a town hall type of event in congruence with the executive cabinet. Maybe a coffee with the president or something like that.

VP Avent: I'll first mention that Joe's current plan is to have a cup of Joe with Joe and Co.

Dean Scott: I'd like to ask a question and I would like to hear y'all's input. How are people doing after the email regarding the loss of the student? I know a lot of people didn't know her, and I haven't heard a lot of people talk about it, but has Student Senate heard anything about this?

Chairman Crowder: I do know that once the news was found out after chapel, I was around people personally impacted by that. They're taking it a bit hard. I have some friends and myself who will be watching over them. I haven't heard a lot in the dorms because people just don't know what to say. It also brings up hard feelings for those who were directly impacted. Haven't heard a lot of chatter from the isolated but I want to know how they're doing.

Dean Scott: I had one person reach out from isolation who had a lot of anxiety. I think her health situation was different from Haven's, but still it was understandable. I had the RD's check in on the isolated both on and off campus. We don't want to scare people but we're trying to reach out. I've only been contacted by one student.

Chairman Moore: From what I've heard from the athletes and students a lot of teachers have been promoting the vaccine, and its a lot more teacher chatter than student chatter. The professors love the students and want the best for them.

Dean Scott: I know that people have personal convictions about the vaccine. I don't want to argue with anyone who has made a personal choice about the vaccine, I want to respect that conviction. But if you're open to it but haven't done so, please do it. I'm quarantining a record amount of people and I'd prefer not to have to do that. I know the vaccine isn't perfect but all the data indicates that it is pretty darn good even if it is not perfect. If it is just a convenience factor, please do it. We will be having vaccines come to campus every three weeks, and the announcement sent out yesterday was not meant to be connected to Haven but it was scheduled.

Senator Bright: To the question about hearing chatter, didn't hear a lot, but the elephant in the room was addressed. Some people were nervous that we needed to do something and some were nervous hoping we wouldn't change.

Dean Scott: I thought about that too. I haven't heard discussion about changes yet, but I think right now everyone is focused on Haven's family, the grieving, and I want to keep the conversation there. If people start debating about this, just make it about her and her family. Now is not the time to argue, its the time to grieve. I don't think the university would "use" this to do some new policies. We've had plenty of opportunities to change it and we haven't, and we don't need an excuse to justify it.

Senator Vincy: Haven was a former resident of i-House, and a lot of the international students were pretty worried. The news hit them pretty hard, and the cases rising has scared them quite a bit. They haven't talked a lot about it though.

Dean Scott: I will throw this out there for whomever wants to, and I know everything gets referred to the Student Life Committee, but maybe we could do something to honor her. We've got time to think about this.

Chairman Willis: Just in general, I think we may need to do a general memorial and specific memorial. One in recognition of Haven and our loss of a fellow student as well as one for Afghanistan

PPT Moyes: This is good discussion to have. I recommend we continue this next week, and considering the time I motion to recess.

VP Avent: Before recessing, should we motion to refer this matter to the Student Life Committee?

Chairman Willis so moves it

Session is recessed 11:54 AM