As the United States Senate stalls under a government shutdown, Saint Mary's Student Senate gathered Tuesday night in a more cooperative manner to discuss the Navy Dance and each subdivision of student government's plans for October.
Vice president of the 2014 Class Board Susie Larson detailed a proposal for a dance with the Naval Academy, explaining the probable costs of security, the DJ, catering, ticket prices and fees for special event services.
"If a mere 323 students purchase a [$10] ticket, we will come out with a profit. We think that this will be a really fun tradition to start at Saint Mary's," Larson said.
Class of 2015 president Nicole O'Toole and vice president Emmie Scanlon then presented a slideshow summary of the proposal, including the total budget for the dance.
Scanlon said this is an economically viable option and a great event for the school.
"A lot of girls have shown interest, all of our individual board members are excited for this event, and we think it would be a lot of fun," Scanlon said.
O'Toole said the freshman, sophomore and junior classes are not having formal dances this semester, so the Navy Dance would be a great alternative for students. Senate proceeded by approving the motion for the Navy Dance.
Student body president Kat Sullivan said she is pleased with the outcome of the decision.
"It was important for the Council of Class Boards to propose the Navy Dance to the Senate because they are the voice of the student body," Sullivan said. "As [student body vice president] Maddy [Martin] and I have reiterated, our main goal this year is transparency, so it is important that we include our community in every decision we make."
Each big board on campus, including the Residence Hall Association (RHA), Student Diversity Board (SDB) and the Student Activities Board (SAB), reported their ideas for October, including Halloween events, an upcoming comedy show and their budget plans for the semester.
Each standing committee also expressed their upcoming events for October, including the Council of Activities, Council of Clubs, Council of Class Boards and Council of Committee Chairs.
