Senate approves changes to AFB bylaws

There was a motion to approve the activity fee board bylaw changes that was eventually passed after much discussion.

Senator Nathaniel Brown offered an amendment to strike a change that discussed fundraising. The bylaw says that clubs can fundraise with seed money from the student fee account, but they will have to return the seed money after the fundraiser. It does state in case of a loss on the fundraiser, clubs will not have to return the money. Brown defended his position saying that fundraising is allowed whether this bylaw is put in place or not.

CAB Vice Chair of Finance Molly O’Connell said that this bylaw was put in place to line up with tax codes and school codes.

After the motion to amend the fundraising bylaw was called to question, the motion to strike down the fundraising bylaw failed.

The original motion to pass the bylaws as they were presented passed after a call to question.

Laure Sinn, coordinator of the rangeland facility and of B.E.A.M.S.S., came asking for an allocation of no more than $600. She said that Temple Grandin is coming to speak on campus on Jan. 28, 2016. She will be giving presentation from 2-3:30 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom that will be more focused on those in the agriculture and rangeland program, but she will also present from 7-8:30 p.m. in Memorial Hall for everyone. Sinn asked for $500 to help cover tech fees in Memorial Hall and an extra $100 to help cover the printing of invites for those who donated to the Rangeland Complex. Sinn said she would also like to invite the Nebraska senators and the governor.

Senator At Large Tate Jensen pointed out that Senate already allocated money to bring a speaker—Jamie Utt—to campus on that same day. Utt will present from 6-8 p.m. that day in the Student Center.

The $600 allocation was passed after senators decided that the two speakers will probably focus on separate audiences anyway.

Senator Syerra Wycoff Bagshaw presented about bringing Mesmerie Entertainment to campus in the spring. They are a circus-like entertainment group from Denver. She would like them to come on either April 9 or 16, 2016. She suggested offering a BBQ that would be free for students and then the circus performance. She is still working out details with conferencing, the contract, and dining services. She said she will come back with more information and a motion for an allocation next semester.

Senator Tierra Snyder was in the wrong senator position because she was not in the E.H.P.C.P.S.W. school. She resigned from that position and then was appointed and approved for the open at large position. Following that encounter, Jensen resigned from his position as an at large senator and was then appointed and approved as a senator of E.H.P.C.P.S.W. There is still one open at large position.

Senate has $76,030.50 remaining after spending $243,957.27 this semester.

A company called Share the Bus contacted Senate President Katrina Hurley to offer students rides home during large breaks. The contract for the company would be free for the college, but students would have pay for their tickets home in advance. She said an example of pricing would be $100 for a ticket one-way to Lincoln. She asked if senators would be willing to set this up for this Christmas break but senators decided there was not enough notice. Senators were asked to talk to constituents to see if this is something they would like set up for spring break.

Hurley reminded senators that this was the last meeting for the fall semester.

Kent Hall Senator Samantha Merrill said she’s had some complaints about showers in Kent. She asked if there was any way to get stalls in front of the showers for a changing area. She is going to do more research and present her findings next semester.

Jensen suggested that the constitutional court should look into adding non-traditional and commuter positions to Senate.

Mauro Ovando commented on the Internet from the weekend and suggested where there were problems to change the DNS (domain name system) to improve internet quality.

Project Strive has been working with the city to get plastic recycling bins on campus next semester.