The Summer Senate Committee met Wednesday to discuss several issues, but came to no decisions about the recent issues
of creating an artistic bike rack and developing an internship program.
“We’re thinking about a lot of things,” Senator Athan Papailiou said.
Brett Rowlett, coordinator of the intern program, spoke to the group, outlined the program and advised the senators to try and employ one or two interns for fall term. The senators responded with enthusiasm.
Rowlett said the program offers students a chance to learn more about the workings of student government, offering students one credit for every three hours of work. The interns
would help to bridge the gulf between the Senate, students and student groups.
“The goal is not to train them to be professional poster hanger-uppers or leaflet handerouters,” Rowlett said.
Senator Jennifer Lleras said, “We should move forward with it; I think it has potential.”
Senate President Sara Hamilton met ASUO President Jared Axelrod during the internship they shared, where they became friends, she said.
The Senate did not vote on anything related to the program, but are sure to discuss it more in-depth at future meetings.
The Senate also discussed a networking program between
Senators and leaders of student groups to take place in
the fall. The plan, either a retreat or a series of lunches, will teach student groups about the process of requesting student
funds through the Programs Finance Committee (PFC) and
help them to know the senators on a more personal basis.
“If you miss the PFC process you’re done- your group dies,” Papailiou said.
The senators decided to discuss the issue further in later meetings.
The artistic bike rack that the senators met to discuss last Wednesday did not come up. Papailiou said after the
meeting that the Senate will have to wait until fall to get
the money to build the rack, and that he has not yet received
student designs for it but hopes students will submit them soon.
The Senate decided to allow extra money from KWVA campus radio station to return to the group’s surplus budget.
“Its only fair that all the money come back to the surplus,”
Papailiou said.
Hamilton ended the meeting by congratulating her fellow
senators for their work and enthusiasm.
“They sky is seriously the limit,” she said. “We don’t have an identity, we’re making it everyday.”
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