STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 4, 2003

MLK ROOM CAMPUS CENTER

                                        4:31 pm

 

 

ATTENDANCE

                    Absent: N. Saputo, V. Santana, J. Trompke, E. Mead, C. Abreu, J.

                         Pereira

                    Arrived Late: M. Ryan, J. Williamson, R. Theberge, K. Leung

                  Left Early: A. Dalton, J. Alfonzo, J. Peralta, S. Boucher

Guests: Abraham Scarr (MASSPIRG), Jonathan Ring (Student

 Trustee & CFACT), Melissa Zardas (Political Science), Kamaka

Scipp, Ralph Sherrick (Editor of SSC Log), Candace Curtain,

Michael Raskevitz (CORE advisory), Elizabeth Paz (MASSPIRG)

 

                       

 

                               I.      Minutes
 

Chair Lappas pointed out that in the first page under the President’s Report there was a typo, the word “they” was written twice.

 

                        President Dalton announced the minutes for October 28, were

                        accepted as changed.

 

                            II.      PRESIDENT’S REPORT

 

 · President Dalton announced that the E-Board held screen-ins

this past Monday.

 

               MOTION: President Dalton entertained a motion to accept

                         Michael Patrick Higgins to Freshman Senate.

                                        Batastini/ Runyan (Unanimous)

   

    · President Dalton reminded the group that the Student

    Advisory Council applications are due on November 17.  The

   position as advisor is for this current year and for next year.  If

   anyone is interested talk to President Dalton.

 

·President Dalton also reminded the group that some people have not returned the e-mail regarding press release. She explained that local newspapers would be printing a little bit about all the members of Student Government. 

 

· President Dalton informed us that she has been working with

Eileen O’Brien from the Alumni Association in coming up with

a senior class gift.  The Alumni Association will match

whatever the seniors raise.

 

· President Dalton announced she will be leaving the meeting

at 5:00 because she is representing the Student Government

Association at a dinner with Goldie Hawn.

 

                         III.      VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT

 

· Vice President Batastini announced that she had met with the Catholic Student Community, START, and MASSPIRG, and they discussed hunger and homeless awareness week and Attitude for Gratitude.  They discussed a hunger banquet to be held in the Mezzanine dining commons where there will be some students classified as high class and they will eat a big meal, others will be middle class and eat rice and beans, and the rest will be low class and eat just rice.  There will also be a speaker there.  She also mentioned that on November 20 is Attitude for Gratitude so you can bring any non-perishables to room 204 in the campus center.  The group with the most donations will win either a pizza party or a free breakfast.

 

· Vice President Batastini announced that there will be no meeting next week because it is Veteran’s Day. When classes are cancelled we have no meetings. 

 

                         IV.      TREASURER'S REPORT 
        

         · Treasurer Garvey reminded everyone that COSGA applications

          are due by the end of this meeting.  He went over the selection

          process, which included filling out an application and having an

          interview if the E-Board finds it necessary.  He also reminded that

           once you are selected you have to sign a contract, if you sign the

          contract and bail out on the conference you will be

                      held responsible for the $600 trip cost.

 

                            V.      ASST. TREASURER’S REPORT

 

· Assistant Treasurer Mazza reminded the Junior Senate that they will be doing a Robert’s Rules workshop at the next meeting.

 

· Assistant Treasurer Mazza let the group know about 2 Salem State International students who lost all of their belongings in a fire.

 

              MOTION: Assistant Treasurer Mazza made a motion to donate $500

                      to the fund to help out these students.

                                                                                    Theberge (Unanimous)

                       

                         VI.      SECRETARY’S REPORT

 

· Secretary Spano requested that all the Chairs give her a list of all members of their committees by the end of this meeting.

 

· Secretary Spano handed out 4 general admission tickets to go see Goldie Hawn.

 

· Secretary Spano brought up office hours and told the group to be creative with their office hour.  Lately President Dalton has been making suggestions on the board, but it should not be up to her to brainstorm ideas.  Don’t be afraid to start a big project.  Anything that is beneficial to the students would be perfect for an office hour.

 

                      VII.      SENATE REPORTS

 

   · SENIOR SENATE

 

· Senator Ryan told the group that she was stopped by police at O’Keefe on the way to the meeting and they told her she couldn’t park there because it was closed for Goldie Hawn.  She had to drive all the way back home to get her tickets so that she would be able to park on campus because the other parking lots were stuffed because of night classes.  With O’Keefe center closed off there was no parking for students who had to go to class.  Dr. Brossoit told her that the Parking Task Force has decided to break into subdivisions.  One of them dealing with the question of how parking is changed during events (like the speaker series event) and another group is dealing with how to communicate these changes to the students. 

 

   · JUNIOR SENATE

 

· Junior Senate announced they will have a speaker next meeting and a game to enforce Robert’s Rules.

 

    · SOPHOMORE SENATE

 

  · Sophomore Senate expressed their concern with the advisors

   not advising.  Senator Theberge for one had a huge problem with

   advising and was really disturbed by it.  Chair Skorker told

   everyone that getting an audit from the registrar would help so

   there were no sudden surprises come advising time.  Dr. Brossoit

   said told her to talk to the chairperson, if that doesn’t work go to

   the dean.  He also mentioned that Career Services helps a lot too.

 

    · FRESHMAN SENATE

 

· No Report

 

                   VIII.      STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS

 

·        FINANCE COMMITTEE

 

· Treasurer Garvey announced that his committee met with the Political Science Academy and went over their proposal.  He had Melissa Zardas from Political science explain their trip to the group.  She informed us that in February they will be going to Boston for 3 days to the Harvard National Model United Nations, which is a competition that simulates what the United Nations does.  It is part of a class and 16 people will be attending

 

MOTION: Treasurer Garvey made a motion to fund the Political

  Science Academy $1250 for their trip to the Model United

  Nations in Boston.

            Mazza/ Cogliano (Unanimous)

 

·        RULES COMMITTEE

 

·Chair King announced that she had a productive meeting.  They went over the terms for the glossary, cleaned up the impeachment process, and mainly concentrated on the election process.  Some suggestions were to contact MTVs Rock the Vote and to contact Kiss108.  Also they had spoken to Bill Murphy from the SGA website who said that there was no reason why we could not hold online elections.  They also discussed senate projects. 

 

· Part time voting rights were brought up and it was suggested that part time students do a referendum .

 

· The Rules committee will meet after next meeting on November 18 at 7:00 in the ground floor of the Campus Center.

 

                    · STUDENT LIFE COMMITTEE

 

· Chair Boucher handed out a paper with her ideas and some room for suggestions. 

 

· Dr. Brossoit told Chair Boucher that we are now 8 or 9 weeks into the semester and if her schedule prevents her from meeting with her committee than maybe she should think of other ways to get it done.

 

· CONCERT COMMITTEE

   

·  Treasurer Garvey informed all the members of the concert committee that they will be receiving an E-mail about a meeting time.  They are still in the preliminary stages waiting for a response from the President regarding money from the reserves.  Treasurer Garvey went over the basic procedures for putting on a concert along with themes, genres, and other committees that will be needed as the concert rolls closer.

 

                    ·   ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

 

· Chair Skorker introduced his guest speaker Michael Raskevitz who is a member of the core advisory and he spoke about proposed changes to the core curriculum. 

 

                             MOTION:  Chair Skorker entertained a motion to appoint

                                Sarah Godbois to the Academic Affairs committee.

            Runyan/Milan(Unanimous)

 

· Chair Skorker announced that he, along with Nicole Couture and Candace Curtain, met with Dean Shea about giving athletes gym credits and they were informed that gym credit is already available to athletes they just have to inquire about it.

 

· Chair Skorker announced his meeting that will be held after this meeting at 6:30 in the Heritage Room.  All are welcome to attend.

 

· Chair Skorker also brought up the fact that the Academic Policies committee made their meeting time on Tuesdays from 3-5, which is ridiculous considering they know that the members of the committee have senate meetings every Tuesday. 

 

                             · GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS

 

· Chair Lappas announced that he will be having a meeting next Monday, November 10 at 2:45 in the Campus Center Underground.

 

· Interim President Batastini reminded Chair Lappas to hand out the Voter Registration forms that are in his mailbox. 

 

·        JUDICIAL AFFAIRS

 

No report

 

·        PUBLIC RELATIONS

 

· Chair Ryer announced that her committee will not be meeting on Wednesday.

 

· Chair Ryer informed us that the SSC Log is going to start sending a reporter to Senate Meetings so SGA will have coverage in the Log.  The editor-in-chief was asked to include lots of things in the Log including, but not limited to, a schedule of events and an update on parking.  He replied that if we supply him the information then he will print it.  The e-mail address is ssclog@yahoo.com. 

 

 

                         IX.      OLD BUSINESS
 

 · Senator Cahill brought up the amendment to the referendum

that has been posted, but he also wanted to change it so that it required 2/3 of the senate vote or signatures from 10% of any undergraduate day students.  There was much debate about the fact that the posted amendment was changed with no notice so Senator Cahill decided to just deal with changing it so that instead of requiring 2/3 vote of senate AND signatures from 10% of undergraduate full time day students you only needed either or. 

 

       MOTION: Senator Cahill made a motion to change the referendum to

                  require either 2/3 of the senate vote OR signatures from 10% of

                  undergraduate full time day students.

                                                Williamson (In favor: 7, Against:7…Motion Fails)

                    

 · There were a lot of people who thought that the percentage of

signatures should be upped to 15% or 20% so this will most likely

come up again.

 

                            X.      NEW BUSINESS

 

  None 

 

                         XI.      DISCUSSION

 

· Sharon Rivers announced that the Alliance is accepting resumes

for directors or stage managers for plays they will be

putting on in February.  Also on November 21 there will be an

AIDS benefit dance so if you are interested in helping out join

the committee.

 

· Senator Williamson announced that her and Senator Theberge

are championing a recycling bin next to the elevators at Peabody

Hall, so use it.

 

 

                      XII.      ADJOURNMENT 6:15 p.m.

 

  MOTION: Acting President Batastini entertained a motion to

   adjourn the meeting.

                        Alexis/ Laine (Unanimous)

 

 

SUBMITTED BY MICHELLE L. SPANO