By Kristen Frohlich
Staff Writer
Student Government passed a bill to increase transparency between itself and the campus community during its weekly meeting on Nov. 29.
Bill F2017-11 was proposed by Juan Carlos Belmonte, SG’s senator of business and a sophomore business management and political science double major. The bill will ensure that all decisions voted on by members of SG will be made public for students to view.
Baldween Casseus, SG’s vice president of diversity and inclusion and a senior marketing major, said that SG is serving the campus community and should utilize this privilege to keep the community informed.
Casseus also stated the importance of transparency regarding SG members’ responses to bills and initiatives, since they are elected to their positions by the student body.
Director of the Department of Recreation and Wellness Rob Simels approached the members of SG with a different way to keep students involved with decisions that will affect the campus community.
Simels discussed the idea of a recreation advisory council, which would be made up of about 10 to 12 students who would represent a broad range of groups across campus. The recreation advisory council would help the Department of Recreation and Wellness make decisions that would benefit students, as well as hold monthly open meetings that allow students to provide feedback.
Simels also informed SG members of their accomplishments since they began working together three years ago.
One major accomplishment was changing the department’s name from “Office of Recreation” to “Department of Recreation and Wellness.”
“I believe that wellness is an important part of what we do in recreation,” Simels said.
Simels mentioned other accomplishments, which included the addition of intramural sports, reaching 22 active sports clubs, an open calendar that offers students the opportunity to play any sport during a specific time and other ways for students to stay healthy and fit while on campus.
Members of SG discussed changes that will be made next semester within its organization. Justin Brach, speaker of the general assembly and a junior finance and political science double major, resigned because he will be studying abroad during the spring 2018 semester.
SG then nominated current members for the position. Chris Blakeley, SG’s executive president and a junior civil engineering major, declared that candidates for the position will be voted on next semester, and requires a majority approval from voting members in order to win.
SG also proposed Bill F-2017-16. Every semester, each elected member of SG must receive at least 10 participation points. Members can receive points by either attending or volunteering at events organized by SG.
The bill would allow members to transfer up to four extra points out of their required 10 from the fall to spring semester. SG members said they plan on discussing the bill further on Wednesday, Dec. 6 to possibly implement it next semester.
