Budget and Allocations Committee

On Friday Oct. 20, the Budget and Allocations Committee meeting began with public remarks from the Osprey Raiders, who were granted $782.80 to attend a race in Washington D.C. Although they didn’t win the 800-person race, they said students connected with other groups and positively represented UNF.

The group said they plan on attending the competition again, and will begin fundraising and training after Christmas break.

Next, Treasurer Chris Jordan and Osprey Productions (OP) Director Rachel Bryant discussed OP Movie Nights. According to Bryant, there have been concerns about non-students attending the events.

In order to give Activity and Service (A&S) fee-paying students priority, students will only be permitted to bring one non-student guest, who must be at least 18 years old. However, students younger than 18 can attend.

There will also be a separate “stand-by” line for students who bring a quest. Bryant said those students and guests will have to wait to enter, in order to ensure there are enough seats for students.  

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers requested $2,000 for the transportation costs to attend the organization’s national conference in Kansas City. It was approved unanimously, and the group is required to present what they did to the B&A committee when they return.

SG Director Celeste Watkins and Lend-a-Wing Pantry Assistant Director Sara Yuen came before the committee to request $66,000 for pantry renovations. According to Yuen, UNF’s Lend-a-Wing pantry is the only pantry in Florida that is completely free and anonymous, and their goal is to make the pantry more efficient and welcoming.

Watkins said the renovations will take about 3 weeks, so they should be finished by Feb. 5 if the project remains on schedule. The request was approved with a vote of 4 to 0, and the money will be taken from Special Requests funds.

Government Oversight

The Government Oversight (GO) Committee, headed by Chairman William Pease discussed upcoming elections and reminded senators about duties of the committee.

He explained in an open discussion that the GO Committee has a duty to watch over SG activities like the elections and campaigning.

Pease said the committee is the “first line of defense” when it comes to making sure everyone is following the rules.

Campaigning can be passive (signs, websites, and “paraphernalia”) or active (verbal, face-to-face interactions). Some things the committee is looking out for is campaigning in restricted areas and improper usage of signs.

Although passive campaigning can occur indoors, active campaigning is not permitted inside University buildings. However this does not include the “dining halls, Osprey Clubhouse, Arena, and Wellness Complex.”

Additionally, he said signs, flyers, and posters are not to be obstructive or excessive, and campaigning is only allowed on school grounds from the start of the Party Fair “or within 5 weeks of the nearest upcoming election.”

Pease ended the discussion about elections by suggesting committee members look for violations in campaigning and report any problems to Elections Commissioner Aesha Soliman.

University Student Affairs

The University Student Affairs Committee (USA) began with Student Advocate Amelia Stark encouraging students speak with her about any concerns or complaints.  

USA Chairwoman Megan Kovac then affirmed that the next Round Table event will commence on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 and will question students about the wellness center and the former skatepark. Kovac also reminded the committee that they are required to work the election polls.

The end of the meeting focused on minor revisions to Title XII of the constitution. The Changes condensed the article and eliminated repetition.

The next senate meeting will be on Oct. 27 and committee meetings are Nov. 3.

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