Bryn Mawr College SGA Meeting – September 27, 2015
Roll Call
Announcements
Your Two Cents
Recap of Plenary
SGA Budget
Big Cheese Forum Prep
Old Business
New Business
Roll Call
Present: Rhea Manglani, Madison Wilson, Samantha Heyrich, Jasmine Rangel, Delaney Williams, Natalie DiFrank, Miranda Smith, Chanel Williams, Coco Wang, Emma Basen-Engquist, Kyra Sagal, Shakari Badgett, Lindsey Foster, Modupe Olufemi, Rachel Ofili, Eve Cantler, Charlette Williams, Casiana Omick, Bridget Murray, Ana Llamas, JoyAngelica Chan, Ann Tran, Stephanie Montalvan, Khadijah Seay, Danielle Cadet, Tosin Ajiboye, Celeste Ledesma, Emily Gifford-Smith, Connie Lam, Lyntana Brougham, Sarah Andrew, Lilly King, Oona Ryle, Delia Landers, Hannah Chinn, Nora Dell, Diamond Ray, Melanie Bahti, Erin Saladin, Rina Patel, Maria Minaya, Sedi Agawu, Lillian Oyen-Ustad, Nikitha Shakamuri.
Absent: Mara Dominguez, Sneha Soni, Elizabeth Lorenzana, Olivia Hollinger, Elaine Holehan, Alexis Wiltsire, Radhika Singh, Dijia Chen, Emily Siegel.
Charlie Bruce ‘16 called the meeting to order at 7:10pm
Charlie Bruce ’16: Hey everyone let’s begin with roll call!
Roll Call
Angela Motte ’17: Hello everyone! As a reminder, I record these meetings, so keep that in mind when you speak.
Present: Rhea Manglani, Madison Wilson, Samantha Heyrich, Jasmine Rangel, Delaney Williams, Natalie DiFrank, Miranda Smith, Chanel Williams, Coco Wang, Emma Basen-Engquist, Kyra Sagal, Shakari Badgett, Lindsey Foster, Modupe Olufemi, Rachel Ofili, Eve Cantler, Charlette Williams, Casiana Omick, Bridget Murray, Ana Llamas, JoyAngelica Chan, Ann Tran, Stephanie Montalvan, Khadijah Seay, Danielle Cadet, Tosin Ajiboye, Celeste Ledesma, Emily Gifford-Smith, Connie Lam, Lyntana Brougham, Sarah Andrew, Lilly King, Oona Ryle, Delia Landers, Hannah Chinn, Nora Dell, Diamond Ray, Melanie Bahti, Erin Saladin, Rina Patel, Maria Minaya, Sedi Agawu, Lillian Oyen-Ustad, Nikitha Shakamuri.
Absent: Mara Dominguez, Sneha Soni, Elizabeth Lorenzana, Olivia Hollinger, Elaine Holehan, Alexis Wiltsire, Radhika Singh, Dijia Chen, Emily Siegel.
Charlie Bruce ’16: Thanks! We’re going to move on to announcements. During this item, any new items for discussion, questions, or announcements can be made. We have allotted ten minutes for this agenda item.
Announcements
Joy Chan ’17: Hey everyone, I’m Joy.
Delany William ’17: I’m Delaney. We’re the elections co heads! Elections results are in. Member at Large, we have Lilly King, Oona Ryle, Delia Landers, Hannah Chinn, Radhika Singh, and Nora Dell. Pensby Representative is Diamond Ray. Faculty Representatives are Melanie Bahti and Erin Saladin.
Joy Chan ’17: Off Campus Representatives are Sneha Soni and Elizabeth Lorenzana. Haverford Representatives are Rina Patel and Maria Minaya. 2017 Class Presidents are
Sedi Agawu and Alexis Wiltshire. 2019 Class Presidents are Lillian Oyen-Ustad and Nikitha Shakamuri.
Charlie Bruce ’16: Any other announcements? I have a couple. So first, from Jessie Gayle, new head of communications! They want to help us have more advertising for large-scale events, like a dance, or a bingo, or something. She can help you out getting notoriety. Please email me at cebruce@brynmawr.edu if you have any questions. We also have a new addition to our agenda tonight. Hot Topics were an experiment last year that was pretty much a big discussion that allowed community members to talk about everything, but Rep Council has to speak from their positions, with their constituents in mind. But anyway, Hot Topics allow people to speak for themselves. We’re going to have a Hot Topic tonight after SGA about Teas, and the history of the word. Next, Pam Gassman will serve as the student representative to the dean search. She is an intern at admissions, and she is very excited to be on this committee. Also, EBoard will be having office hours! Mine are 7-8 on Wednesdays in the Campus Center.
Linh Tran ’16: I don’t have mine yet, but I take appointments.
Gabrielle Smith ’17: Mine are 3-4 in the Campus Center.
Molly MacDougall ’16: 10-11 on Wednesday in lower level lounge in guild.
Angela Motte ’17: Hold on, sorry I’m still typing. Ok! Mine are Tuesdays from 11:30 to 12:30 in the Campus Center.
Charlie Bruce ’16: Any more announcements? Ok Next item! Your Two Cents! Anyone in the BMC undergrad community can host a straw poll or bring up a topic for discussion.
Your Two Cents
Charlie Bruce ’16: Anyone? I have some! I was wondering if people would be interested in having a “Mawrtyr of the Week” where people can come up and say good things about people and give them a shout out. I’m going to do a straw poll. Yes, No, I abstain are your options. Raise your hands please. Man! Oh Well! On to the next agenda item. Plenary Recap.
Recap of Plenary
Charlie Bruce ’16: Fall Plenary was successfully held on Sunday, September 20th. Doors opened at 12:00 PM and quorum was reached at approximately 1:23 PM. With the help of over 480 students, Plenary was officially adjourned at approximately 2:47 PM. The one and only resolution regarding sustainability passed. Anyone have any comments? Next item! Rep Council, we’re going to vote on the budget.
SGA Budget
Linh Tran ’16: This budget will only be passed if passed by the RepCo. It’s been sent out to you all, I hope that you’ve had the change to look at them. It’s on the screen now. Can you zoom it in?
Molly MacDougall ’16: Yes.
Linh Tran ’16: Also I’m Linh, I’m the treasurer. Here’s the graph. So, uhm, on this tab down here we have a detailed budget break down. This is the list of all the clubs. We’re still waiting on 2017 and 2019 presidents, but we know who they are now, and they should contact me. But this is the amount the clubs have asked for, and what we awarded, on the next tab is BiCo clubs and their budgets. We have a lot of clubs. Next to the club name is the SFC member. Each club will have a student finance committee member, so that they can work more closely together and it’s easier. We have to work with student council at Haverford. So here’s the overview now, you can see BMC club total amount, but SGA funding is used for a lot of other things, such as BiCo clubs, and the New York Times, which is the newspaper we put around the campus. This is the total budget of the semester. You can look at the graph and the break down. Questions?
Ann Tran ’19: Can you zoom in please?
Tosin Ajiboye ’17: I was looking the other day, and I was a little confused. I was curious as to what’s that’s been, like the money that’s been passed on from years on and on and on?
Miranda Smith ’16: I know what you’re talking about, I saw it took, and I don’t remember the name.
Tosin Ajiboye ’17: Maybe emergency money?
Linh Tran ’16: So you’re asking why it’s there?
Tosin Ajiboye ’17: Oh, no, I saw that it was increasing, so we have more now than previous years? Ok, basically, it we have more money why do we keep increasing SGA dues?
Linh Tran ’16: Personally I don’t know. I don’t set the SGA dues. I’m not sure who sets that. This is what the control office tells me is in the account. The money you pay in tuition and fees, that goes to student finance services, so I don’t actually set that charge. This is the amount I receive in the beginning of the year, and I budget for that.
Melanie Bahti ’16: Isn’t it the case that every year the budget starts over, like we don’t carry on. What ever is left over gets reabsorbed by the college?
Linh Tran ’16: That only applies for clubs. You have the budget for the semester, and if you have so much money left over, the college gets it back. We have the account for the college, and we get what’s in it to divide.
Modupe Olufemi ’17: I saw that for the break down, the amount they asked for and the amount they received, there is a huge discrepancy.
Linh Tran ’16: For this year, we’re actually pretty well funded. Clubs can only ask for a 50% increase, and this is capped, and a lot of clubs didn’t know that this was a rule,
Shakari Badgett ’17: So if a club asks for 8,000, they can ask for what?
Linh Tran ’16: If they ask for 8,00 they can ask for 12,00 the next year.
Shakari Badgett ’17: So it’s like a go hard or go home type of thing?
Linh Tran ’16: New clubs can only ask for $250 in the beginning. That can change during mid-semester review. We need to cap, but at the mid-semester review, they can request for me, so we have room to move.
Hannah Chinn ’19: Not all BiCo clubs are listen.
Linh Tran ’16: Half will be in charge of Bryn Mawr, the other half to Haverford. In terms of funding, it’s equally divided.
Nora Dell ’19: How do you decide how much is given to the club?
Linh Tran ’16: Each club fills out an application, and what events they are holding. We have SFC bylaws, and we decide based on various factors based on our policy. You can look it all up. Any other questions? Ok, for clubs to get this money, we need to have a vote. So, we all have to vote.
Charlie Bruce ‘16: This is a rep council vote only.
Linh Tran ‘16: Yes, no, abstain. Ok, the budget has passed, thank you!
Charlie Bruce ’16: With that, we have our next agenda item! Biannually, we have the Big Cheese Forum where students meet with campus administrators to talk about things on campus. So far, we have planned for this to be the last Sunday in October, so the 25th. Save the date! Were going to break out in groups of five to see who we would like to invite, and the questions we would like to ask them. We’re going to invite like 7 people. Please count off by five starting with Emma.
Big Cheese Forum Prep
Charlie Bruce ’16: Now that you’re all sitting, this is for any topic of interest. So, Lyntana, you talked about water fountains in Brecon, well here you can talk face-to-face with Jerry Berenson about how we can make our buildings more accessible in the future. This is an opportunity to have discussion based on very serious situations to very casual conversation. Each group will need a facilitator and note taker. So, a reminder- there are three things you wanna get from your break out groups. Two to three admins you want to invite, a topic for each, and some questions. We will have ten minutes for this discussion period.
Groups discuss
Charlie Bruce ’16: We’re reaching the end of time, does anyone want to motion to extend time? Nope? Ok, please chose someone from your group to present.
Stephanie Montalvan ’17: So we have Glenn Cummings, Dean of Post Bacs, theme would be Post Bacs and the question would be regarding resources. The Chief Information officer, library update, then Ethel, I don’t know her last name, from financial aid office. So, then facilities, because we want to access the towers for just a day maybe, and then Dean B for the alcohol review board.
Ann Tran ’18: We also talked about Dean B, in regards to the alcohol concerns board, and clarification of roles and responsibility. Tom King, for PSAFE and public safety questions in general. As well as defining who a suspicious person technically is! Also winter weather, and education. Who else, who else…Bernie Chung Templeton! To extend hours in the dining hall or some form of snacks since dining halls close early on weekends. Individual silverware versus packaged ones in to-go containers. Stephanie Nixon, Vanessa Christman to talk about diversity at Bryn Mawr.
Rachel Bruce ’18: Bernie Chung Templeton and Jerry Berenson about pay discrepancy. Pelema Morrice about steps in admissions policy about trans people attending BMC. Cathy Tyrany about athletics being changed to accommodate trans athletes. Snixon to talk about the ECC.
Bridget Murray ’17: Second to Dean B about the board, inviting Pelema or Peaches from admissions about McBride admissions. Bernie about catering waivers, and clarifications about that, and, uhm, crowd control in the dining halls.
Lillian Oyen-Ustad: Jerry Berenson and facilities members, financial aid members to discuss SGA dues, Reggie from the counseling center, Snixon, and a rep from Access Services.
Charlie Bruce ’16: We have a lot of different things, swag, thanks everyone. We’re going to vote on each of these.
Casiana Omick ’18: Will Snixon and Cristman count as one vote? Yes? Ok thanks.
Charlie Bruce ’16: Also, remember, just because we invite someone doesn’t mean that they’ll come. It depends on their availability. So, let’s see who is a for sure yes for us. Dean B, Bernie, Snixon/Office of Diversity, ok let’s narrow down the rest. Pelema and Peaches, Tom King, Ethel from student finances. I’ll send out an email to them- I don’t know who will be able to come, but I’ll send it out and let y’all know.
Sarah Andrew ’16: I just wanted to say under Ethel, we wanted to also talk about transparency in general, not just SGA dues.
Charlie Bruce ’16: Thank you. Anyone you want to add on to who is already bolded? If you have any other things, you can email me. I’ll be emailing them tomorrow morning, so you can have tonight to send me an email.
Bridget Murray ’17: Ok, so, Tom King. Can we talk about security at parties? And school events, and how that will be working for this year.
Eve Cantler ’16: Also for Tom King, something about alcohol related hospitalizations.
Shakari Badgett 17’: Also sensitivity training, under Tom King.
Charlie Bruce ’16: Other comments or topics? Ok, that is it for this item. We now move on to old business!
Old Business
Samantha Heyrich ’17: I didn’t realize everyone was so interested. Here today to tell you an update about what’s going on, and what our alcohol concerns review board is and our function and goals. Constitutionally, the board is here to review the party policy. One of our main goals to update the party policy to make it more modern and reflective of BMC community. The reason behind the reinstatement is the increasing hospitalizations about drugs and alcohol in traditions. We will be making an educational program educating students about drugs and alcohol. We also will be examining and evaluating the structure and function of the board. Questions, comments, concerns? Please email me at sheyrich@brynmawr.edu . Thanks!
Charlie Bruce ’16: Thank you. New business.
New Business
Charlie Bruce ’16: Anyone, new business? Alright we’ve reached the end, we need a motion!
Shakari Badgett ’17: I motion to end the meeting.
Miranda Smith ’16: I second.
Charlie Bruce ’16: Meeting adjourned! Stay for the Hot Topic!
Meeting adjourned at 8:11pm