BY ALANA PERRY, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
To keep Bellarmine University students, faculty and staff informed of changes on campus, The Concord will be providing coverage of each meeting of the Student Government Association (SGA). Meetings are open to all students and occur every other Friday at 3:30 p.m. The last two meetings of the semester will be held in Hilary’s on Nov. 13 and 20.
Each SGA meeting begins with reports from the executive board and committee leaders. Here are the notable reports:
President Amanda Martin gave the president’s report. She recognized Freshman Representative Trevor Stantliff as SGA member of the month.
Martin gave senior Keenan Baker his graduation cords to recognize his previous service on the assembly. She also recognized Dr. Helen Grace Ryan as best adviser with the Residence Hall Association’s “Of the Month” award.
Vice President Dulce Solorio gave the campus and community service report. She reminded the assembly to volunteer for the blood drive on Nov. 11 and 12. She said the Dare to Care food drive collected 576 pounds of food.
Vice President Tom Finch gave the finance report. He said budget meetings would begin on Nov. 13.
Vice President Aliya Thompson gave the recreation, intramurals and athletics report. She said a bowling extravaganza will take place on Nov. 21 and VIP basketball tickets will be given away to students for the basketball game on Jan. 28.
Vice President Amber Fields gave the resident student organization (RSO) report. She said Thankful Chrismahanakwanzika will occur on Nov. 24.
Bryce Chalfant gave the election and surveys report. He passed out surveys so his committee can gather approval ratings for the committee itself, the executive board and the assembly as a whole.
Austin Black gave the food services report. He said the Palio has extended its breakfast hours to 7:15 to 9:30 a.m. He advised the assembly that food service manager Steve Santo will be holding focus groups to see if the student body would like changes in Café Ogle.
Matt Higgs gave the traffic and safety report. He said his committee is looking for other suggestions of what to use besides the Live Safe app.
Trevor Stantliff gave the environmental report. He said his committee has met with facilities, researched an environmental sticker bill and started planning green week.
Paige Williamson gave the commuter report. She said with the passing of her bill, Knight at the Movies tickets will be available for the opening weekend of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2.”
Dr. Helen Grace Ryan gave the adviser’s report. She said Greater Louisville Outstanding Women (GLOW) will hold a seminar on Nov. 11 at Bellarmine. She encouraged the assembly to participate in the student-alumni mentor program.
Ryan updated the assembly on a bill passed earlier this semester for an administrator in the student activities center by saying someone will be hired in the next few weeks. She also said student affairs would be taking a look at the plan for a violent intruder on campus and information has been added to the security website.
Ryan said the hiring season for the still unfilled dean of students position begins in January, and she hopes to have the position filled by summer.
“There were two students who were involved on the search committee last year and that will be the same this year as well,” Ryan said.
Here are the bills presented at the meeting:
Stantliff presented a bill to purchase environmental stickers for the paper towel dispensers on campus. The bill passed, and $69 will be taken from the SGA general account for 500 stickers and shipping costs.
Fields and Freshman Representative Claudia Bejarano presented a bill to approve Students United Redefining Gender Equality (SURGE) as an RSO. The bill passed and SURGE is now an official RSO on campus.
Solorio presented a bill to pay for Santa and Mrs. Claus costumes for the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. The bill passed, and $572.54 will be taken from the SGA General Account to purchase the costumes.
Fields and Freshman Representative Drew Chandler presented a bill to approve the Narrative Health Society as an RSO. The bill passed, and the Narrative Health Society is now an official RSO on campus.
Junior Representative Haley Davis and Williamson presented a bill to purchase 300 Baxter Avenue Theater movie vouchers for a Bellarmine Knight at the Movies for commuter students. The bill passed, and $2,400 will be allocated from the SGA general account to buy the movie vouchers.
Martin, senior student Brian Ullrich and Freshman Representative Logan Rauck presented a bill to purchase BUSCH Systems recycling bins for all 510 rooms in the Bellarmine residence halls. The bill passed, and $2,582.70 will be allocated from the SGA general account for the recycling bins.
Martin and Vice President of Public Relations Jacob Schuhmann presented a bill to purchase 400 bow ties, 100 commuter meals and 50 staff meals for Dr. Fred Rhodes Day. The bill passed and $1,825.50 will be taken from the SGA general account to purchase the bow ties and meals.
During open discussion, the assembly brought up two main topics:
– SGA members were encouraged to “bring a friend to work” and introduce other students to the bi-monthly meetings.
– Leftover Knight in Shining Armor T-shirts will be given to RSO advisers and others nominated at future assembly meetings.