By Garrett Adams, Staff Writer
After a one-week hiatus for Reading Days, Student Senate returned with budget requests, constitutional amendments, and opinions on Monday.
The first budget request to come forward was from the Brown Nipple Collective. They requested funding to help support their Day of the Dead activities for Saturday. Their request was allotted in full.
Gettysburg Environmental Concerns Organization (GECO) next asked for Senate to approve funding for metal straws and other eco-friendly items they could hand out to the student populace. Again, the request was allotted in full.
The Jazz Appreciation Society asked for the largest amount of money–three thousand dollars–to pay the Buzz Jones Big Band. The band will be playing at the Swing Dance this year. The final budget request was allotted in full.
Senate then turned their attention to constitutional amendments.
Last week, Parliamentarian Shane Carley ’22 began talking about an amendment to more clearly explain Senate’s role in recognizing a club. He brought forward that amendment on Monday and it showed that club recognition relied solely on their paperwork and not their mission or goal. It was tabled to be potentially adopted next week.
The tabled amendment from three weeks ago about reclamation of Senate goods was brought up again. After some rewording, it was decided that Senate will hold onto the items purchased with their money should a club be de-recognized by Senate. They would hold onto the items for five years and then decide to sell or keep the items should the offending club or a similar club not find use for them. This was tabled for potential adoption next week.
Next, Senate began discourse surrounding the Opinions Committee’s proposal to college administration to revise the medical amnesty policy.
The initial opinion called for the caller and victim to not receive a point for the use of medical amnesty. There were some concerns, however, that this might encourage abuse of alcoholic substances.
One senator brought up the idea that it might be beneficial for the point reprieve to only affect students who already have 4 points, which would save them from a fifth point, restricting many of their social opportunities on campus. Many were in favor of making the point reprieve only affect first-time students.
It was made clear that the revision proposal only regarded alcohol and not illegal drug use on campus.
Senate Advisor Jon Allen said, “You will be held in violation if significant policy violations regarding drugs are found.”
The opinion was adopted by the Senate.
“Thank you everyone for a very spirited debate,” Senate Vice President and Opinions Committee Chair Jack Lashendock ’20 said.
Business then went on to committee reports, just before adjournment.
Students could be expecting an email from the Academic and Career Affairs Committee as the college is possibly looking to a general curriculum change. The email would provide a survey asking students about their opinions on the current curriculum.
College Life Advisory Committee was happy to bring up that they are striving for another nut-free ice cream week during finals in Servo.
The Opinions Committee also mentioned that course evaluations could potentially be held online this year instead of the hand-out sheets in the class room.
The Sustainability Committee announced that the college has dropped its plastic bag usage from 700-800 down to just over 100.
