The Student Senate met at its first meeting of the year Wednesday to discuss the primary issues they will be dealing with this year.
Student body president Pat Hallahan spoke briefly to the Senate, outlining a few important issues.
Hallahan told senators about the joint examination of the Student Union that will be taking place with the Executive Cabinet. He said that three separate committees composed of members from both bodies will be looking into the Student Union's budget process, constitution and the collaboration between its different groups.
These committees, Hallahan said, will be reviewing these areas and possibly making suggestions as to how to improve them to more efficiently and effectively serve the student body.
Hallahan said he would like to begin an investigation into the University's disciplinary process, citing a recent Observer editorial calling for changes. He commented that there is concern within Student Government and the student body as to how the University handled the rape allegations against the four former football players.
"We do need to look at this and address it," Hallahan said.
Speaking of the intent of the Student Government to make the Student Union a better-run organization, Hallahan continued, "It is only fair that if we're going to be bettering ourselves, that [the University] better [itself]."
Kaitlyn Redfield, Pangborn senator and chair of the Senate Committee on Gender Issues, said that her committee would like to help Hallahan in examining the matter.
"There's a lot of interest in how the University handles these issues. I want to make sure that the University is up-to-date on issues of rape," Redfield said.
Dave Brenner, president of "The Shirt" committee, also spoke at yesterday's meeting. He updated the Senate on sales of The Shirt, as well as the committee's plans to get shirts to students who still do not have them before Saturday's game.
Brenner said that so far, 50,000 shirts have been sold, and 40,000 additional shirts have been ordered. Twenty thousand will be received before this weekend's game, and 10,000 of those will be available exclusively to students on Thursday.
"We're off to an incredible start," Brenner said.
In other Senate news:
- Donald Norton, Student Union Treasurer, nominated Kiran Pillai for the position of assistant student union treasurer. Senators approved Pillai unanimously, and his term will last from September 3 to March 1.
- The Senate unanimously approved Tai Romero as the director of programming for the Student Union Board. Romero served as head of this year's committee organizing "The Show," and has served on several other student government boards.
- Megan Smith was unanimously approved for the position of Student Union Secretary. Nominated by Emily Chin, Student Body Chief of Staff, Smith had worked in the Office of the Student Body President before taking on the position of Student Union Secretary.
