BY CORIE LYNN
Thursday night, Fort Hays State University’s Student Government Association held their weekly meeting. During this time, the group passed five new bills, including moving to add a new student senator to represent the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences.
In addition to this bill, the student senators passed two bills pertaining to FHSU’s Shooting Sports Club. One allowed the club to utilize a new budget, which had to be adjusted according to COVID-19 greatly impacting how the club members could use their funds, and one to allow the club to utilize rollover funds.
Following these bills, the senators passed two more bills allowing FHSU Rodeo Club to utilize rollover for competition travel and for Daisi Brand to attend the online Southwestern Psychological Association Convention.
Though much of the meeting was spent in voting and discussing these bills, the student senators also heard one bill and one resolution read for the first time and heard reports from executive staff members and committee chairs.
The first report came from President Haley Reiter, who began by explaining the Equal Opportunity Fund Bill, which was the bill up for first reading.
According to Reiter, this bill provides funding to campus organizations on a five-year rotation. Of these five years, organizations are ineligible for funds for two years. This year, many organizations fell into their two-year ineligibility.
“We did not have the number of applications we usually see,” she said.
In addition to this explanation, Reiter informed the student senators that there were no applications for the Student Emergency Assistance Fund.
Following a question by a senator, she then stated that applications for this fund will be available to students post-pandemic and that she hopes the upcoming Day of Giving will replenish the fund.
“We are continuing to work with the Foundation to work with donors,” she said.
Of the other executive staff members, Vice President Bryson Homman reported that he began work to organize the Navigator Award Committee, and Treasurer David Schulte reported he was in the process of meeting with the Allocations Committee to finalize next year’s budget.
Legislative Affairs Director Crystal Rojas met with fellow LADs during the week, and Community Relations Director Jayden Siebert reminded the student senators that registration for the Big Event is now open on Tiger Link.
Many of the committees also gave reports.
The Appropriations Committee stated it had two bills up for second reading that night and the Legislative and Political Action Committee discussed Memorial Union fee reviews.
The General Education Committee discussed core proposals and is preparing to send out rubrics to instructors.
The Learning Environment Committee reported it discussed technology and furniture. In addition to this discussion, the committee is also preparing a survey on outdoor study space to send to students in the fall.
During the Open Forum, Student Senator Daniel Martinez raised a concern that instructors and students in the Center for Applied Technology have not been wearing their masks properly and that drinking fountains have not been closed in the building.
Reiter and Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Teresa Clounch confirmed with Martinez that the best way to address this concern is to report it through the University’s COVID-19 reporting form.
Before the meeting came to a close, Dr. Joey Linn, President for Student Affairs, announced to students that the Student Affairs Department is looking for graduate assistants.
The Student Government Association will reconvene Thurs., Mar. 11 at 7 p.m.