SA minutes from March 26

By Tina Nazerian     4/1/14 4:32pm

The following were noted at the most recent meeting of the Student Association on March 26.

• SA President Ravi Sheth announced a new system for SA meetings where voting members text their vote, which will allow for the senate to check individual votes afterwards.

• Sheth announced two new positions:

• • McMurtry College junior Trent Navran will be appointed Executive Vice President, a position which originated under two-term SA President Maryana Iskander in the late 1990s

  • Hanszen College freshman Sai Chilakapati will be appointed Chief of Staff and will report directly to SA Internal Vice President Abby Gordon

• SA IVP Abby Gordon announced that Student Initiatives Groups will be replacing Best Practice Committees, which had devolved into data collection organizations. Anyone can apply to head a Student Initiative Group via applications that will be released March 31.

• SA External Vice President Amritha Kanakamedala talked about ongoing student petitions.

• • The Center for the Study of Environment and Society Petition seeks to save the CSES from being moved or merged with other centers.

  • The administration had decided to demolish the Martel Center, and the Art Barn petition seeks to stave this and encourages preservation of the building. Vice President of Administration Kevin Kirby responded in an email, stating the demolition was scheduled for March 10 but delayed two weeks to explore options for preservation. In a second email, Kirby said the administration is finalizing an agreement to disassemble the main elements of the building and placed them into storage.

• Sheth introduced seven pieces of new legislation:

• • Permit Senate Meetings Every Other Week. This must pass referendum.

  • Create Executive Vice President position

  • Create Chief of Staff position

  • Create Wellbeing Standing Committee

  • Improve Flexibility of Judicial Procedure

  • Amend RSVP Elected Leadership Requirements so officials are no longer elected by the SA

  • Charter the Alcohol Registration Task Force, which will be convened by a college master, to solve complaints about how alcohol registration form can’t be used for all events. The Alcohol Registration Task Force passed with 24 votes and will convene early this week.

• Will Rice College junior Michael Pan gave the Blanket Tax Committee’s final reports, which found all blanket tax organizations besides Honor Council in good standing. A Contingency Committee will be convened to evaluate Honor Council’s current blanket tax of $2. Pan stated concerns over Honor Council’s spending of $40 per person at their changeover dinner. The committee is looking for two officers from any blanket tax organizations. Email np25@rice.edu if interested.

• Student Admission Council hometown ambassador committee leader Timothy Chang talked about Owl Days, which will be from April 9-11. Admissions expects around 400 prospective students and 1000 people total to visit. Chang said SAC needs volunteers to host visiting students.

• Emergency Medical Services Captain Patrick McCarthy proposed for EMS In-Charges to be guaranteed on-campus housing to ensure campus safety by reducing emergency response times. Currently, he said there is an EMS room at Duncan, but only one gender can be in it at a time, creating difficulties. Baker College Senator Nitin Agrawal will work to draft legislation to secure a response from the Dean of Undergraduates, and the issue will be discussed at the senate meeting in two weeks.

The SA will next meet Wednesday, April 9 in the Kyle Morrow Room in Fondren Library at 8 p.m.

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