The meeting of the 61st Student Senate was called to order at 7:31 p.m. by Student Senate President Bobby Seifter.

Senator Howard lead the Senate in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Moment of Silent Reflection:

MEMBERS PRESENT (First Roll Call): Senators Barnes, Blair, Bonderud, Callahan, Chance, Charlemagne, Cuyler, Donoho, Dougherty, Dunnington, Fistel, Flemming, Ghaneie, Gilzean, Goins, Gold, Gonzmart, Grossman, Hall, Howard, Humphries, Hutchinson, Kushner, Lampi, Lias, Malone, Moallem, Mroczkowski, Peterich, Sargent, Scandling, Simmons, Theodore, Walker, Zielasko.

MEMBERS ABSENT: (First Roll Call): Senators Fabre, Johnson, Losito, Sieglitz, Underwood, Williams, Yarbrough.

MEMBERS TARDY/LATE (First Roll Call): Senators Bauman (8:30), Daniels (7:34), Holmes (8:00), Johns (8:12), Joseph (7:35), McKanstry (7:44), Richards (7:38), Schlesinger (8:09), Shubitz (7:55), Triay (7:38), Tunis (7:41), Waltz (7:44), Wood (8:35).

Corrections: None.

Student Comments: Maggie Spicer, of the World Affairs Program, thanked the Senate for their support. She said that they won first place for largest delegation at the University of Berkeley, among other awards. Eric de Vires, World Affairs Program Director, told the Senate that they will set up the IP program in Rwanda. He thanked the Senate for their help and continuous support. Richard Benson told the Senate that he went to the House Budget Committee meeting this morning and they voted to give stimulus money to K-12 and none to higher education. He said a lot more closures are anticipated and students need to be active voices and pound down the doors of the legislators. He told the Senate that it is time for students to step up and make sure the legislature do not destroy the university.

Special Introductions and Announcements: None.

Messages from the Executive Branch: Rob Jakubik, Student Body President, told the Senate that they need to focus on specific things and he is drafting a letter to the Senate Higher Education Committee supporting the Seminole Gaming Compact. He told the Senate that SGA needs to form a budget crisis committee and we need to reach out to students and educate them on how the budget crisis works. Jakubik said that he is working with SGA lobbyist Sean Pittman and Kathleen Daly concerning the budget.

Messages from Agency and Bureau Directors, and SGA Organization Officers and Employees: None.

Messages from the Congress of Graduate Students: None.

Messages from the Senior Class Council: None.

Messages from the Judicial Branch: None.

Messages from the Union Board: Bill O’Connor, Union Board member, said that they met today and this was the last official meeting of the semester. He announced the following: Spring Fling was last Friday and over three thousand people attended; the Flying High Circus had its biggest turnout in the history of the circus; Breakfast 4 a Buck had over 700 people in attendance; Tallahassee Film Festival is taking place at the Student Life Cinema and week pass cost $20; and Get Down Stay Down will be performing at the Club Downunder on Tuesday, April 21. He said that funding will end on Monday, April 27, at 5 p.m. because the Union Board will not be active during the summer.

Messages from Campus Recreation: None.

Report of the Student Body Auditor: As of April 14, 2009, Senate Projects is $4,210.00 and Senate Unallocated is $5,000.

Committee Reports:

Student Affairs-As reported in the Calendar. The committee passed out the graph they made concerning putting their information on Facebook; it showed that more students use Facebook than the SGA Website.

Budget-Chairman Howard said the committee passed three budget amendments in committee.

Finance-As reported in the Calendar.

Judiciary-Chairman Goins made a motion to go into Committee of the Whole for consideration of Bills 19 and 31. Both bills were passed after debate. There was a motion by Senator Gilzean to move out of committee, the motion passed. There was a motion by Senator Howard to accept the decision of the committee as the decision of the Senate, the motion passed.

Internal Affairs-As reported in the Calender.

Rules and Calendar-Chairman Cuyler reported that the committee deliberated on absences and added Senator Fistel to Resolution 45 and added Resolution 46 to the Calendar.

Senate Affairs-Did not meet.

Sustainability-No report submitted.

Central Reserves-As reported in the Calendar.

Senate Confirmations: None.

Consent Calendar: None.

Bills First Reading:

Bill 33-Sponsored by Senator Howard. A revision of $150 within Senate from OPS Wages to Clothing/Awards. Purpose: to cover a deficit in Clothing/Awards. REFERRED TO FINANCE.

Bill 34-Sponsored by Senator Ghaneie. An allocation of $2,500 from Senate Projects to The Wesley Foundation. Purpose: to provide food for the week of finals, April 27 through May 1, 2009, to all students who want to eat. REFERRED TO FINANCE.

Bill 35-Sponsored by Senator Walker. A revision of $3,500 within Senior Class Council from Contractual Services to Expense. Purpose: to utilize unused funds for the promotion of the Protect our Professors initiative. REFERRED TO FINANCE.

Bill 36-Sponsored by Senators Sargent and Blair. A revision of $2,000 within CPE from Food to Expense. Purpose: to transfer monies to purchase a couch for the office. REFERRED TO FINANCE.

Bill 37-Sponsored by Senators Goins and Simmons. An allocation of $4,500 from Senate Projects to PeaceJam. Purpose: to provide PeaceJam with the annual affiliate fee. REFERRED TO FINANCE.

Bills Second Reading:

Bill 19-Sponsored by Senator Hall. A revision to the Student Body Statutes Chapter 100.5. Purpose: to add Homecoming Director and Pow Wow Director to major offices of SGA. PASSED.

Bill 30-Sponsored by Senator Sargent. A revision of $651 within the Executive from OPS Wages to Expense. Purpose: to cover a $600 deficit within the Executive Office. (Amended in committee from $800 to $651). PASSED.

Bill 31-Sponsored by Senator Howard. A deletion to the Student Body Statutes deleting Chapter 614, Student Academic Programs. Purpose: So they can participate in the new RSO funding process. (Passed in Committee of the Whole for Finance). PASSED.

Bill 32-Sponsored by Senator Moallem. An allocation of $817.00 from Senate Projects to Forensics (Communications Department). Purpose: to send five students and three graduate assistants to their Nationals and also to send one student and one graduate assistant to an invitation only oratory competition. (Amended in committee from $2,255 to $817) PASSED.

Constitutional Amendments: None.

Resolutions:

Resolution 45-Sponsored by Senators Waltz, Fabre and Fistel.
Subject: Excusing the HLSU and the BSU for turning in a resolution late for an event that has already happened.
(Resolution was withdrawn last week by Senator Waltz. Finance passed it out of committee 4-14-09).
REFERRED BACK TO FINANCE.

Resolution 46-Sponsored by Senator Blair.
Subject: Asking the Legislature to passed the Seminole Gaming Compact.
PASSED.

Unfinished Business: None.

New Business: Senate President Seifter explained to the Senate why they need to turn in their letters of intent for the summer session of Senate. He also asked the Senate to sign up for the Sustainability Walk on next Wednesday.


Closing Announcements: Senator Hall told the Senate that former Senator Tim Hooper is in law school at the University of Texas and he is also a member of their Student Senate. He said that according to Hooper their Senate is real distraught and there is no direction and that FSU Senate should be very happy with what they have. Senator Donoho told Senator Humphries that she appreciates what he has been through and she presented him with a pony. Senator Moallem told the Senate that she is still collecting prom dresses and she need them by Friday. Senator Sargent gave a shout out to Senators Carlos, Rayvon Joseph and Sandy Simmons for tabling on today. Senator Grossman thanked Senator Hall for the cupcakes. Senator McKanstry thanked the Senate for their support and he thanked everyone who came to their concert. Senator Dougherty announced that the Stop Rape Week “Take Back the Night” march will be on tomorrow. Senator Blair told the Senate that he really needs help in getting the students voices heard and it is only two weeks before session ends; so please talk to your legislators and friends. David Loe thanked the Senate for allowing him to speak about the Sustainability Month. He said they are trying to get 20,000 signatures and he asked the Senate to pass out the flyers to their friends. Sandra Miles announced that next week is Dr. Howard’s birthday and she and Dr. Howard will not be at Senate meeting on April 22. She gave a quote from Eleanor Roosevelt. Senate Pro Tempore Cuyler announced that there will be a town hall meeting on April 21 concerning the budget crisis. He spotlighted Senator Moallem for keeping students in her classes informed of what Senate is doing. Senate President Seifter told the Senate that the SGA leadership is doing all that they can concerning the budget crisis and they cannot do it all by themselves: they need all the students’ help. He urged the Senate to write letters to their legislators and call them up and let them know how you feel. He said he attended Spring Fling and it was awesome: the food and the band were both good. He informed the Senate that he and Pro Tempore Cuyler will be interviewing for members for the new funding board and Finance will interview the students they selected to be on the new funding boards.

Final Roll Call: PRESENT: Senators Barnes, Bauman, Blair, Bonderud, Callahan, Chance, Charlemagne, Cuyler, Daniels, Donoho, Dougherty, Fistel, Flemming, Ghaneie, Gilzean, Goins, Gonzmart, Grossman, Hall, Holmes, Howard, Humphries, Hutchinson, Johns, Joseph, Kushner, Kushner, Lampi, Lias, McKanstry, Moallem, Mroczkowski, Peterich, Richards, Sargent, Scandling, Schlesinger, Simmons, Theodore, Triay, Tunis, Waltz, Wood, Zielasko. ABSENT: Senators Assidon, Dunnington, Fabre, Gold, Gonzmart, Johnson, Losito, Malone, Melbourne, Shubitz, Sieglitz, Underwood, Walker, Williams, Yarbrough.

The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.

Bobby Seifter
Student Senate President

Mattie Durham
Student Senate Program Assistant