Graduate Student Senate passed a resolution to allocate $500 toward a magnet campaign that will be in effect next school year.
GSS plans to place magnets — which will include phone numbers for several resources including Ohio University’s Counseling and Psychological Services, Campus Care, Ohio University Police Department, Athens Police Department and several others — in all residence halls.
“The idea is to have a mass grouping of numbers you may require if you are in a crisis,” said GSS’s Vice President for Finance Ed Gaither.
The executive board wanted to give the GSS health and safety commissioners an idea on how much money the senate would put forward for this cause. The Division of Student Affairs, along with other resources, is also putting money towards this magnet campaign.
“We’re picking up only a percentage of what is going to be spent,” Gaither said.
GSS discussed spending $500 maximum on this project. The resolution passed after some discussion, including Vice President for Legislative Affairs Liz Volpe expressing a need for these magnets not only being available in undergraduate dorm rooms, but also to graduate students at orientation.
Also discussed at the meeting was the possibility of adding a $3 charge to the GSS insurance plan that would extend coverage to many health issues and tests such as HIV, hepatitis, mumps, lyme disease, and many others.
“These things are ridiculously expensive on their own, so $3 is a small price to pay,” said GSS President Joel Newby.
Volpe agreed, saying that a large majority of students would benefit from this extended coverage.
After some discussion, the majority of the senate body agreed to pursue this option further and request more information in order to take a formal vote later.
GSS also passed a resolution to give $200 in various International Week expenses.
Other business included Gaither’s report that GSS’s budget stood at $2766.90 as of Monday’s meeting, which he said was subject to change due to the discussed resolutions.
GSS elections for next year are now live, and Newby stressed that all senate members need to vote, saying that even though the majority of positions are unopposed races, votes are still needed to solidify that the candidate is truly what the group wants.
The candidates include Carl Edward Smith for GSS President, Hannah Farichone for Vice President of Legislative Affairs, M. Hashim Pashtun for Vice President of Finance, Kazi Silmi for Vice President of Communications. All executive candidates are running unopposed, and the election will be held April 17.
“I encourage everybody to vote,” Newby said. “I wish everybody the best of luck.”
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