The Student Senate meeting commenced at 6 p.m. on Monday.

Vice President Justin Schilling filled in as the chair while President Jaden Mikoulinskii attended graduate school interviews.

Elizabeth TenBarge, Academic Affairs commission director, said her commission and the equity and student matters commission will aid the university liberal education committee in evaluating the Responsibility Outcome 1 rubric. 

The R1 rubric sets the standards for all Equity, Diversity and Inclusion courses taught at the university. The current R1 rubric was last updated August 2014.

Maddie Loeffler, student office of sustainability director, said planning is underway for an Earth Day event.

Brett Farmer, University Activity commission director, said hypnotist Chris Jones is doing a free show for students at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1 in Schofield Auditorium.

Brenden Hicks, Student Organizations commission director, said the process of funding student organizations with segregated fees has continued after a meeting last week was canceled due to bad weather conditions.

Josh Holness, chief of staff, reintroduced bill 65-B-9 and updated attachment 65-B-9a to adopt new chapters I and II to the senate bylaws. The bill passed by a resolution of 24-0-1.

Changes to the bylaws include allowing directors to vote without being a senator, no longer requiring the U.S. flag to be present at meetings and replacing the pledge of allegiance with a military acknowledgement statement.

Nick Johnson, Finance commission director, introduced 65-R-24, a resolution to alter the organized activity process timeline. The current process occurs over the course of two sessions and according to Johnson, shortening the process will alleviate pressure within the finance commission timeline.

The senate took a verbal vote and the resolution passed.

Yoshi Gaitan, Communications commission director, introduced resolution 65-R-25 and attachment 65-R-25a to condemn the merging of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Blugold Beginnings.

According to Gaitan, OMA and Blugold Beginnings will lose space when their offices are combined.

Mengcha Moua, Equity in Student Matters commission director, said there is a history of OMA office spaces being used as a safe space for students of color.

“This extends the rhetoric that students of color cannot have more than one space on campus – it sets up the idea that we are meant to be closed into one room, have one spot and nowhere else,” Gaitan said. 

Senator Drew Dravis said she recognized the resolution may not stop the merger, but it is meant to show future senate sessions how students truly felt about the merger.

The resolution passed with a vote of 25-0-1.

The senate adjourned at 7:42 p.m. and will reconvene at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 7 in the Dakota Ballroom.

Kasper can be reached at [email protected].