The Senate formed a committee dedicated to providing support for bond issue #6 in the upcoming Nov. 6 election.
The Senate also passed a motion pledging support for the issue, allotting $150 to help promote the bond on campus.
The bond could bring over $37 million to be divided among Maine institutions of higher learning, $8 million of which is promised to USM. University officials say the future of a community complex, including a new auditorium, student union and parking garage heavily depend on the bond’s approval.
The committee will run a voter registration table on the Portland campus this Thursday starting at 9 a.m. It also plans to run a van on the Gorham campus to local polling places on Nov. 6 and sponsor a rally sometime this week.
There was some controversy regarding from which fund the $150 to support such student services would come from. In the end the money from was taken from the Senate’s unallocated fund.
Study around the clock?
The Senate formed another committee to look at establishing a 24-hour study space at the University. Currently no such place exists.
The idea of a 24-hour study space was brought up earlier in the year and set as a goal for this year’s Senate.
The Senate hasn’t decided on which campus it would like the space to be, its size or what it would look like.
Concerned
Commuter Sen. Sarah Hines raised the concern that there was no answer at the on-campus emergency line last Thursday night.
She reported that someone called the regular on-campus police number in a non-emergency situation. After getting no answer, the student dialed 9-1-1, which when dialed on campus connects directly to the USM Police.
Hines said there was still no answer.
It wasn’t known at exactly what time the call was placed.
A new home for G-TV?
The Senate sent a letter to Director of Gorham Student Life Joe Austin two weeks ago requesting Gorham Television be moved from its Anderson Hall studio to the Husky Hut in the Brooks Student Center.
At Friday’s meeting, they got a response. Craig Hutchinson, vice president for Student Development, sent a letter announcing there would be no problem in G-TV changed location.
A committee that had been formed to look into G-TV’s current contract will help with the move.
Student Senate Secretary Tyler Stanley said the move isn’t definite and no date has been set.
Senator removed:
Resident Sen. Mark Royer was officially removed from the Senate for violating the attendance policy.
According to the policy, those senators who have four unexcused absences are automatically removed.
Royer had previously expressed an interest to leave the Senate and was supposed to issue a letter of resignation, according to Senate Chair Marcy Muller. However, he never did so and the Senate was forced to remove him.
Royer’s removal brings the number of senators down to 14. A full Senate is 21.
Absent
At-Large Sen. Leah Marie Wentworth was absent from the meeting. She was attending the monthly meeting of The Free Press Advisory Board.
Finance
The exact amount of funds available in the Student Senate account is $9,477, according to Student Senate Secretary Tyler Stanley.
Next meeting
The next meeting of the Student Senate will take place at 9:30 a.m. Friday Oct. 26 in the Woodbury Campus Center, rooms B and C, Portland. All are encouraged