Guest Speakers

Guest Speaker Kaitlyn Legg, coordinator of  the LGBT Resource Center, spoke in support of the Petition for the Publication Crime Alerts of Violent Crimes, introduced by Senator Staranzo Caudio.

After a hate crime against a transgender student occurred on Feb.14, she said it was important for students to have timely information about the acts of intimidation.

Guest Speaker Amy Costa, who works with Eco Venture said the ropes course on campus would be starting open climb times this month for students that are not able to get a group of eight people together.

President Fassi announced that the Division of Academic Affairs has agreed to the request for funding so that professors will distribute scantrons to students on exam days.

He hopes to have that done by April 9.

Fassi announced vetoes on travel requests passed by the Budget and Allocations Committee for travel requests.

He said this was because the Budget and Allocations Committee went through 70 percent of the available funds in the fall semester, so only the necessary funds are being approved in spring.

“I think preemptive measures need to be taken by the Budget and Allocations Committee when passing travel requests because it did disturb me that over half of the money that we had transferred into student conference travel had been spent in one week,” he said.

Attorney General Appointed

Haley Guerra, who has been the director of governmental affairs since April,  was appointed as Attorney General.

Guerra, who applied for the position last year, said she lost to the previous Attorney General Paige Lehman.

“For those of you who know Paige Lehman you can understand why I was not at all bitter about losing, she did an incredible job as Attorney General,” said Guerra.

New Business

New club funding process

The primary piece of legislation considered was about forming the Club Budget Committee (CBC) and changing policies for how clubs receive money.

The fundamental goal for the Student Protection and Affordable Travel Act is to create transparency and openness so that clubs have the full ability to request the travel funding they need.

Senator Collin Waychoff proposed a change to the student conference travel requests by reducing the number of times a Registered Student Organization can request from five to four, and also reducing the money it can request from $2,500 to $2,000.

Waychoff said this creates more opportunities for more clubs to get funding. The request was passed 29-0.

Funding requests

The Women in Business Society made a request for $800 for their event Step up to the Challenge.

The event will be held March 7, and will feature keynote speakers and networking opportunities. The request was passed 29-0.

Senator Petrosyan requested funds for a Public Opinion Research Lab, which would create jobs on campus. The request was passed 29-0.

Senator Waychoff requested funding for Turbo Vote, in hopes to increase student voting. The request was for $1,000 to initiate the program, which provides a website that will be specifically geared towards UNF students.

Waychoff said students can go online and put in all their information, and Turbo Vote will mail them all the paperwork needed to send absentee ballot or go to your local polling office to vote. The website also helps students register to vote and sends reminders about upcoming elections. The request passed 28-1.

Email Tiffany Felts at [email protected]

Email Saphara Harrell at [email protected]