By John Towey, Staff Writer
Technocratic Forum
Monday night’s meeting kicked off with a forum for the technocratic positions on the executive board moderated by outgoing President Michael Woods ’25. Each of the candidates currently serves in a Senate position, as at least one semester in the Senate is required for candidacy.
Up first was the Secretary race, for which Garrett Bumps ’28 ran unopposed. He stressed the importance of increased communication with the student body and proposed a plan to provide students with more updates so they better understand the work of the Senate.
Next was the Treasurer election between Nafay Amer ’28 and Gavin Wilson ’27. Amer laid out his plan for reforming the Budget Management Committee (BMC), including distributing money based on “club effectiveness.” Wilson argued instead that no one should arbitrarily judge how effective clubs are. Ultimately, Amer was elected.
Last was the Parliamentarian position. Dom DiLuzio ’26, Hudson Podielsky ’28 and Gabe Miller ’27 each ran for the position. Podielsky emphasized the need for student participation while Miller and DiLuzio both expressed the need to increase voter turnout in elections. In the end, DiLuzio was elected by the Senate.
Officer Reports
President Woods reminded senators that there are only a few meetings left in the semester.
Vice President Abby Ruggiero ’26 asked senators to sign up to volunteer for the Big Spring Blowout which will be held on May 2.
Treasurer Jack Thompson ’27 reported that the Senate has just over $15,000 on hand.
Inclusion Officer Oliver Eckloff ’27 shared that there will be updates from Facilities Services in the future regarding concerns about missing gender-neutral bathroom locations and the unavailability of menstrual products.
Guest Speaker
This week’s guest speaker was Title IX Coordinator and Director of Civil Rights Compliance and Education Amanda Blaugher. Her presentation explained how her office handles reports about sexual violence. She said her office is working to reduce barriers to reporting and provide support to victims.
Club Announcements
The Panhellenic Council announced that the recruitment form is now open.
Gamma Phi Beta and Sigma Alpha Epsilon are having a bench-a-thon with proceeds going to charity.
The Alexander Hamilton Society will host a military historian from Ohio State University next Thursday.
Student Concerns
President Woods shared that Dining will speak in front of the Senate on April 21. He also reported that the school is looking into fundraising for track repairs.
New concerns include an incident where the president of Dickinson College allegedly made an offhand comment about Gettysburg College being in a poor financial situation. Another concern is the late opening hours for the library on the weekends, specifically on Sundays.
Budget Requests
The Newman Association requested $1,000 for a Palm Sunday picnic and Easter dinner. BMC recommended the full amount and the Senate approved.
New Business
The Senate tabled an amendment to budget presentation rules until next week.
The Senate passed an opinion calling for the College to allow religious organizations to hold services on the morning of graduation. This was allowed since at least 2003, though permission has remained suspended since the pandemic in 2020.
