SGA Report | The first month of Senate meetings

The Senate explored potential committees, and welcomed new senators from Haury

8/13/2024

The Student Government Association met for the first time this semester on August 13, at 11 a.m. in the new SGA Office, found on the bottom floor of the Administration Building. The Senate reviewed their mission statement and policies, and discussed the incoming freshmen Senate candidates. 

The Vice President of the Senate, Taryn Paulino, asked senators to begin brainstorming committee ideas. Committees will meet during the same hour as the Senate, every other week. Paulino introduced plans to ensure that all senators contribute to their committees, using progress reports to track the progress of committees and individuals. Additionally, senators will each undergo a performance review at the end of the semester.

Paulino requested that senators schedule at least one office hour a week, during which they will be in the SGA office. This is aimed at increasing interaction between senators and their constituents, and addressing complaints of the Senate not listening to the interests of the student body.

Paulino informed senators that if their duties are not performed to a satisfactory extent, they may face repercussions in the form of cuts to their stipend.

The meeting closed with the election of Caleb Koontz to the position of Secretary of the Senate, a role for which he ran unopposed. 

8/27/2024

The meeting opened with the senators being given conflict of interest forms to fill out regarding their club membership. Paulino announced that furniture for the SGA was in the process of being acquired, and once again requested that senators schedule office hours.

The Senate approved the Bethel Software Society as a Registered Student Organization (RSO), with the goal of providing real-world events, networking, and projects for students interested in software development.

The Senate also approved Pop Rocks as an RSO, with the goal of providing students an opportunity to learn about multiple facets of pop culture. Both new RSOs will be awarded $250 after 20 days of operation.

Paulino floated the idea of senators taking part in a workshop focusing on teamwork or conflict resolution at the Kansas Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution on Bethel’s campus. There was no interest among senators.

The meeting ended with Paulino encouraging the creation of a group chat among senators for more efficient communication.

9/3/2024

The focus of the meeting was on brainstorming committee ideas for the coming year. Committees are groups of senators who meet every other week to work on specific projects or issues.

Suggested committee ideas included committees to improve amenities for commuter students, look into beautification efforts around Voth Hall, gather and process feedback from students around Employment Experiences, look into improvements in cafeteria services, improve the state of outdoor recreational facilities on campus, and improve the Warkentin Court lounge.

Paulino expressed interest in following up on the improvements made to the Memorial Hall weight room, which was the subject of a committee during the 2023-24 school year.

The meeting ended with Paulino reminding senators of the town hall held on September 6.

9/10/2024

The meeting opened with the introduction of Hope Jacobs and Abigail Koontz, the new senators from Haury Hall, to the Senate. Paulino expressed hope that senators would begin their office hours on September 16, the following week. 

The primary purpose of the meeting was to discuss and finalize the Senate’s interest in committees. 

The committee for improvements in commuter student facilities was tabled, to potentially be revisited at a later date.

The committee for the beautification of Voth was discarded, although the potential for it being a smaller scale project later in the year was expressed. 

Senators expressed significant interest in a committee to look into Employment Experiences, and advocate for students who found issues with the program. The Senate approved the committee idea.

The Senate showed interest in the committee to explore potential changes in the cafeteria, as well. Ideas such as extended meal hours or free to-go boxes were floated, although it was acknowledged that difficulties may arise due to the Cafeteria being run by a contracted organization. 

Various committees to improve the outdoor recreational facilities at Bethel were suggested. The three primary areas of improvement were in the disc golf course, sand volleyball court, and potential pickleball facilities. The Senate also expressed concern at the lack of lighting at the outdoor basketball courts, but ultimately decided that lighting was a separate, broader issue, potentially to be addressed by the Bethel administration. The Senate did not decide whether each activity warranted a committee, or whether a broader recreational committee would be more efficient. However, they affirmed their interest in one or more committees on the topic.

The potential committee for the improvement of the lounge in Warkentin Court was vetoed due to the failure of past efforts to improve the space. The repeated theft and destruction of items in the lounge mean that no further efforts will be taken for the time being.

Paulino ended the meeting by saying that she and the Executive Board would look over the approved committees, and make final decisions regarding the aims and assigned senators of each.