By: Jordan Beaubois, News Editor
Gabe Hay in the post meeting mingling – Photo by Jordan Beaubois
On Nov. 21 the student senate met, as punctual and professional as ever. Invocation opened the meeting with a simple yet moving quote by Mother Teresa that read: “Be the living expression of God’s kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.” This was then followed by roll call, along with the approval of agenda before continuing the official assembly meeting.
Under immediate concerns the highlights of noteworthy importance is the furthering issue of car break-ins on campus, the dismissal of the severity by campus safety, and the innaction to rectify those affected. In a way of pursuing financial compensation and judicial proceedings. One of the senators specifically mentioned how their car has been hit three times as of this meeting, all the while juggling between campus safety and the police department with little cooperation.
The updates given by the executive board afterwards, were brief and a repetition of what occurred beforehand, discussing next the developmental planning of the Interim, Aquinas College’s future arcade. Unfortunately not much of the executive board had anything that was not discussed previously in prior meetings. Merely a refresh concerning the plans for upcoming events and projects. There was the intention of doing headshots that day, but the photographer fell ill. The headshots would be accompanied by little biographies of each of the senators to be released later in the year or in the beginning of the next academic year.
The majority of the meeting was a speech followed by an activity by the Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Scott Travis, and the Director of Annual Giving & Sponsorships of the Office of Institutional Advancement, Catherine Hutches. They both presented themselves in a colorful fashion by gesticulation and animated movements from the podium.
The Aquinas College Wege Ballroom where student senate is held and the podium that serves as the catalyst of the speaker and the listeners – Photo by Jordan Beaubois
Opening up their section on a survey like format by extracting information from the student senate and executive board to compile information on urgency of action. This means that out of all of the potential issues in the college which should be prioritized from; student experiences, student living, walking infrastructure, and many more… The general consensus is that student experiences ranked much higher among importance and landscaping was overwhelmingly considered the least important. For further clarification, the senators and board of executives were not saying that the landscaping was poor, quite the opposite. Many expressed that the landscaping on campus was so exceptional that it simply ranked lower as opposed to other issues such as; fixing the stairs at certain buildings, improving on campus living, and so on.
Most of the information provided by both Travis and Hutchins will not be revealed as of yet, as much of it is still under much debate and discussion. Their presence at this meeting was a survey session to gather information from Aquinas’s senate. Knowledge no doubt, that shall prove invaluable to the benefit of the college and the student body as a whole.
The Saint 