After discussing and reviewing a decision by the Student Activity Fee Committee (SAFC) that would provide $10,000 to the a cappella group Not Too Sharp to fund their next album, a SAFC appeals board has decided to send the matter back to the committee for further evaluation before such funding will be allocated.
According to Student Senate Speaker Alexander Fries, the appeals board found that the original proposal by Not Too Sharp didn’t contain “clear insight” on matters regarding the budget. Fries also noted the board’s decision was impacted by how the 6-5 vote by SAFC featured three proxy members.
In Sunday’s senate meeting, two individuals were added in as senators: Elias Tyrrel-Walker of Jessie Doe Hall and Joseph Balsamo of the Upper Quad. In regard to SAFC appointments, Aby Kourafas was approved to be an at-large member and Sarah Scheinman was approved to be a SAFC Member. There remains one SAFC at-large member spot left. This past meeting also saw the resignation of Student Senate Parliamentarian Shannon O’Hara, and Fries has until Tuesday to fill the spot with an interim. The application for the position is expected to close on Friday at 12 p.m.
Four resolutions were brought upon the senate floor on Sunday night and all were passed; three of them passed unanimously.
The first resolution, Resolution 25, calls for an updating of the anti-discrimination policies concerning housing and residential life. The resolution urges residential life and housing to “include an explicit anti-discrimination clause on roommate agreements” and to also “form a policy committee to examine its current anti-discrimination policy and propose changes where the committee deems necessary.” The resolution, as introduced by Community Development Chairperson Doug Marino, further urges that the anti-discrimination policy be posted on the website where students can easily access it.
The second resolution discussed, Resolution 26, concerned the matter of student voting rights and was introduced by the entirety of the Student Senate External Affairs Council; the chairperson of the committee is Sadie Matteson. Due to current state legislature being discussed in Concord that would affect the legality out-of-state UNH students voting in New Hampshire, the resolution urges the New Hampshire General Court to recognize voting “as a basic human right” and furthermore to “recognize all UNH students as members of their constituencies.” The resolution further outlines that the court shall protect the voting rights of all members of the constituencies, which according to this resolution, would include all UNH students. Finally, the resolution urges the UNH Administration to make a statement against the proposed bills regarding voting.
The third resolution, Resolution 27, deals with roadway issues around campus. The resolution requests that the university, in conjunction with the Durham Public Works Department, take “under advisement the current roadway situation, where roadway markings and crosswalk markings are fading or have already faded.” The resolution further recommends that the UNH facilities department hold our shared roadways to higher standards, maintaining proper reflectivity and visibility.
The final resolution brought upon the floor, Resolution 29, concerned the topic of Grand Chapter. Grand Chapter, a semesterly event in which all members of UNH fraternities and sororities are required to attend, featured speaker Brian C. Johnson on March 1. According to Student Senate Fraternity and Sorority life Liaison Alicia DelVento, some attendees to both sessions of Grand Chapter that night found Johnson’s speech to be offensive. This resolution states that the Student Senate does not condone “the stereotypes, idea and beliefs expressed by this speaker,” and that going forward, “the speaker selection process shall return to the practice of “including the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council.”
