With the end of the spring semester fast approaching, LSU’s Student Government is voting on bills, hosting end of year events to get excited about new initiatives and celebrate the end of a school year unlike any other.
LSU’s SG Senate will vote on a bill to increase student workers’ pay to $15 per hour instead of $7.25 per hour. Senate Speaker Marina Cole said the bill is non-binding, so if it passes at the Senate’s meeting on Wednesday, April 7, the administration will decide whether or not to implement it.
“It’s basically a suggestion to administration, but the bill shows them that students support a pay increase,” Cole said. “The University decides what should happen with it at the end of the day.”
At SG Senate’s meeting on Wednesday, April 7, the senators will vote on several finance bills. If passed, the first finance bill will fund the installation of ten feminine hygiene product dispensers. The second finance bill will allocate funding to install swings in the University’s art quad.
“The swings have been in the works for several years, so our senators are really excited to see this pass,” Cole said.
The Senate will vote to amend its bylaws and rules of order and to randomize names on election ballots instead of having them in alphabetical order.
The inauguration of LSU’s next Student Body President and Vice President Javin Bowman and Abbie Grace Milligan will be on April 14 at the steps of Memorial Tower.
Cormier said that the transition between the current and incoming SG administrations is going smoothly. He said that he wrote over 25 pages of transition documents for his position alone, so the Bowman-Milligan administration will be able to pick up where the Cox-Barrios administration left off.
Hear Her Voice, a virtual SG event on March 18, provided space for women to brainstorm initiative ideas to improve the University’s response toward sexual assault. The women were invited to voice their grievances and frustrations with LSU’s mishandling of sexual misconduct reports.
“We want women to feel empowered to start their own initiatives,” SG Chief of Staff Patrick Cormier said.
SG’s annual banquet will be held at the Hilton in Downtown Baton Rouge on Thursday, April 8. Because of COVID restrictions, 120 people can attend, including SG members and some members of LSU administration.
“It’s a chance for us to celebrate and reflect on the year,” Cormier said.
SG hands out superlative awards like “Best Committee Chair” and “Best Executive Member.” SG members from all three branches vote on the recipient of each award, so winners reflect SG’s opinion as a cohesive organization.
Cormier is nominated for “Best Character,” “Best Senior Staff Member” and “Best SG Member.”
“It feels good to know that people see the hard work that I’ve done this year,” Cormier said. “Whether or not the outcomes were exactly what members wanted, they recognize my intentions and the work I’ve put in. It’s sweet, and I’m so grateful.”
SG’s next installation of the drive-in movie series will feature “Mad Money” on Thursday, April 8 at the UREC fields at 8:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required. Campus Life, Parent & Family Programs, Student Activities Board, Student Financial Management Center, Student Government and the UREC pooled resources to plan this event.
