Student Assembly

Minutes — September 20, 2012
Cornell University Student Assembly
4:45pm — 6:30pm, Willard Straight Hall Memorial Room

I. Call to Order/Roll Call

A. Gitlin called the meeting to order at 4:45pm

Members present

S. Balik, J. Batista, G. Block, E. Bonatti, G. Braciak, S. Breedon, I. Chen, A. Chopra, R. Desai, A. Gitlin, R. Gitlin, I. Harris, T. Hittinger, T. Iwaoka, D. Kuhr, J. Lee, G. Lovely, M. Lukasiewicz, J. Marshall J. Mueller, D. Muir, C. Pritchett, P. Scelfo, U. Smith, M. Stefanko, N. Terrones

Members unexcused

M. Cho

II. Approval of the 9/13/12 Minutes

• Minutes approved

III. Open Microphone

• None

IV. Presentation by Collegetown Student Council President Eric Silverberg

• There have been a lot of issues in Collegetown — students need to reclaim
• Target: promote economic development, improve community relations, and safeguard student health
  • Survey student body to gauge economic opinion — see what business people want in Collegetown
  • Will produce findings to City Council
  • Hold venues for students and resident to engage and for people to receive info about Collegetown living
• U. Smith: Spoke of ‘reclaiming’ Collegetown — suggests working closely with the City, with the Office of Off-Campus Housing, and the Residential Life Committee
• J. Marshall: Looking into having a market in Collegetown?
  • Will be included in the survey — there have been many mentions of such

V. Announcements/Reports

Take Back the Tap Announcement — S. Balik

• President Skorton sent out a report on what has been completed in the past couple of years
• Goals: more water fountains, eliminating water jugs in offices, sell fewer plastic bottles on campus

Collegiate Readership Program Announcement — R. Desai

• More newspapers to be distributed around campus kiosks

ALANA Announcement — G. Block

• Halloween at Southside outreach event — SA should take the opportunity to reach out to the community

Into the Streets Announcement — A. Gitlin

• October 19th — one of the biggest volunteer events. SA should commit a group

Cornell Democrats and Cornell Republicans Announcement — R. Gitlin

• Co-sponrosing the voter registration non-partisan rally

VI. Business of the Day

Special Projects Request: Every1 Campaign

• Request split into 3
  • Videos (production, filming, editing) $750/video, $3750 total
  • Hookup 101 pamphlets $0.16/pamphlet, $56.00 total
  • Sexual Health Resource Booklets $0.33/booklet, $494.10 total
• Appropriations Committee chose only to fund the booklets
  • Not enough prep gone into videos — price not thought out
  • Also, group did not look into other sources of funding
• D. Kuhr: Where would the pamphlets go? Why weren’t they funded?
  • Pamphlets mostly used for rush week
  • It was a closed vote — opinions weren’t given
• C. Pritchett: Status of group’s SAFC request?
  • Group currently at hearing — applying for funds for pamphlets and video
• D. Muir: Believe the SA should not be a source of funding — SA should be in complete support, but SA should not fund individual organizations and projects. Motion to amend funding amount to $0
  • M. Lukaciewicz: Agrees that SA should not fund individual events, but this is exactly what the special projects fund is for
  • R. Desai: In support. Issue not exactly pertinent on campus — otherwise SA would have to fund every event for women’s safety, student health, etc.
  • D. Kuhr: SA criticized for not moving fast enough — great use of special projects fund
  • Call to question, seconded, dissent expressed
  • Vote to vote: 10–9−4 Discussion continues
  • G. Block: Admits that video request wasn’t well planned. Would take too much time to find funding elsewhere. Would do so if there wasn’t pressure for a rapid response
  • J. Marshall: Does not see how effective these booklets will be
  • Call to question, seconded, dissent expressed
  • Vote to vote: 18–7−0 Moving to vote
  • Vote: 6–17–1
  • Motion fails
• No overturn of Appropriations decision, so request is passed

Slope Media Report — R. Desai

• Newly byline funded organizations — as such, do not have money in their account yet
• SA will give them a line of credit until money is put in their account

Resolution 8: Amendment to the 2012–2013 Standing Rules — R. Desai

• Addition of clauses to specify uses for grouped committee funding — to be approved by VP of Finance and of Internal Operations
• U. Smith: Good that we are implementing checks and balances
• Call to question, seconded
• Vote: 24–0−0
• Resolution 8 passes

VII. New Business

Resolution 9: Establishment of the Student Assembly Diversity Affairs Coalition — U. Smith and Jonathan Wheeler

• Need a group of students to implement Towards New Destinations initiatives at the ground level
• G. Block: Will the UDC be involved?
  • Understaff very thrilled to hear about this — definitely involved
• D. Kuhr: Deans involved?
  • Yes, as they are on the SA committees
• G. Block: Motion to move to Business of the Day, seconded, dissent expressed
  • A. Gitlin: Believes resolution is very important and asks members to think on it further before voting
  • Motion fails
• S. Breedon: Asks Dean Hubbell for his perspective
  • Good idea, glad that action is being taken. Key is coordination

Resolution 10: Creation of the Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion

• Responsibilities: internal check on actions of SA, liaison to OADI
• R. Gitlin: Interplay between minority reps and the VP?
  • Mentality needs to be changed — diversity not synonymous with minority

Resolution 11: Requiring Committee Applications for All Potential Assembly Members — S. Balik, J. Weinberg, U. Smith

• Bringing back a past requirement
• Motion to move to Business of the Day, seconded, dissent expressed
  • C. Pritchett: Doesn’t see why this doesn’t deserve the same deliberation period as previous resolutions
  • Motion fails
• D. Kuhr: What role does the DOE play?
  • Responsible for communicating application to applicants and to follow up with them
  • Will not directly review applications
• S. Breedon: Will the applications be a small barrier to prevent candidates from running?
  • If anything, will make for better candidates

A. Gitlin adjourns the meeting at 6:20

Respectuflly submitted,
Chelsea Cheng