While the Student Government Association (SGA) initially planned to hold the Tuesday, April 15 meeting on Brock Commons, the Senate moved the meeting indoors to the usual location of Lankford Student Union’s BC rooms due to inclement weather.
The meeting began with open forum. Senator and Lancer Park resident John McCullough was concerned about the fact that his Resident Assistant, Residence Education Coordinator and the Longwood University Police Department (LUPD) were aware ahead of time about a Spring Weekend party he planned to hold at this house during Spring Weekend.
McCullough believed it was a “stretch” that the LUPD was notified about this party, which had a Facebook invite, especially because he is of legal drinking age. However, Virginia 21 Representative Brandon Kelly pointed out that he does live in Longwood-managed housing.
President Haley Vest asked Dr. Tim Pierson, adviser to the SGA, why he thought the LUPD was notified about the party. Pierson said it was most likely because matters can “go out of hand” when parties are made public. He said this happened with fraternities often and recommended being open with the police when they ask questions about parties.
One senator said people have been driving dangerously in golf carts around campus lately.
Treasurer Alex Julian added that he recently saw someone texting while driving a golf cart on campus. Auditor O’Neishea Edmonds pointed out that this is a campus-wide issue because multiple departments use golf carts. The Senate will send an email to all parties involved.
Senator Joe Gills said that when the Student Union’s Lancer Café is open an additional two hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays, the doors are often locked and block access to restrooms.
Vest mentioned that many students thought that there were not recycling bins at Longwood-managed apartments. However, she said there are bins at each location and asked the SGA if these were not advertised well enough. The general consensus from the Senate was that the bins were either in discreet locations, blocked off or overflowing.
Senator Natalie Joseph was concerned about large amount of ants that she has seen at Dorrill Dining Hall recently. She has spoken to Grant Avent, director of Longwood Dining Services, about the issue.
For Vest’s executive report, she confirmed the 2014-2015 Executive Board, and Conduct and Honor Boards’ installation ceremony for next Monday, April 21 at 5 p.m. on the Lankford Student Union steps. Gills and Pierson will speak.
Historian Paige Rollins brought forward several amendments to the Black Student Association’s constitution, which the Senate approved.
Julian moved to make several allocations on behalf of the Student Finance Committee (SFC). He moved to re-allocate $1,519 to the National Pan-Hellenic Council, which the SGA approved. The Senate also approved allocations of $75.42 to the Black Student Association and $3,319 to Theta Chi Fraternity.
In Pierson’s adviser’s report, he addressed the Virginia bill that Governor Terry McAuliffe signed last Friday that designated outdoor areas at public universities as public forums. Longwood currently has a Free Speech Zone, which is located on Lankford Mall.
Vest asked if the name of that area would need to be changed. Pierson said the policy is “elastic enough” to handle the issue. He also asked if students thought free speech was an issue on campus. Kelly said it was because he was recently not allowed to hold an event on campus in support of a mayoral candidate because he was a student and not representing an entire organization.
The next SGA meeting, which the 2014-2015 executive board will run, will take place next Tuesday, April 22 at 3:45 p.m. in the BC rooms of Lankford Student Union.
