At the Oct. 18 UNF Student Government Senate meeting, four senators have been removed from the Senate following their absences at appeal hearings, Swoop Troupe was granted funding in a unanimous vote and UNF SG Chief Justice Ali Sartawi is going on leave. 

Senator absences

Four senators have been removed from the SG Senate due to their failure to appear at their absence appeal hearings. 

Senators Kate Ferguson, Erin Flowe, Sophie Carollo and Jessica Till have now lost their seats.

When a senator has too many absences, they receive absence points. The Student Government gives senators the opportunity to earn back their absence points through volunteering at SG events. When senators don’t earn back absence points or continuously miss meetings, SG holds absence appeal hearings. Ferguson, Flowe and Till did not attend their absence appeal hearings, meaning they were dismissed from the Senate.

Senate President Audrey McGrath stressed the importance of senator attendance at the meeting. 

Swoop Troupe funding

The SG Senate passed a bill allowing Swoup Troupe to receive $2,937.35 to cover their storage unit for the year in a 16-0 vote. 

The Budget and Allocations Committee originally passed this bill to the Senate in a 4-0 vote during their Oct. 4 meeting.

During the B&A meeting, Sen. Liz Kramer, current Sergeant at Arms of the SG Senate, did advise Swoop Troupe to try funding the storage unit themselves in future years so more money can “go to the students,” she said.

At the Senate meeting, Kramer reiterated her statement during the bill’s discussion.

Following Kramer’s comments, Sen. Bonilla Villalobos stated that SG is exactly where RSOs should come if they need or want funding.

“I feel like it’s very valid for them to come to us to be able to fund this,” Villalobos said. “That’s what we’re here for.”

Chief Justice Sartawi on leave

Sartawi will be on leave from Oct. 20 until the end of November. Sartawi is going home to Jordan to visit family. 

Sartawi said in his absence, Deputy Chief Justice Ann Bordin will be in his place. 

At the next Rules and Oversight Committee meeting, an eighth associate justice may be approved by the committee. 

If approved, they will have to be approved by the Senate at the next meeting held on Nov. 1, according to the Student Government website. 

Up next: committee meetings

The next committee meetings are set to take place this Friday, Oct. 25.

• Rules and Oversight Committee: Oct. 25, 10 a.m.
• Budget and Allocations Committee: Oct. 25, noon
• University and Student Affairs Committee: Oct. 25, 2 p.m.

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