The Undergraduate Student Government Downtown Senate approved funding requests, discussed ongoing projects and appointed a senator, filling all positions in the Senate for the first time in the organization’s history.
Freshman Quin Patterson was appointed to the remaining seat representing Barrett, the Honors College during Friday’s meeting.
“I see the position as a way of getting involved on campus and really giving back to the community,” Patterson said.
With Patterson’s appointment, USGD has a full Senate for the first time ever.
“I am very excited,” President Frank Smith III said after Patterson’s position was made final. “This has been a goal of past student-body presidents.”
Vice President of Services Corina Tapscott said an iPad rental program for college councils is currently coming together; all small details are being worked out and the program will be available soon.
She, among other USGD members, emphasized the importance of getting the word out about the new Sun Devil Safety Trolley.
Smith emphasized the importance of marketing the new escort trolley system in order to inform students of its existence. He said he had been working closely with the Residence Hall Association and Taylor Place to spread the information.
“It seems like the students are excited about it,” Smith said. “I think our issue now is just getting the students aware of this service provided to them.”
Smith said ASU President Michael Crow will be at the Downtown campus on Oct. 3 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the San Carlos Room in the Student Center at the Post Office to answer questions from students and discuss where the university will be heading in the next five years.
USGD also discussed matters relating to ASU athletics, specifically ways to streamline the student ticket pick-up process by working with the Athletics Fee Board.
“We are looking at opening the ticketing process a little bit earlier and also opening Wells Fargo Arena, so our students aren’t waiting in the heat,” Smith said.
Smith said the board is also looking into an online ticketing process for students.
“It will offer equal opportunity for our Downtown, West and Polytechnic students as the Tempe students to snag tickets,” he said.
The Senate approved the Programming and Activities Board on the Downtown Campus’ request for $103,370.
In addition, the Senate approved $900 for AMSA/Pre-Health Club at ASU DPC, $214.46 for Nursing Students for Cultural and Ethnic Diversity, $2,799 for O Di Phi/K Di Chi, more than $6,000 for USGD and $1,800 for the Student Nutrition Council.
Senate Bill 5, introduced by College of Public Programs Sen. Ryan Boyd, was passed amongst the senators at this meeting. The bill proposed that all “undergraduate academic units” be represented equally in USGD.
Boyd said the bill was simple, and that the change would just modernize the bylaws to better fit Downtown’s needs. Instead of individualizing each college and stating it on the bylaws, the more collective term will serve to categorize any future changes made to the Downtown campus.
Senate Bill 6 was briefly introduced at the meeting, however the board decided to wait on the official passage of the bill and instead decided to turn the bill to the Downtown Phoenix Affairs Committee and the Government Operations Committee.
The proposed bill would waive the current $1,800 cap on funding for college councils and instead grant $4,000 to the councils for attending conferences. The bill would enhance USGD’s efforts to keep the distribution of funding equal among all college councils.
Contact the reporter at Jadenicole.Yeban@asu.edu
