The 98th Student Senate met on Tuesday to ring in the 2011 fall semester

President Austin Prentice proposed two bills, “A Resolution Honoring the Services of Clarence ‘Shorty’ Perkins and Alphonso ‘Buck’ Buchanan” and “A Resolution Honoring the

Services of Fred and Judith Banes.”

Fred and Judith Banes are longtime employees of SMU and the bill honoring the Banes’ years of service was unanimously passed.

The first bill regarding Perkins and Buchanan, however was tabled. Sen. Christian Genco moved the table the bill until next week.

Prentice also swore in Clint Adcox, James Mires, Jason Sansone, Laura Schur, and Jeff Wheelan. This marks the first inauguration of the fall semester.

Student speakers included sophomore Ruby Kim on behalf of the Korean Students Association, SMU-TV News Director Andy Garcia on The Daily Campus/Daily Mustang merger, and Shirin Tavakoli as part of Generation Wake Up. Laura Schur also spoke about a campaign where parents can buy gift certificates for their children, and part of that purchase will be donatated to a charity of their choice.

On behalf of Program Council, Sami Williams and Johnathon Machemehl thanked senate for their assistance in Block Party on the Boulevard.

“[Block Party] is a great way to welcome freshmen,” Machemehl, VP of Programming for Program Council, said.

Williams and Machemehl said this years Battle of the Bands will be held on Oct. 22 and applications will soon be out.

After the student speakers, Senate moved on to officer reports. Student Body President Austin Prentice opened by welcoming his fellow senators.

Prentice discussed his meeting with the Council of Library Directors, where they discussed elongating and standardizing library hours.

Prentice wants to see every library opened from 8 a.m. to midnight, and for Fondren to be open 24 hours every day. He feels it is necessary to “flatten” library hours so students are not confused by different libraries’ schedules.

He also addressed the many libraries on campus that are relatively unknown to most students.

Prentice used the example of the Underwood Law Library.

“Most think you can’t study there if you’re not a law student.”

Not only is the Law Library open to all SMU students, it is open from 8 a.m. to midnight during the week. “For students in V-S, it’s an equal distance to Fondren.”

Prentice also discussed a new Leadership Conference and Retreat, which is open to all students interested in learning about leadership.

The conference will take place in February, shortly before Senate elections.

Elections for first year student senators will be held on Sept. 30.

Membership chair Katherine Ladner said about 35 students have submitted applications.