Session of January 20th, 2022

January 20, 2022

Minutes Recorded by: Bethany, Secretary

Visitors: Joe Ryan, Will Manchester, Elias, Dr. Steve Conn

Call to Order at 11:06 AM

Senator prays

Roll Called

Minutes Approved at 11:09

Officer Reports

PPT Moyes: Good morning. Thank you for sending me stuff about your floors, please continue to do that. As for absences, you have heard there are some people excused because they sent that information in. I want to make sure you are excused if there is a reason.

Committee Reports

Chairman Crowder: I am really excited for this semester. Go week, senate is volunteering to serve the ice cream. We need volunteers to help. it is next Monday, Jan. 24. Also, we are following up with projects we did last semester. One of those is a town hall. Ill go over it in open frum.

Special Business

Old Business

Chairman Drebot: ELH bought a grill, it is now ours and legal. I want to thank you all so much.

Senator Berry: About the cracks, I will be posting a map in the discord. Please add things to it and I will send that to facilities.

New Business

Chairman Crowder: I know some people have been approached about Solheim closing at 8 on the weekends. As of now, we are going to figure out if it will be a continued issue. Let us know if you hear anything about it because it seems to be a growing issue.

Announcements

Senator Smith: The buzz word is back, and we are looking for people to write articles. Contact Gabe Willis and we’ll get you on there.

Chairman Crowder: Senate ice cream is happening this Friday. Strawberry is the special flavor, and you can come at 3:45 to help set up. Also, the floor snack run is happening today, and they will be available tonight or Friday night. For Go Week on the 24th, there needs to be an ice cream run since Londa is wanting us to go get that. I’ll be going Monday Jan. 24 to get that from Walmart or Sam’s if anyone wants to help.

Open forum

Senator Hofer: First, are we certain we have freezer space for the ice cream? Is it possible snack run could be combined with the ice cream?

Chairman Crowder: We do have space and the Hive has volunteered their freezer so we will be set. Combining the runs would mean we have to push off floor snacks and people are already asking for them.

Senator Hofer: I was asked if we could have a dedicated SI for Calculus 2. I wanted to start a discussion about making that happen.

President Ryan: Has that student been to the math lab?

Senator Hofer: Yes, they have been to the math lab but a dedicated SI for a class is more helpful.

Senator Bright: Does anyone know the contact of the lady who hires and coordinates SI’s?

President Ryan: That is Debbie M.

Senator Hofer: Let us motion to refer this to the student life committee

PPT Moyes: I refer this to a division of the house.

Speaker Avent: Nay’s have it.

Senator Branch: Someone said the library closes at 8 still. Is that the case?

Senator Rubingh: That was moved to midnight.

Senator Bright: I volunteer to send Debbie an email and ask about getting another SI.

Senator Hofer: I also wanted to say that y’all should find out what the interest is in that.

President Ryan: Senator Hofer, if you could have that student take a poll in their class that would be more helpful.

Senator Hofer: They have already taken the class and were just thinking it would be helpful for others.

Speaker Avent: You could also ask a professor.

PPT Moyes: I motion bright and Hofer both work on this together as a cohesive effort.

Motion passes.

Chairman Crowder: An idea that has been bouncing around is a town hall. I know Dr. Conn brought this up. We came up with a 2-hour event. 20 minutes of socializing with YAC, SAAC, and other groups, including the Welcome Back Initiative so students can know who they are. We’d have 10 minutes for each group to speak, and then 20-30 minutes of Q and A. some dates are Friday, March 4 because that might draw attention to other organizations due to being close to elections. We could also do Friday, February 25. Thinking of a co-sponsor with administration. Senate can run the behind the scenes.

Senator Sabbatini: SAAC is a mess because the volleyball coaches left, and we don’t have an AD so not sure if they could participate.

Dr. Steve Conn: I would be interested if students want to go to a thing to hear from YAC and LSM? Or do they just want to yell at Dr. Mason? 2 hours is a long time, so I don’t know if people see enough value in that. I like the concept but want to think about the execution.

Chairman Crowder: Regarding SAAC, we just want to represent SAAC and the option is still open. We were considering it being a come and go situation, and there will be food to bring students in. If you could see about interest in your floors that would help us know how big or small the event will be.

Senator Berry: I suggest we have a way to submit questions and complaints continually, not just for the meeting but an active thing.

Dr. Steve Conn: I think it is less about creating new things and more about making sure know about and use things. So, this already exists, and we just don’t utilize it. We could use the senate email.

President Ryan: This email idea will alleviate the social media issue with random people. Avoids a rant.

PPT Moyes: This is one reason I suggested sending out emails. We are the point of contact for our floors. My concern would be it going to one senator, but it is a good idea and helpful.

Chairman Drebot: I am confident my committee is made of more than 2 people. So, if you are in my committee, please pick a time to meet that works for you. Otherwise, I have to meet with PPT Moyes, and he will talk to your RA. Check discord once or twice a day.

Chairman Drebot: Yes, I can. The biggest change in the election process we have made it about the voting process. In previous year we did rank choice voting.

PPT Moyes: It was a mess and not actual rank choice voting so we got rid of it.

Chairman Drebot: Now, you choose your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, choice, and the person with the most first place votes will win. There are other small interview process changes, including being alerted why you did not get chosen after the interview.

Speaker Avent: Also, if for some reason there are way too many people running, those who get not enough signatures will not win.

President Ryan: I was asking about two interviews.

Senator Drebot: Yes, one interview is your role, why you want to run. We want to get to know you and your heart behind running. The second interview is the one with administration where you meet with student life and then someone who held the position previously that is the more serious one.

President Ryan: Basically, you are getting a feel for the candidate. If you think someone is not very serious, what will you do?

Senator Drebot: We do have the right if we think you are doing it as a joke to say you are a bad candidate and not let you run. However, that is unlikely to happen.

Senator Berry: If go pro denies you, do they have to give a reason?

Senator Drebot: We will give a reason.

PPT Moyes: Also, the process is you fill out the impact application before so it is unlikely they would do all that and go to the interview.

Speaker Avent: Also, go pro is giving you more information about running.

Senator Drebot: It is not an interview to worry about. Just to get information.

Chairman Crowder: Naranjo, did you get an answer about hot chocolate?

Senator Naranjo: It looks like AO will come to ice cream on Friday and provide hot chocolate.

Chairman Crowder: To explain why I asked this, AO asked if they could serve hot chocolate next to the ice cream. It seems like a great idea and for senate and AO to work together.

Senator Ko: Backing up, I did have a student complain that the Hive does not have straws. Solutions?

Speaker Avent: Does anyone know how long it has been since they had straws?

PPT Moyes: 2018 is when they got rid of them.

Dr. Steve Conn: Yeah, it is a corporate policy so you cannot change it. They did, the year it happened, buy freedom tubes which were reusable straws for students.

Chairman Crowder: Funny you should bring that up because my dad’s company has a lot of metal straws we could use. If you would consider do something like these, we would give those straws.

Senator Berry: I also have heard issues about not having lids so it might be worth considering buying lids and plastic straws.

Senator Branch: I have a solution: it is called a coffee lid.

Senator Shaughnessy: Bon Appetit is from California as a side note.

Speaker Avent: Everyone thought that California banned straws but that’s not true.

PPT Moyes: A question about this is what authority does Bon Appetit have over the area in the Hive?

Dr. Steve Conn: Some student tried to see straws for a quarter, and I was asked to shut that down. What I did was I took the box and moved it. I think this is a good thing to discuss later. They have that space so maybe don’t set up in the hive. But maybe an agreement could be reached. Possibly reusable cups or something like passing out reusable things in other settings.

PPT Moyes: In light of that, I do think we need to figure out the date we would want to talk with Bon Appetite. I would like to motion to refer the matter of scheduling a date to the student life committee.

Speaker Avent: I will schedule that meeting.

Senator Oden: In past experience, you have to talk to them in person in SAGA. They don’t respond to email.

Senator Berry: Because of COVID, refilling cups is an issue.

Speaker Avent: BBQ sauce?

Senator Oden: It is a distributor issue and supply chain problem.

Senator Berry: Can we have a bill to buy BBQ sauce?

Chairman Crowder: I fully support this, but we were just talking about having straws in the Hive. So, if we do this, we will have to ask about that too.

Senator Drebot: SAGA does not like it when you bring in your own sauce.

President Ryan: We could just put it in the commuter room and put a sign.

Senator Hofer: Straws, that is a good idea. But BBQ sauce in the commuter lounge is far from SAGA.

Senator Branch: Motion to refer these to student life.

Motion passed

Senator Branch: I motion to recess

Meeting Recessed 11:50