Senate Beat says “Get that money, honey”

Senate held its first meeting of the spring semester on Wednesday, January 31.

Andee Gude, Student Body President, opened the meeting and set the tone for the Senators’ reports on their committees’ activities over the week by announcing that many committees, including Appeals Board, Art Collection Committee, Honor Council, and Judicial Board (J-Board) are still waiting on communication and scheduling meetings. They also teased that next week the Student Committee on Diversity (SCOD) would begin the hiring process for open positions next week.

In a note about our beloved funding poll, Head Treasurer Anahi Sanchez Marcial announced that club registration had closed, and by the time of publication, funding registration will have as well. Funding Poll will open next Monday (February 5th) at noon. Encouraging students to seek help from the Treasury, she notified the Senate that public Financial Committee meetings that grant funding for individual projects outside of the Funding Hell budgets will be held weekly on Wednesdays at 7:30 pm, and she reminded students to submit their applications for single-use funds before the start of those meetings. She was also optimistic about increased social media presence for the Treasury.

Senator Lucy Knight-King discussed how she and President Gude met with Student Spaces, Campus Life, and the Pride Center to discuss future rules for the space and what it will need to function in the future. The committee weighed in with Vice President for Student Life Karnell McConnell-Black and Dean of Students Chris Toutain. 

In rapid fire, the meetings that actually happened and weren’t just in the works: Senator Bella Moore, met with the new Title IX coordinator. Much like the rest of the senate, she reported “lots of getting in touch and lots of scheduling.” Additionally, Assistant Treasurer Emma Benson is working with the Admissions Office to discuss Reed’s test blind policy in ongoing meetings.

Senator Lindsay Worrell was excited about the many job openings posted through Senate in the SCOD, SCAP, the Honor Council, and the J-Board. President Gude added that to advertise those positions there will be a Job Fair on February 13. Additionally, with the recommendation of the Appointments Committee, Senator Worrell nominated a new Senate secretary. Senate struggled to pass this first motion, not because of opposition; but because some of their bureaucratic skills were a little rusty, and they took a second to figure out who was nominating, who was seconding, and to remember how to vote. But after getting their parliamentary procedure together, the appointment was confirmed with unanimous support.

In public business, Student Darkroom signator Violet Burns sought help from Head Treasurer Sanchez Marcial in updating the old Darkroom computer. Treasurer Sanchez Marcial recommended that Burns wait to budget until after the funding poll, and recommended that the Darkroom successfully make top thirty to ensure they have enough funds.

Many other senators and committees were active this week, reaching out to campus personnel and attempting scheduling. Senate Beat will stay tuned for the results of the first of their meetings next week. 

Senate Public meetings are held weekly on Wednesdays at 4:00pm in the Student Union.