Though Wednesday night’s Ohio University Student Senate meeting will end just minutes before election results are announced, members of the body will be busy voting on eight resolutions.
Though Student Senate election results will be announced at 9 p.m. Wednesday, the body still will meet beforehand to vote on eight resolutions.
Senate will consider a resolution to support the creation of an optional sustainability fee at the meeting.
Kristeena Blaser, a graduate student studying environmental science, presented to senate about the fee at last week's meeting. Students would be able to pay the $5 optional fee each semester to help fund sustainability projects, she said.
Logan Stark, environmental affairs commissioner, said she spoke with Office of Sustainability staff members, and they are excited about the resolution.
“I think this sustainability fee could do some great things for this campus ... becoming more sustainable and more environmentally friendly,” Stark said.
Potential sustainability projects include a bike sharing program, composting in residence halls, a campus garden and increased availability to public transit, according to Blaser's presentation.
Hannah Clouser, Student Senate treasurer, said the fee is a good thing because it is optional to students and sustainability is important.
“I plan on supporting it and playing into it personally, but I don’t think it’s necessarily the right thing to do to force it upon everyone,” Clouser said. “As college students, we are so concerned about affordability.”
Senate will vote on an additional seven resolutions, six of which involve approving budgets. The budgets include assisting in Athens Beautification Day, purchasing a table for the leadership gala, funding a "Finals Fest" event, funding the Take Back The Night event, hosting a table for Take Back The Night and purchasing a white noise machine for Students Defending Students.
“I think it’s pretty typical for senate to have more budgets and less (of) other kinds of resolutions this time of year because people are putting forth the events they have been working on planning,” Clouser said.
Senate members also will vote on appointing Ben Ekelman as off-campus senator.
{{tncms-asset app="editorial" id="d1def564-f5f4-11e5-bc2a-db9b8d388f6d"}}
Andrew McKinley, a uFUND senator, said the dynamic of the meeting shouldn’t be different even though the results of the senate elections will be announced at 9 p.m. after the meeting.
“We do have a job to do that is aside from the election,” McKinley, who is running for Senate Appropriations Commission senator with UNITE ticket, said.
Clouser, who is running for president of the UNITE ticket, said she suspects she will feel relieved during tomorrow's meeting.
“Tomorrow at 7 it will just be done,”she said. “I will finally be a chance to breath for a minute and not have that creeping thought in the back of your mind like, ‘You could be campaigning right now'.”
@M_PECKable
mp172114@ohio.edu
