Nineteenth Senate Session

March 6th, 2018

Stern Center Ballroom

Call to Order

The Nineteenth Session of Senate was called to order at4:29pm

Roll Call

  • Absences
  • President Helfgott
  • Director Lifchez

Minutes

Motion to waive the reading of the minutes.

  • Passed

Executive Council Reports

  • President Alexandra Helfgott
  • none
  • Secretary Emily Ramsayer
  • We have a bunch of clubs coming to exit today and one coming to enter their 28 day waiting period so pay attention and ask good questions
  • Treasurer Sara Graham
  • Budget workshops this week
  • Budgets are due Friday
  • Budget hearings next Monday, Wednesday, and possibly Friday
  • Chief of Staff Runzo
  • ASW tabling on Friday and Saturday at 10am-3pm so please sign up
  • Going to pass around a sign up sheet for our dodge ball team; games will be on Monday and Wednesday
  • Updated initiatives are going on the website
  • Deputy Chief of Staff Eney
  • No report
  • Pro Tempore Palacios
  • No report
  • Vice President Tripp Keefe
  • No report

Unfinished Business

  1. SB-76-2018— A bill to allow the Comedy Club at the College of Charleston to become a budgeted organization.
  • First Rights
  • Senator Meis:
  • I yield my time to her
  • Club rep:
  • We focused on promoting our club
  • We made social media and hung up flyers
  • 200 followers on Instagram
  • We have held a lot of general meetings
  • We have started a few activities
  • We started talking about upcoming events like shows
  • We focus on sketch writing and improv
  • Period of Discussion
  • Motion to pass by unanimous consent

Passed

  1. SB-78-2018— A bill to allow Pretty Active at the College of Charleston to become a budgeted organization.

Motion to table this bill

Passed

New Business

1.) SB-79-2018— A bill to allow the budgeted student organization Fashion Club to enter their 28 day waiting period.

  • First Rights
  • Senator Green:
  • I yield my time to her
  • Club rep:
  • We are trying to create a club where we can discuss the latest trends around the world and at the college itself
  • We have so many fashion opportunities in Charleston so this club is perfect for CofC
  • We both have interest in the fashion world
  • CofC doesn’t offer a fashion major or minor so we want to provide that space to explore the fashion world
  • There are 13 of us
  • Good opportunity ofpeople interested in fashion to have a place to meet and discuss
  • Period of Discussion
  • Chief of Staff Runzo: What is your executive board structure?
  • President, VP, treasurer, secretary/historian
  • Senator Roller: Do you have any events planned for this semester or next?
  • We could create a blog
  • DIY projects and give the things we make to charities
  • Parliamentarian Rizzo: have you ever volunteered with Charleston Fashion Week?
  • Yes we are volunteering this week
  • We are only freshman though so this is our fist year doing it
  • Motion to pass by unanimous consent

Passed

2.) SB-80-2018— A bill to allow the budgeted student organization MEDLife Club at the College of Charleston to become a non-budgeted organization.

  • First Rights
  • Senator Baade:
  • I yield my time to her
  • Club rep:
  • We held an interest meeting with 19 interested members
  • We have a trip planned for spring break and we have 48 people participating in that
  • We have a full executive board and we will be having an application for new exec next semester
  • Future events include being a part of Charleston Miracle, fundraisers, and t-shirt sales
  • Period of Discussion
  • Pro Tempore Palacios: Why are they non-budgeted?
  • Because their club is centered around these big service trips
  • Because these trips cost a good amount of money and most of their active members are people that are going/have gone on these trips, that makes them non-budgeted because not everyone can afford this kind of trip
  • Motion to pass by unanimous consent

Passed

3.) SR-12-2018— A resolution to get Captain Crunch in both dining halls.

  • First Rights
  • Senator Bridges:
  • I love Captain Crunch
  • And we do not have it in our dining halls
  • Period of Discussion
  • Senator Jacobson: Could you include LIFE cereal?
  • We could bring that up when we talk to dining services
  • Chief of Staff Runzo: Is this specific to crunch berries or peanut butter crunch?
  • I was thinking both
  • I really don’t know, so I will be having a meeting with them soon
  • Pro Tempore Palacios: Have you asked dining services yet about this?
  • No
  • Pro Tempore Palacios: How many people support this?
  • My roommates talked about this to me because we have been going to Harris Teeter to buy it
  • So have many people in my hall
  • Pro Tempore Palacios: Why do you think Captain Crunch needs to be added?
  • When you walk down the grocery store isle, you see a whole array of cereals, so why should we exclude Captain Crunch from our dining halls?
  • There are people out there that like it
  • Senator Meis: What do you think the odds are of getting Captain Crunch?
  • I would give it a 90% chance that we will get it
  • Motion to pass by unanimous consent

Objection

  • Senator Pitts: How would you introduce this to students who only eat gluten free stuff?
  • If they are concerned about not having gluten free cereal then we can ask
  • Motion to pass by unanimous consent

Objection

Period of Debate

Speeches in opposition

  • Senator Green:
  • Captain Crunch hurts my mouth
  • Pro Tempore Palacios:
  • I don’t think you provide substantial evidence as to why we need this
  • I think we have a good amount of variety in our dining halls
  • I feel like this isn’t representative of the student body as a whole
  • Senator Butcher:
  • My friend wanted baked potatoes soup and he got it by simply filling out a dining hall survey just so you know, you can get Captain Crunch that way
  • Senator Pitts:
  • Maybe we can get a survey on what the students want

Speech in favor

  • Senator Jacobson:
  • We need to expand the amount of cereal we offer
  • This might lead to LIFE cereal in the future
  • We need to think about the student body as a whole
  • Senator King:
  • I know many people like Captain Crunch
  • I over hear people in Bistro say this
  • It is very sentimental to me
  • I will give you their email addresses if you would like for proof
  • Senator Rothstein:
  • I think the college in general values what SGA has to say
  • Obviously we cant ask every student what they want
  • Resolutions in the past have been used to bring in food
  • This shows that Senate is not doing boring things all the time but doing something simple
  • I don’t know anyone who would be offended by bringing this cereal to the dining halls

Motion to move into voting procedures

Objection

Speech in Favor:

  • Senator Hicks:
  • We don’t always survey the entire student body when we put forth a resolution

Motion to move into voting procedures

Passed

Voting Procedures

passed

4.)SR-13-2018— A resolution to express disapproval with the lack of current legislation restricting the purchase and use of guns in the United States of America; also, to demand that the College of Charleston remains a gun-free campus to ensure the safety of its students, faculty, and staff.

  • First Rights
  • Senator Bridges, Director Brown, Senator Meis, and Senator Rothstein:
  • Wrote this in response to the Parkland shooting
  • Florida legislature wrote a bill to arm teachers and professors
  • CofC should remain gun free
  • Period of Discussion
  • Chief of Staff Runzo: Does this bill only apply to professors?
  • No students, faculty, and staff
  • Mainly faculty and staff though
  • Chief of Staff Runzo: Would that just stay the same for public safety?
  • Yes
  • We are just reaffirming the school’s current position
  • Deputy Chief of Staff Eney: Does this mean that we will be participating in the walk out?
  • No
  • Pro Tempore Palacios: for students who already have guns, how would this affect them?
  • It wouldn’t, they will still abide by CofC’s regular, in-place rules on this matter
  • Pro Tempore Palacios: What is the point of passing this bill?
  • It is important because legislators are taking measures to try to change gun laws and we don’t want teachers and professors arming themselves here at the College
  • Motion to pass by unanimous consent

Passed

Motion to reenter the bill SB-78-2018

Passed

  1. SB-78-2018— A bill to allow Pretty Active at the College of Charleston to become a budgeted organization.
  • First Rights
  • Senator Caleca:
  • I yield my time to her
  • Club rep:
  • We have held 2 events
  • We are partnering with Luminescent tomorrow as part of Women’s Empowerment Week
  • We have our executive board applications due tomorrow
  • We have a tabling on Friday
  • Period of Discussion
  • Senator Meis: How many students did you have to start with and how many students do you have now?
  • We have 100 people right now but had 30 to start with
  • Director Conti: How will you chose executive board?
  • Trying to chose based on class
  • Motion to pass by unanimous consent

Passed

Committee Reports

  • Allocations- Treasurer Sara Graham
  • No allocations this week
  • Next Monday is the last day to submit contingency requests
  • Student Organization Review Board- Secretary Emily Ramsayer
  • Last SOR is March 12th, so next week
  • If you know anyone who wants to create a club please let them know about this deadline
  • Director Brown
  • The tables are ontheir way
  • Umbrellas are coming
  • Next week you will see posters and flyers up about the bike share
  • Director Conti
  • Meeting with Stern to see if they will store big drink containers
  • Meeting with sustainability office about water bottle designs
  • Looking at disability initiatives
  • Still working on Pep Club initiative
  • Director Lifchez
  • SGA brochures
  • We are communicating about putting those in dining halls
  • Might also be in PODS
  • More fruits and veggies to pods and cliff bars
  • Cougar cash at TD Arena; we have contacted them
  • Enough is enough: meeting with sexual misconduct committee
  • Director Pullin
  • Finished clock initiative
  • Reached out to physical plant about getting clocks
  • Bump in the road with dog waste stations but we are working on it
  • About the LGBT signifier on applications, admissions liked the idea and said they would reach out after Accepted Students Weekend

Announcements

  • SGA Related
  • Chief of Staff Runzo:
  • please sign up for Accpeted Students Weekend tabling
  • Non-SGA Related
  • Senator Bridges:
  • the game is tonight at 7pm, shuttles are leaving at 5:30pm; be there
  • Senator Odac:
  • United African Students Club is having their first event this Saturday night at 7:30pm in the Stern ballroom. Come join us!!

Adjournment

The Nineteenth Session of the Student Senate adjourned at 5:09pm