On Oct. 14, the Ball State University Student Government Association (SGA) held their first optional in-person meeting, with a Zoom alternative for those who could not attend in person. This was the first of two in person meetings SGA plans to have this semester, with more potentially coming next semester.
“I wanted this to serve as an example that if we can stay vigilant about maintaining COVID-19 social distancing and mass protocols, we can have more of this in the future,” said President Connor Sanburn.
SGA senators voted on the 2020-21 budget presented by treasurer Amanda Mustaklem at the Oct. 7 Zoom meeting. This budget included money for a spring break initiative to reduce student burnout, as well as for homecoming events.
Mustaklem had made one change to the budget presented at the previous meeting, with the carry over number from 2019-20 being $20,264.23 instead of $18,264.23, due to a formatting error. The budget passed 41-0.
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Senators also voted on the series of amendments to the bylaws, “the omnibus,” authored by parliamentarian Chase Braden, archivist Marcus Jennings and President Pro Tempore Dylan Lewandowski.
By moving information to sections where it made more sense, the goal was to make the bylaws more understandable for future senators. The amendments also eliminated five cabinet positions that had been vacant for years.
The senators voted on “the omnibus” by splitting it up into 10 different sections so that “it’s more digestible and more condensed,” according to vice president Jordan Blythe.
Each one of the sections had passed.
SGA also heard from prospective senator freshman Julia Canty, a political science major in the Honors College, who plans on focusing on women empowerment and Title IX, which states that no one should be denied education based on their gender.
The senators voted to admit Canty into SGA 41-0.
SGA will hold another Zoom meeting next Wednesday, Oct. 21.
Contact Maya Wilkins with comments at mrwilkins@bsu.edu or on Twitter @mayawilkinss.