Student Senate had a lively meeting Wednesday evening with discussion ranging from member voting rights to the promotion of respectful language on campus.
Carter Phillips, commissioner of the Senate Appropriations Commission, and Austin LaForest, senate treasurer, presented the body with an overview of SAC and some of its proposed changes to both the funding process and its position in senate.
Debate ensued after SAC representatives explained their desire for more voting members of its commission, something they see as necessary to better serve the student organizations.
“We are not just money … we appreciate the fact that we have the ability to help students and that is why we would also like voting rights in this room,” said Zainab Kandeh, chair of the campus organizations committee in SAC.
However, not everyone, including Adam Brown, chair of the committee on the budget, think SAC should expand its number of voting members.
“Although it will give more voices … they will crowd out some of those minority voices,” Brown said.
Some of the commissioners of bodies that deal with minorities agreed with Brown.
“You were elected because we trust you with the money, not that we don’t trust you with student voices, but that’s what we chose you to be here for,” said Alexis Chambers, Black Affairs commissioner.
The more than $400,000 that are under the control of SAC is given back to student organizations, but some say that the funding process is “broken.”
“It deters students from applying for money … just because the process is so strenuous,” Phillips said.
The proposed changes would move SAC funding applications to the end of the year with the organizations given an annual budget. Organizations would be required to give presentations about where the money is being used and how popular their SAC-funded events are.
In addition, Jordan Ballinger, governmental affairs commissioner, presented the body with a resolution encouraging respectful language on campus, among students and on social media.
“We are going to promote respectful language across this campus and help to educate students on what is respectful,” Ballinger said.
Senate also heard from representatives from Got Swabbed? who discussed their bone marrow swabbing drive, which will take place Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Baker University Center.
Chief of Staff Emma Wright stepped out from behind the executive table to give a presentation on Empower, a student organization aiming to help educated students in Africa, specifically Uganda, by building schools and sponsoring children.
SAC’s budget stood at $102,331.10 while senate’s was $23,014.11.
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