The Student Government Senate held their first official meeting on Wednesday, marking the beginning of its 56th session.
The meeting, held in the Capital Chambers on the third floor of the Student Union, was presided over by Speaker of the Senate and Speaker Pro Tempore, mechanical engineering and theater performance senior Samantha Stag and economics senior Olivia Devall, respectively.
One of the first orders of business was the creation of a new position, the rules member at large. The newly created position seeks to ensure that the governing body follows its rules and procedures.
Four senators were nominated for the position, each providing arguments for why they would best fit the position. Ultimately, University College Center for Freshman Year senator Ian Williams was elected to the position.
“I would just like to say for myself, that I will be able to give the time and attention that it will require, and I have the drive to excel in this position and learn as much as I can about it,” said Williams, a political communication freshman.
Senator for the College of Engineering Colin Raby introduced a bill to give the Budget and Appropriations committee the ability to fund things over the summer. He said they were technically given the ability to do this last spring but wants to have it codified in an official manner.
“Ideally, we don’t have to but unfortunately we don’t live in an ideal world,” Raby said. “Every year since I’ve been here we’ve wanted to do things and fund things for the summer and this essentially gives us the ability to do that.”
SG will also be expanding their role on campus with a series of new projects designed to enhance campus sustainability.
Officers from the executive branch explained some of the projects they’re working on, with political science junior Gigi Powers, director of campus and sustainability, explaining her work to put OZZI, a reusable to-go box, into the dining halls.
OZZI would be a sustainable alternative to styrofoam to-go boxes. The boxes can be returned to the dining halls, washed by the kitchen staff and then re-used, she said.
According to political science senior Isabella Rovere, director of We’re Committed, the executive branch will be looking at how the overturning of Roe v. Wade may impact students at LSU.
We’re Committed is a department of the executive branch dedicated to preventing sexual violence on campus, according to Rovere. She said they will also be organizing programs to bring awareness to domestic violence.
They will be finding out details on how LSUPD responds to sexual assault, Rovere said. She was selected to sit on the committee to plan out a power-based violence climate survey, which will see how students feel about the issue at LSU.
Rovere said applications to sit on the Advisory Council for Power-Based Violence, a group seeking to advise the university on issues related to sexual assault, will go live sometime in September.
Additionally, chemical engineering sophomore Hamood Qureshi, a senator for UCFY, said SG is running a food drive in the UREC and the Student Union. According to the LSU SG Instagram, the program, called Sidelining Hunger: Canned Food Challenge, will run until Sept. 9.
By the meeting’s conclusion, the Senate accepted the resignations of three senators from the College of Engineering, University Center for Advising and Counseling and UCFY.
SG had met the previous Wednesday for an orientation meeting, but no official business was discussed. Future meetings, which are open to the public, will be held every Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. until Nov. 16.
