The Student Senate favorably passed three bills Wednesday night appropriating $45,500 from the Student Government initiatives account. Sen. Chris Sellers wrote all three bills whose passage brings the initiatives account total from $80,602.76 to $35,102.76, if SG President Cassie Alsfeld approves the allocations. Though one of Sellers’ bills passed with 29 yays, four nays and three abstentions, it stirred debate lasting more than an hour before the Senate passed a vote. Sellers, vice chair of the Finance Committee, wrote the bill aiming to withdraw a maximum of $30,000 from the initiatives account for the Center for Community Engagement, Learning and Leadership. Parliamentarian Anna Dearmon had to call the Senate to order several times during discussion about the bill and asked Sen. Whitney Breaux, Manship School of Mass Communication, to leave. Breaux spoke the words “God damn it” during the meeting. Dearmon warned Breaux multiple times about her decorum and told her, “we don’t allow that kind of behavior.” Sellers said the money will defray the cost of implementing 15 new service learning courses in CCELL. Though several senators shared concerns, two senators went head-to-head during the debate. Sen. Matt McEntire, history graduate student, adamantly opposed the bill questioning the academic success of students who enroll in the service learning course compared to those who do not. Sen. Krista Allen, University College Center for Freshman Year, defended the bill arguing her education has benefited with service learning courses and criticized McEntire for his assumptions about such courses. Sellers interjected several times during the debate to defend his bill. He reported 77 percent of students said they received a better understanding of course content through service learning courses. Sen. Kyle Chandler, vice chair of the Housing, Infrastructure and Technology Committee, said the arguments caused him to be even more confused about the purpose of service learning courses. Although the bill passed favorably, McEntire announced his resignation at the end of the meeting telling the Senate “Fuck it” before walking out. McEntire said he quit because of failure to receive recognition to speak on behalf of the student body. Sellers’ second bill passed unanimously with two abstentions and seeks to appropriate $500 from the account to fund Career Services’ spring semester Career Expo. Sellers said the expo includes more than 200 different corporations who help students find summer jobs and internships. Sellers’ third bill passed unanimously and will allocate $15,000 to the Center for Academic Success to help defray the cost of hiring additional tutors. Sellers urged favorable passage claiming “we are using student fees to help students, I don’t see a better way to use the funds.” Although the bill sparked more debate about Sellers’ request for such a high amount, Alsfeld defended the bill. Alsfeld said if the money in the initiatives account is not used, the money rolls over into the SG surplus account, which can be a hassle. Earlier during the meeting, three senators introduced a resolution urging the University to move the spring break holiday to the week after Easter to make it more in-line with other East Baton Rouge schools. The senators seeking changes to the academic calendar include Andy Palermo, chair of the Housing, Infrastructure and Technology Committee; Amanda Gammon, College of Arts and Sciences; and Meghan Hanna, vice chair of the Athletics, Academics and Administration Committee. Palermo said to maintain the minimum required number of classes per semester – 42 – the bill proposes to resume classes at 12:30 p.m. on Ash Wednesday. The resolution passed favorably with one abstention and will be sent to the LSU Systems Office. Palermo said the changes would be implemented in the 2010-2011 school year if administration favor the changes. Earlier during Public Input, the Senate received a presentation about a $60 fee increase for the first time, although the Student Health Center’s proposed fee increase is already en route to the Office of the Chancellor. The Student Required Fee Committee began the fee increase recommendation process to acting Chancellor William Jenkins in March. The committee approved the fee increase after hearing SHC Director Arthur Goulas’ second presentation planning to raise the current $120 student fee to $180 during the next three years effective fall 2009. Goulas’ budgetary projection to the Senate said a fee increase is essential to maintain the current level of services and preventing the auxiliary service from going into the red by $1,709,840 by the 2011-2012 fiscal year. Goulas said he needs money to keep up with inflation and he would like to enhance the Mental Health Services Clinic. Goulas said he would also like to hire a full-time dentist and another nurse practitioner. “But if another [nurse practitioner] walked in tomorrow, I couldn’t hire him or her because we don’t have space,” Goulas said. When the floor opened for questions, one senator asked Goulas why the students should pay $180 when they can receive health care somewhere else. “I see where we need improvements, but I don’t see why we need such a big increase,” Sen. Kyle Chandler asked. Goulas told Chandler his point was well taken, but urged him to look at the bigger picture. “Unless you go to medical school or have a doctor in your family, this may be the best health care for some people,” Goulas said. “You can come to the Health Center an unlimited number of times. I still say, depending on who you see, $180 is a heck of a bargain.” Earlier during New Business, senators Brandon Boyd and Corey Graham of the College of Engineering introduced two resolutions. The first resolution urges the Department of Students’ Rights and Welfare to construct a wall-size bulletin board called the “Tiger Wall” outside of Middleton Library for students to post suggestions. Senate Speaker Pro Temp Ben Clark referred the resolution to the of Students’ Rights and Welfare Committee. Another resolution from Boyd and Graham requests the Office of Facility and Utility Operations to discontinue using Cypress mulch for campus landscaping. Clark referred the resolution to the Housing, Infrastructure and Technology Committee. Graham and Boyd’s third resolution urges the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation to reserve residential parking lot hours from 7:30 p.m. Sunday to 4:30 p.m. Friday. The resolution was referred to the HIT Committee. Several senators introduced resolutions supporting and opposing state Legislature bills. The first resolution opposes La. House of Representatives bill No. 199, which would authorize the carrying of handguns on college, university or post-secondary vocational-technical school campuses by individuals who possess a concealed handgun permit. The resolution was drafted with the collective efforts of five senators serving on the Governmental Relations Committee including Chairman Drew Prestridge, Vice Chairwoman Megan Blanco, Ryan Foley, College of Music and Dramatic Arts; Kelli Eason, Manship School of Mass Communication; and Michael Canseco, University College Center for Freshman Year. Another resolution lobbies support for La. Senate bill No. 428, which would require a persons’ college or university application or academic registration also serve as his or her voter registration application. Prestridge, Blanco, Canseco, Gammon and Sen. Kristen Oaks, College of Agriculture, wrote the bill. A third resolution opposes La. House of Representatives bill No. 677, which would allow the LSU Board Supervisors to impose a $250 increase in the University’s operational fee each semester for full-time undergraduate and graduate students effective fall 2008. Prestridge, Eason and Canseco also wrote a resolution advocating La. House of Representatives bill No. 240, which would raise the minimum required age to buy or possess tobacco from age 18 to age 21. The resolutions were referred to the SRW Committee. On the flip side, four senators drafted a resolution opposing the bill’s objective. The senators opposed to an increase in the minimum age requirement include Blanco, Foley, Sellers and Gammon.
—-Contact Natalie Messina at [email protected]