A scared father spoke about bone marrow donation; a proposal for speaking restrictions during the meetings for students and the media was established; and McFarlin Auditorium fees were abridged at Tuesday’s Student Senate meeting.
Six weeks ago, SMU alumni John and Nancy Anderson had three healthy children. Now, their 2-year-old daughter Ann Hinckley Anderson is getting treatment for aplastic anemia at the Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. Anderson said the condition causes bone marrow to recede.
The Andersons are asking that everyone join the 20 million other people who have had their DNA registered to be a possible bone marrow donor through the organization “Be the Match.”
Working alongside Carter Bloodcare, “Be the Match” was on campus yesterday swabbing the inside of people’s cheeks for DNA samples.
They will be here today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the main lobby of the Dedman Recreation Center, and in the Hughes-Trigg Crossing on Thursday at the same time.
Anderson said there is an especially huge shortage in registered minorities, so they are begging people from all different races to come out and get registered.
“I would hate to think that my daughter would be sick and we couldn’t find a match,” he said, “when [getting registered is] really so easy.”
Ann is undergoing a certain kind of treatment that is preventing her from needing a bone marrow transplant; and if you can’t help her through donating plasma, Anderson asks that you try to donate blood.
Haley Wine, fundraising representative for Children’s Medical Center, also spoke in yesterday’s meeting, thanked the SMU community for jumping on-board with the movement to make people more aware of the need for marrow, blood and plasma donations.
“Every ten seconds, somebody in the United States needs blood,” Wine said. “People die every day just waiting and waiting and waiting.”
Up for debate next week is a requested revision of speaking privileges during Senate meetings, particular media participation.
Lyle Senator Joseph Esau said that the previous wording about speaking privileges was a bit ambiguous. The request suggests that, “only Student Body Officers, Student Senate Officers (excluding the Speaker of the Senate), Student Senators, Standing Committee Chairs and the Student Senate Advisor may ask questions when recognized by the chair.”
If this legislation passes, media outlets will only be “allowed to ask questions during Speaker’s Podium,” and all media would have to request permission before every meeting to ask questions.
Some questions were raised about possibly adding a clause that permitted media to ask clarification questions, and Law Senator Jason Sansone said that sounded like a good idea to bring up in debate.
According to Sansone, some media have interjected comments that might have added bias to Senate members, making it almost seem as if there were a Media Senate Chair.
Tuesday’s issues also involved fees for renting out McFarlin Auditorium.
With no debate, members voted unanimously for McFarlin Auditorium to be free to all student-run events as long as all proceeds go to charity, but there will still be fees for security and staff.
Elections for the runoff for Student Body President and Vice President are today and tomorrow.
Presidential candidates are Jack Benage and Jake Torres. Vice Presidential candidates are Alex Ehmke and Austin Prentice. Students can vote at smu.edu/elections.
