Two important items of legislation were passed by the Senate this week, both of which directly affect student life at SMU.

The first concerns Park ‘N Pony’s practices regarding parking violations. Under the current system, Park ‘N Pony tickets vehicles for parking violations on campus without notifying the car’s owner – sometimes multiple times a day. Thus, tickets can pile up on one’s car without one ever knowing about it.

With parking such a major concern at SMU, Student Senate, via a bill authored by Sen. Jaywin Singh Malhi, voted to amend the way Park ‘N Pony tickets car owners. Now, the student will receive an email notification of the ticket, which is intended to decrease the number of tickets leveled upon one car for the same violation.

The second bill, authored by Sen. Shanitah Young, Chief of Staff Savannah Stevens and Secretary Katherine Ladner, calls for a “Unity Boulevard.”

In keeping with the Senate’s dedication to diversity and tolerance, and in light of the recent vandalism on boulevarding weekends, Student Senate and Multicultural Student Affairs will now co-host a tent in front of Dallas Hall on Boulevard Saturdays. The tent will be located among many of the campus Greek organizations, and is intended to “send the message that we are a united student body.”

Aside from legislation, the Senate also heard from SMU’s athletic director, Rick Hart. Two months into his position, Hart wanted to establish that he is “absolutely at your service to improve your experience as a student” through SMU’s athletic program, and that he is accessible via email and Twitter.

He also reiterated the perennial theme within SMU’s sports programs: “You [the students] drive the energy in the stands.” Students as fans play a major role on game day, and that “positive visibility” is what makes a game day a success. When athletes are deciding what college to attend, they consider the spirit a school possesses. Thus, spirit extols excellence.

Regarding the coming Big East move, Hart discredited as a misperception the thought that this transition will foster an influx of money into the program. Indeed, more financial and logistical expenses will present themselves on which the athletic department must suffice with its annually decreasing budget – from $8 million in 2008, to $4 million in 2012.

As Hart said, “The good news is it’s a national conference, the bad news is it’s a national conference.”

After Hart, Zain Rizvi, president of Muslim Student Association, asked the Senate what fasting is, to which one senator spouted, in a textbook response, “It’s the voluntary non-consumption of food or drink […] as a measure of one’s devotion to the Divine.”

Rizvi then informed the chamber about Fast-A-Thon, an event on Thursday Oct. 18th in which students can sign pledges that they will fast from sunrise to sundown – 6:11 a.m. to 6:53 p.m.

Local businesses will make donations to the Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation based on the number of pledges attained. The purpose of the fast is “to put everyone in the shoes of Muslims during Ramadan.”

Thus, the event is open to all interested students regardless of religion.

Breakfast will be served before dawn at the Radisson Hotel across the street from SMU, and dinner will be served at 7 p.m.

Spiritual fasts, such as forgoing angry thoughts, are also acceptable for those with dietary concerns.