Senate spent Tuesday debating bills and resolving residual request issues in the Hughes-Trigg Forum.
A meeting that many senators said could have been much shorter was extended as students discussed the merits of various types of business, ranging from table skirts to commending the Memorial Health Center.
The finance committee presented after five complaints had been filed against the residual recommendations made last week.
After Leadership Consultant Council was re-appropriated $1,500 for its budget last week by the Senate, that money was up for grabs for organizations that were rejected in earlier bids for residual monies.
The Office of New Student Programs was the biggest winner, receiving $703 from residual left over money plus the $1,500 that was put back into the pot after LCC received money last week.
The $2,203 that the office received was for table skirts. A few senators felt that the funding for the skirts should be footed by the administration. But proponents said it was Senate’s job to help with the issue.
“We can sit here and agree this is something we should not fund,” Chief of Staff Heidi Kuglin said. “There will be no funding if we don’t do it today. We can all say that someone else should pay for it, and that’s fine, but it’s not going to happen.”
After the committee passed that proposal, the remaining complaints became mute because the money to fund anything else was not available.
But Senate pressed on discussing the merits of increasing Wesley’s allotment for more video equipment, which was rejected by the Senate.
“I just felt it wasn’t a pressing need,” Student Body President Jodi Warmbrod said. “[The $500 already allotted] will get them part of their equipment, and that’s enough for now.”
During capital requests, the Senate also passed a measure to fund $2,775 for three new computers for the new Senate office space and the members that will use it.
“[The computers now] are always broken and they’re slower than molasses, so this is a good thing,” Meadows Senator Erica Weber said. “I know we’re working for all 160 organizations, but I think we fund for ourselves a lot, and we need to take a look at it soon.”
After more committee updates, including the approval of the German Club as a chartered organization, the Senate spent 45 minutes debating whether or not it should commend the Memorial Health Center following the “Pounding the Pavement” results.
Student Issues Chairman and Dedman II Senator Asad Rahman said that the Health Center received 69% approval by students, and because of that improvement in student rating over last year, the center should be commended.
“Why not commend an increase? That makes perfect sense,” Rahman said.
Opponents argued that the results were skewed. Former Student Issues Chairwoman Kuglin also pointed out that last year’s survey was passed by three marketing professors while this year’s survey was not.
“This survey is in no way scientific,” Business Senator Michael Dorff said. “These percentages are in no way overwhelming.”
In the end, Senate approved the resolution.
Senate also heard a resolution to address the City of University Park concerning the intersection of Binkley Boulevard and Dublin Avenue.
Senators believed a four-way stop at the intersection would make it safer for drivers and pedestrians alike. The measure was passed with little debate.
Lighting deficiencies were also addressed in a bill written by several senators. The bill was an extension of the Senate’s work with the university “Light Walk” conducted in the fall.
“I think this is clearly a problem on our campus,” Dedman I Senator Meredith Price said. “I think that the senators that have worked on this deserve to be commended.”
The resolution was passed convincingly.
Senate also approved a measure presented by Rahman concerning university deficiencies in parking education.
The resolution was passed to encourage parking education is emphasized more by the SMU Police Department and the university.
Senate also heard five new pieces of legislation. All five received questions and will be debated at next week’s final Senate meeting.
