The University of Maine General Student Senate elected a new Sergeant at Arms, Graduate Student Senate Representative and Legal Services Liaison; added one new senator; and approved five major resolutions totaling $12,339 during their 23rd meeting of the 34th session on Sept. 24 in the Memorial Union’s Bangor Room.
LaPorte joins GSS
First-year new media student Michael LaPorte was formally sworn in by Vice President Aaron Ortiz to begin the Sept. 24 meeting.
LaPorte is formerly of Connecticut and graduate of Bridgton Academy in North Bridgton where he was heavily involved with the Civil Air Patrol, as a Cadet Chief Master Sergeant, and manager of the school’s junior and prep league hockey squads.
LaPorte also participated in several side projects, helping his church with missions in Delaware and working with FEMA on Nov. 11, 2009 to run the national test of the Emergency Alert System.
GSS allocates $12,339 through five resolutions
Six resolutions were brought forth to the GSS floor; five requests totaled over $12,000.
A $6,000 funding request by the Men’s Club Ice Hockey team for “ice time practices and games, conference and referee fees and travel” was approved by the GSS.
Club president Conor Shea, a third-year student, and club vice president Ben Gagnon, a fourth-year student, spoke on behalf of the team saying 36 to 40 came out for the team this year and 20 made it.
The team plays within the American College Hockey Association and also has membership with the New England College Health Association.
According to Shea, club dues are $800 per person, which is $200 more than it was his freshman year.
The team’s 2013-14 season is projected to cost about $31,850. Fundraising includes $16,000 from the club dues and $2,000 from a golf tournament.
Sen. Lee Jackson commented on the cost of their season: “It’s terrible that clubs have to pay the money they do to use university property, even though they spend a fortune to go here in the first place.”
Sen. LaPorte agreed with Sen. Jackson, but reminded the body that ice maintenance is “very expensive,” and that “the money to preserve the playing area has to come from somewhere.”
The Men’s Club Ice Hockey team finished 8-12-2 last year, scoring 19 points inside the ACHA’s Division II Northeast section.
The resolution received an 8-0-0 “ought to pass” recommendation from the Executive Budgetary Committee before reaching the GSS.
A $2,500 funding request by the Class Council of 2014 for “Senior Week activities” was approved by the GSS.
President Kim Dao presented the resolution to the body.
Prior to 2012, the university’s class councils were included under the umbrella of Student Entertainment, but since then, they are now recognized as organizations allowed to request funding.
Generally, class councils need funding help for Senior Week and class gifts, but representatives for the Class Council of 2014 say they will not be requesting financial assistance for a class gift.
Money from the funding request will be specifically used for the “Catalina wine mixer, food, decorations and ‘Always a Black Bear’ barbeque.” The Class Council of 2014 will be paying for “the movie on the mall, ice cream social, pizza social and all advertising.”
The resolution received a 6-0-2 “ought to pass” recommendation from EBC before reaching the GSS, with both President Dao and Vice President for Student Organizations William “Nick” Smith abstaining because of “their association with the Class of 2014.”
A $2,500 funding request for a new “athletic engagement” program was approved by the GSS.
President Dao presented the resolution to the body.
Campus Activities and Student Engagement is expected to contribute $2,500 to the project as well. Money will go toward prizes for university students that “check-in” to specific events through a new smartphone application called “Black Bear Nation.”
KARMA Progressive Interactive, a marketing and advertising company based in Louisville, Ky. developed the app on Aug. 14. It requires iOS 5.0 or later on the iPhone.
KARMA Progressive Interactive has created similar apps for the University of Michigan, the University of Louisville, Penn State University, Brigham Young University and fellow America East conference member Binghamton University.
“[CASE director] E.J. Roach approached me to help out with this project,” Dao said. “This is an effort to help popularize the new app and promote better student involvement with athletic and campus events.”
Because UMSG, Inc.’s financial policies don’t allow funds to be used for prizes, Vice President for Financial Affairs Raymond Updyke referred to the resolution as a “special resolution,” just as the Old Town Taxi voucher program was two years ago.
The goal of the program is to essentially “give back” student activity fee money to students who don’t regularly engage in clubs and other UMSG, Inc. events.
Grammar-changing amendments from Sens. Alicia Bolduc and Ariel Bothen were approved before the resolution’s final passing.
The resolution received an 8-0-0 “ought to pass” recommendation from EBC before reaching the GSS.
A $1,189 funding request from the Dressage Club for “hotels and vehicle rentals” was approved by the GSS.
The Dressage Club is about to begin their season with four shows lined up for the Fall 2013 semester — one at home, one at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I. against the Wildcats and the University of Rhode Island, and two at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, N.H.
Fourth-year student and club vice president Casie James spoke on behalf of the organization.
“We have shows coming up fast, so fundraising is hard to do now,” James said. “We plan on putting a lot of work in later, after our season ends … but we need the financial help now.”
The cost of the four shows with fees and travel included is expected to be over $3,600.
The club estimates it will make $2,145 from dues, fundraising and sponsorship. Dues are $50 for competing students and $10 for non-competing students.
The resolution received an 8-0-0 “ought to pass” recommendation from EBC before reaching the GSS.
Two resolutions — one to “establish employee tenure appreciation policies,” and another to allocate $150 to “Employee Tenure Appreciation” for FY 2013-14 — were approved by the GSS.
VPFA Updyke presented both resolutions to the body.
In an effort to celebrate the 25th year of employment with UMSG, Inc. for assistant VPFA Sue Poll, the GSS needed to approve both a change in policy and a movement of funds from unallocated to the new reward program proposed by the executives.
Updyke says the amount — $150 — was decided on to essentially match what employees of UMaine receive when they reach their 25th year of employment, and is comprised of two, $75 gift certificates to “a restaurant of his or her choosing” and “the University of Maine Bookstore.”
The change in financial policies provides future guidelines to the tenure appreciation program and the actual capability to award funds, but it also demands there to be a special resolution brought forth by the GSS each time instead of the funds becoming available automatically.
Both resolutions were received unanimous, 8-0-0 “ought to pass” recommendations from EBC before reaching the GSS.
Three positions filled
Three senators assumed new roles within the GSS after a series of elections and appointments. All three positions became vacant during the beginning of the semester after Sen. Caleb Shortt left the body.
During his first ever meeting as a UMSG Senator, Sen. LaPorte was appointed by VP Ortiz as the new Sergeant at Arms. Through a process unique to the position, Ortiz took a recommendation vote from the body and used the GSS’ choice to guide his appointment decision.
Sen. Anderson ran against Sen. LaPorte during the recommendation process. Sen. Locke conceded his nomination before the vote.
Sen. Alexander Collins was unanimously elected as the new Graduate Student Senate Representative, running unopposed after Sen. Prusaitis conceded his nomination due to a scheduling conflict.
Sen. Tanner Adams won the election for Legal Services Liaison, beating out Sens. Fowler, Karod and Began.
NSBE receives prelim recognition; Best Buddies presents
The National Society of Black Engineers, a group whose mission — according to NSBE.org — is to “increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community,” received preliminary recognition from the GSS.
The club’s president and vice president spoke on behalf of the organization, explaining that NSBE is trying to incorporate other cultures as well, because “we all know [Maine] isn’t the most diverse place in the world.”
The group’s bid for preliminary recognition was passed through the Student Organizations Committee with a 5-0-0 “ought to pass” recommendation before reaching the GSS.
Best Buddies, a group that “pairs people in our community with intellectual and developmental disabilities in one-to-one friendships with college students,” presented to the GSS on their trip to the 24th annual Best Buddies Leadership Conference in Bloomington, N.Y. during July.
Exec reports, miscellaneous
During his report, VP Ortiz said 13 new senators have joined the GSS body since the beginning of the year, but open seats still remain.
During his report, VPFA Updyke said unallocated is around $47,000.
Allocations under $1,000 included: $200 to Mock Trial, Yoga Club, Spanish Language Club and Pre-Vet Club for their office budgets; $175 to Field Hockey Club for their office budget; $172 to Crew Club for their Head of the Merrimack Regatta race on Sept. 28 in Massachusetts; and $155 to the Dressage Club for their office budget.
During her report, Vice President for Student Entertainment Sarah Goode said that despite “trying to tie up loose ends” with the Pretty Lights concert, everything went well. She confirmed that there were no University Volunteer Ambulance Corps transports associated with the show.
During her periodic report, Representative to the Faculty Senate Sen. Bolduc said the faculty senate is thinking about better accessibility to Fogler, and also mentioned that despite national averages of library attendance decreasing, UMaine’s is going up.
During the periodic report for Legal Service Liaison, President Dao said undergraduate student legal aid Sean O’Mara is currently working on ways to assist campus organizations, such as Student Entertainment, in terms of legal protocol when they hold events.
Also, Dao said O’Mara had five settlements with The Grove Orono last year, and he’s working on trying to question the apartment company’s late fee percentage right now — it’s currently set at 6 percent, but Maine law says it can only be 4 percent.
Fair Elections Practice Committee added its newest member with the approval of the GSS. Non-senator nominee Gwen Beacham, a third-year molecular and cellular biology student is the second member to join FEPC this year through GSS approval this year.
Sen. Logan Nee, a fourth-year financial economics and political science student, announced he would be leaving the GSS a day before the Sept. 24 meeting. Sen. Nee had been a serving senator since October 2012.
Sen. Jackson announced to the body that he would be running for the RSU #34 Old Town School Department’s school board.