Fifth Senate Session

October, 17th 2017

Stern Center Ballroom

Call to Order

The Fifth Session of Senate was called to order at 4:33

Roll Call

  • Absences
  • Senator Ponders
  • Senator Mumford

Minutes

Motion to waive the reading of the minutes.

  • Passed

Executive Council Reports

  • President Alexandra Helfgott
  • Grade redemption was passed last week at faculty senate, which is super exciting
  • Will go into effect in 2019, contingent upon technology enhancements
  • The cross walk was installed on Liberty Street
  • I am currently working to order the feminine hygiene products
  • My brother William is here today to observe us. He is the president of his high school class
  • Secretary Emily Ramsayer
  • We have one club coming today so please ask good questions
  • Treasurer Sara Graham
  • We have 3 clubs coming today so please ask good questions
  • We have $16,376 in contingency so these clubs’ combined requests will use less than 5% of those funds
  • Chief of Staff Williams
  • Thursday there is a Pep Club meeting at 7pm in Maybank 105
  • Monday there is a bylaws meeting from 4-5pm in RSS room 250
  • Next Tuesday we will be doing pictures in the Cistern at 4pm
  • Deputy Chief of Staff Runzo
  • Tabling tomorrow for Allocations and SOR from 12-2pm
  • We have two t-shirt designs for SGA that you can vote on
  • We will be doing the red shirt design
  • Vice President Tripp Keefe
  • No report

Unfinished Business

New Business

2)FB-19-2017— To allow the budgeted student organization Korean Culture Club to enter their 28 day waiting period

  • First Rights
  • Senator Green:
  • I yield my time to her
  • Club rep:
  • We are organization that is dedicated to educating people on Korean culture
  • We are budgeted
  • We wanted to provide a space for people who are interested in Korean culture
  • Events that we have planned include food tasting, language seminars, talking about different movies, and having political discussions
  • We plan to market through social media
  • We currently have 12 members
  • Period of Discussion
  • Parliamentarian Rizzo: What would a typical meeting look like?
  • Meetings would vary based on the events we are doing. They would usually last 2 hours
  • Senator Lifchez: How did the executive board that you currently have come to be elected?
  • They are people who I thought had the appropriate interest in the position and who wanted to help start the club with me
  • Senator Rothstein: How often would meetings be?
  • They would be 1 to 2 times a month
  • Director Conti: Is your advisor planning to help you move it forward and have you had further interest in the club?
  • Yes, our advisor is very involved and we have had more potential members contact us about joining
  • Senator Palacios: Why do you personally want to start this club?
  • We are both Japanese minors who have studied aboard in Japan and other areas
  • Chief of Staff Williams: How did you compile the list of interested members?
  • I had a lot of people express interest, and I simply asked for their names and IDs
  • Chief of Staff Williams: How do you plan to spend your 28 days?
  • We plan to spend it marketing the club
  • Period of Debate
  • Motion to pass by unanimous proclamation
  • Passed

3)FB-20-2017 — To allocate up to the amount of $75.25 to the student organization, Historic Preservation and Community Planning Clubfor the purpose of a Pumpkin CarvingCommittee Reports

  • First Rights
  • Senator Runzo:
  • I yield my time to her
  • Club rep:
  • We have a ghost tour tomorrow night
  • They will be discussing historic structures around town
  • The next event on October 26th is a social gathering to discuss these historic structures
  • Period of Discussion
  • Motion to pass by unanimous consent

Passed

4)FB-21-2017 — To allocate up to the amount of $570 to the student organization, Portuguese Clubfor the purpose of Brazilian Dinner Party

  • First Rights
  • Senator Borges:
  • I yield my time to her
  • Club rep:
  • We hosting a Brazilian night feijoada
  • We have held this event for many years
  • We get around 50-100 students in attendance
  • We have requested the money for food from Aramark
  • We have decided to ask Aramark to provide the desert, which is accounted for in the bill
  • Period of Discussion
  • Director Conti: Is the $23 included in the $570?
  • Yes
  • Senator Green: Could you elaborate on the meal?
  • It is similar to gumbo
  • It consists of the leftover meat that the slave owners didn’t want to use, but it turned out to be good so it spread throughout the country
  • Senator Green: Is this event open to all students?
  • Yes
  • Chief of Staff Williams: Is this event just about the meal or is there an educational purpose?
  • Yes, we will be discussing the history of the food we are eating and such
  • Senator Meis: How are you advertising this event?
  • We plan to put up posters and we are advertising on Facebook
  • Motion to pass by unanimous consent

Passed

5)FB-22-2017 — To allocate up to the amount of $86.67to the student organization, Fusion partyfor the purpose of refreshments.

  • First Rights
  • Senator Brown:
  • I yield my time to her
  • Club rep:
  • I have been contacted by two different groups
  • Plastic water bottle ban and the bus transportation in the Charleston area
  • We plan to discuss these topics and have time to ask questions about them
  • This is a good chance to connect citizens and students to these issues and put them in touch with people who can help them make a change
  • Period of Discussion
  • Senator Lifchez: Have you had an event like this before?
  • No but we did have a similar event with 13 people to talk about gerrymandering and how it is seen in effect in global politics. We are planning this one for Nov 13 and are trying to contact teachers who would encourage this
  • Senator Meis: How many students would come?
  • Last time we had 13, but we want to attract more this time. We are hoping teachers will offer extra credit for going to the event for their students. We are also expecting people from outside the school to come
  • Senator Rothstein: Where will this event be held?
  • In Maybank room 100
  • Senator Baade: Why is your name the Fusion Party?
  • Because we are nonpartisan organization and when I heard that term used, I thought it would be the perfect fit for our club name
  • Motion to pass by unanimous consent

Passed

Committee Reports

  • Allocations- Treasurer Sara Graham
  • We have 3 clubs coming to Allocations this week, so look forward to that next Tuesday
  • Student Organization Review Board- Secretary Emily Ramsayer
  • We will be having one club come to SOR this week as of now
  • If you are on SOR, please be sure to come table tomorrow for SGA sometime between 12-2pm
  • Director Conti
  • Our committee tabled at Day without water last week
  • We got a lot of support from both students and community members
  • We have hashed out more steps that we need to take
  • We have over 216 signatures right now but our goal is 1,500 total
  • The petition has been posted in the FB group and I encourage you to share it
  • We are looking to pass a resolution in Senate next week so if you have any input let me know
  • From there, we will take it to faculty senate
  • We are also in the process of creating a digital campaign and making sticker to put on laptops and such
  • We will soon be sending out a survey about what water bottles you like best to give to the students
  • If you would like to get involved reach out to me
  • We are also working on personal initiatives, such as Eno rentals in Stern
  • Director Pullin
  • Senator Butcher and I met with the general manager of Holy Spokes and it went really well
  • The main thing is getting funding from the school to get a partnership in the works with this company
  • More to come in the future
  • Freshman Committee
  • Senator Bridges
  • Still working on guest swipes in the dining halls
  • We will have a meeting this week with Aramark
  • We are looking at what other universities do
  • We are trying to get water bottle refill stations here in Stern
  • Trying to get Eno polls outside in Stern, more recycling in residents halls, and bringing cougar cards costs back to $10

Announcements

  • Non-SGA Related
  • Vice President Keeffe:
  • Dr. Cabot came by to talk about revisions to the Code of Conduct during our Board meeting last week
  • They truly want student feedback and are taking it into consideration
  • Chief of Staff Williams and I are doing an ad hoc committee to review these changes that were made to the Code of Conduct thus far
  • If you are interested in being a part of it talk to me
  • We are looking to get this done before Thanksgiving break
  • Pro Tempore Borges:
  • Please keep sending your bills in by 5pm on Sunday and if you can’t get them in then just let me know please
  • Also please send your bill templates in as a Word doc with no highlights
  • Watch the video I sent you last week
  • Senator Palacios:
  • One of the great things about being a Senator is that you get to pass resolutions
  • I have a controversial resolution coming through next week so please come to Senate prepped with questions and ready to debate
  • Senator Rothstein
  • The CofC Democrats will be having a table at the Children’s Carnival so we are looking for people to help us run that and come up with activities to host
  • Senator Stewart:
  • I am shipping three containers to Haiti and amtrying to fill them with shoes, backpacks, and all else to donate to children there
  • I will post on the FB group, and I will come and pick up whatever you chose to donate
  • All donations are appreciated

Adjournment

The fifth Session of the Student Senate adjourned at 5:06 pm