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Student Senate Updates

Two potential models for the future of UNH Legal Services were proposed and discussed at the Student Senate meeting on Sunday, Oct. 30; voting regarding the topic is expected to occur next Sunday, Nov. 6.

Both of the proposals were introduced to the floor by the unit of Judicial Affairs Chair Brennan Pouliot, Student Body President Jonathan Dean and Student Body Vice President Carley Rotenberg.

If put in place, one proposal would redesign the Student Legal Services to be “an educational service, where the newly designed position (Student Legal Services Advisor) will be a part time, non-benefited employee of the University of New Hampshire,” according to the proposal.

The other proposal would discontinue Student Legal Services altogether, and instead, the UNH Student Senate would “work with UNH Police Department, Durham Police Department, the Dean’s Office, and all other applicable and necessary departments to ensure that students receive the appropriate forms and information that will be developed by the Student Senate in conjunction with other departments,” according to the proposal .

If the second proposal mentioned is put into place, according to Dean, “We are not fully removing Legal Services, and students are not going to be left out in the dark.”

“Each one of the models going forth does provide legal services in a way, it’s just in a different way and with different costs,” Dean said. 

Also brought to the floor on Sunday night was a resolution that urges the university to support the “Take 5 to Save Lives” campaign, which passed with one abstention. According to the resolution, the campaign “encourages people to take five minutes each year on Sept. 10, World Suicide Prevention Day, to learn the five steps to suicide prevention including: learning the warning signs, joining the movement, spreading the word, supporting a friend and reaching out.”

A resolution regarding UNH housing and academic hall bathrooms was also brought up to the floor and passed with three abstentions. With this resolution in place, Student Senate has requested “that the Department of Housing maintain a ratio of one to two dispensers per sink in each bathroom, with a minimum of at least two soap dispensers in each.”

Furthermore, the resolution requests that the Department of Housing upgrades old hand drying technology as funds become available to do so, along with the request that UNH Facilities regularly maintain campus bathroom facilities over the weekend with an emphasis on housing units.

Along with voting on the future of Legal Services next week, Student Senate will hold an initial review of next year’s budgets for Student Activity Fee Organizations (SAFOs). 

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