At the end of Ohio University Student Senate’s general body meeting Wednesday, members elected Black Affairs Commissioner Trinity Robinson as the next Senate treasurer following the recent resignation of former Senate treasurer Simar Kalkat.
Senate members had the opportunity to nominate any current member for the ballot, which would then be seconded by another member. Robinson was the only nominee and won the vote unanimously. She was sworn in prior to adjournment.
In her speech prior to the vote, Robinson not only highlighted her involvement with the budget committee, major in finance and business analytics, as well as leadership in other student organizations, but she also reiterated her passion for Senate.
“You can say your accolades until you die, but I also just want to let you know my dedication to Student Senate itself, and how great that I know it can be in the future,” Robinson said.
The body also brought forward a resolution which would add proposed changes to the Senate constitution to the 2022-2023 ballot, per the Rules and Procedures. The changes seek to clarify confusing language and make the document more accessible to the general public.
“I think it’s much better, more clear and concise, and it will actually do a pretty good job, not an embarrassing job, representing how we run things,” Women’s Affairs Commissioner Megan Handle said.
However, Senate chose to table the resolution until the following week’s general body meeting following comments raised by Senator Andrew Cornelison to further review the proposed changes. If approved, the changes will appear on the 2022-2023 ballot for a vote.
Senate approved the appointment of current commissioner Molly Pennington as chairperson of the Committee on the Members Emeriti and chairperson to the Committee on Senior Honors for the 2021-2022 academic year.
The judicial panel saw change as well, with Emily Zeiler receiving an appointment as Clerk of Court.
Additionally, the body approved a resolution to suspend the rules requiring a quorum of judicial panel members to hold a vote. Following the recent resignation of several judicial panel members, the panel no longer meets the voting requirement and cannot perform any judicial action if necessary. The resolution suspends the rule until either the end of the academic year or the panel has quorum, whichever occurs first.
Counseling and Psychological Services, or CPS, Outreach Coordinator David Lairmore gave a presentation overviewing the department’s resources for students, which are included with tuition for undergraduates. CPS offers individual and group therapy, as well as psychiatric services, crisis support and more. Lairmore explained the collaboration with initiatives on campus, such as Campus Care, Basic Needs and the Survivor Advocacy Program.
Lairmore also introduced digital options available to students, including telehealth appointments, online workshops and the mental health support platforms WellTrack and Togetherall. He encouraged those who are struggling or see others struggling to reach out to the department, as CPS does not directly contact students to ask them to seek help.
“It is primarily up to them … and they come in and seek help from us or they are referred to us in some cases,” Lairmore said.
