Senate General Body Meeting #16 — Agenda (01/21/24)

112th Johns Hopkins Student Government Association

Senate Meeting #16

January 21, 2024 / 07:20 PM / Hackerman B17

AGENDA

1. Call to Order and Attendance (1 min)

   1. Excused Absentees: Omar Gharib, Anisha Rasamsetty, Jacquelyn Slade, Angela Xiong
   2. Unexcused Absentees: Cynthia Sanchez Hidalgo

2. Convening Business (40 min)

3. Amendment and Approval of the Agenda (1 min)

4. Public Input (3 min)

5. Reports (5 min)

   1. Cabinet Reports (4 min)
   2. Advisor Report (2 min)

6. Non-Legislative Business (15 min)

7. SIF Planning- Chair Tim Huang
8. Initiatives Discussion- Vice President Srigouri
9. SGA Summit- Vice President Srigouri
10. Construction Update- President Stone Meng

11. First Reading

12. Second Reading

    1. Valentines Day Tabling- Chair Tim Huang

13. Prospective Legislation & Announcements (5 min)

14. Adjournment (Estimated 9:20 PM)

Time-length and adjournment estimates are provided for the benefit of guests at Senate meetings. However, SGA meetings are always slated to extend until 9:20 PM and SGA members are expected to remain in the Senate chamber until official adjournment by motion, whether before or after the adjournment estimate.

112th Johns Hopkins Student Government Association

Senate Meeting #16

January 21, 2024 / 07:20 PM / Hackerman B17

MINUTES

11. Call to Order and Attendance (1 min)

    1. Excused Absentees: Omar Gharib, Anisha Rasamsetty, Jacquelyn Slade, Angela Xiong
    2. Unexcused Absentees: Cynthia Sanchez Hidalgo

12. Convening Business (40 min)

13. Amendment and Approval of the Agenda (1 min)

    1. Motion to move the Valentine’s Day Tabling to second reading, which was approved.
    2. Motion to add a brief discussion to non-legislative business about construction update.
    3. Motion to approve the agenda, which passed.

14. Public Input (3 min)

15. Reports (5 min)

    1. Cabinet Reports (4 min)
       1. Executive President Stone Meng said that there were construction updates from Brittani Brown and Rachelle Hernandez, which will be communicated by him and Programming Chair Tim Huang. He asked anyone who is interested to participate in the event that consists of student governments from other colleges to respond to Advisor Jessica Snell’s message on Teams.
       2. Huang asked anyone who’s interested to run for Chair of Programming to send a message to him and ask any questions they have.
    2. Advisor Report (2 min)
       1. Snell reiterated to anyone interested in the SGA Summit to reach out to her and sign up by tonight. She will work on transportation to the event.
       2. When KSAS Senator Danial Nabizadeh asked where the event is, Snell explained that it is in Baltimore and Vice President Amy Li stated that it is not too far to campus.

16. Non-Legislative Business (15 min)

17. SIF Planning- Chair Tim Huang
    1. Huang explained that The News-Letter is asking to get more candidates to run for the SGA elections, so this SIF tabling is significant. There won’t be any fancy giveaways, but we will give out flyers. It will give information about the available positions.
    2. Second page will consist of the initiatives senators have done. Senator and SGA spotlights are welcome on social media as Huang is running it. He asked everybody’s opinions on how we can format the design to look better. Discussion about this is encouraged.
    3. Motion to have a discussion passed.
    4. Sophomore Class President Vishnu Dontu believes that last SIF, the trifold did not look good. He asked if we could purchase a new one.
    5. Huang has something to replace it in the SGA storage. New ideas will be implemented by Friday.
    6. Meng said that he can get a black or white trifold. He asked if we have a tablecloth, to which Huang said that we do.
    7. Senior Class Senator Jennifer Tang Cabrera asked what we are planning to put on the trifold.
    8. Huang said that it will be a bigger version of spotlights and some post-it notes. He needs more people to reach out for individual spotlights.
    9. Media Senator Tyler Turner said that these could be in the “I did this” format.
    10. Huang asked everyone who wants to get a shoutout to send the initiatives they’ve done along with a headshot. The design will be finalized by Friday.
    11. Senior Class Senator Ryan Alezz said that SGA accomplishments along with individual shoutouts would work.
    12. Meng agreed and asked to add QR codes to feedback surveys. SGA is working on the construction developments and the news regarding Nolan’s on 33rd staff could be discussed in this tabling. He believes giveaways are a good idea, so he suggested buying a bunch of pens and giving those out since they are cheap.
    13. Huang does not think we have enough time. He will work on the QR codes. He said that he will see which suggestions he can use. If anyone has any surveys they want people to fill out, they have to print them out and bring them to SIF. SIF sign up sheet is shared on Teams.
    14. Tim: Doesn’t think we have enough time. QR codes → will do a lot of the things that were said but can’t do all of them. Make them and send it to Tim so he can print them out. SIF sign up will be in Teams.
18. Initiatives Discussion- Vice President Srigouri
    1. Vice President of Senate Srigouri Oruganty explained that she wants the senate to discuss ideas and goals for this semester.
    2. Motion for 10 minute moderated caucus to discuss this passed.
    3. Special Interest and Hobby Senator Adithyan Neelamana asked to clarify initiatives to be discussed.
    4. Oruganty said that this discussion will consist of any goals people want to realize this semester.
    5. Neelamana said that his friend messaged him about authorizing access to athletic trainers for club sports people. He believes that SGA should expand access. Currently, they are only accessible to varsity athletes. Neelamana asked if we can work with the Rec Center on this.
    6. Student Athlete Caucus Chair Molly Kuzma said that this is being discussed with Snell.
    7. Fraternity & Sorority Life Senator Yashas Mallikarjun said that as the RSO committee chair, he started working on a student organization survey for re-registration, funding and allocation. He is collecting data on it.
    8. Dontu hopes to bring healthier drink options to the Charles Market. Also, a company called Opal reached out and offered Opal Pro to Hopkins students, which is an app that limits screen time. There will be more details coming from the Major Fair.
    9. Huang said that for the Major Fair, the First Year Experience is working with him.
    10. Sophomore Class Senator Tarini Basirreddy said that the Whiting School of Engineering is figuring out academic changes for the Class of 2029 and beyond. She had three meetings with them but nothing has been agreed on so far.
    11. Basirreddy said that she’s working to bring charging stations with various cables to Brody and Gilman Reading Rooms. She’s also working on lecture hall renovations. They will check the lecture halls to see what needs to be changed or altered. She will check the progress of this. She’s thinking about potentially bringing academic fairs since there will be WSE and KSAS changes in classes of 2028 and 2029.
    12. Sophomore Class Senator Jazzlyn Fernandez wants to work on the accessibility issues with the MSE construction and the obstacles brought by freezing colds. Major pathways on campus are blocked and icy patches exist, so ways to get across campus need to be prioritized.
    13. Freshman Class Senator Sumire Sumi wants to expand the availability of Blue Jay Shuttles in terms of distance and time.
    14. Sophomore Class Senator Arihant Singh said that there is a shortage of lecture spaces for TA sections, which he was told by a professor. He doesn’t know how feasible it is but it can have a short term solution. He criticized the Mediterranean food at Levering and said that Hopkins Dining does not have good vegetarian options with enough calories. According to him, not everyone can cook with a student schedule.
    15. Cultural and Identity Senator Jordyn Craig-Schwartz is working on a grief support group. She had conversations about this and might start a club.
    16. Meng asked everyone to message the initiatives channel with these, and keep the spreadsheet updated this semester on teams.
    17. Alezz said that the Student Services Committee and a bunch of different senators are working on common issues like dining and transportation. He asked people to work with Student Services if they want to tackle these issues.
    18. WSE Senator Moses Frumkin wants to be more assertive with regards to changes affecting undergraduates such as curriculum changes. He wants to give more feedback for various programs and projects that the administration is interested in. He hopes to be more clear about the allocated budgets. He wants to make the SGA more accessible to the student body.
    19. Sophomore Class Senator Omotara Tiamiyu hopes to utilize social media so that we can talk about the work we do. She heard from the student body that they don’t know what we do. Weekly updates could work. Class instagrams could be used, too.
    20. Turner said that he’s working on creating a Blue Jay Crew to enhance student spirit for all nine divisions of Hopkins. He had a meeting with Brown about this.
    21. Oruganty definitely wants another Wellbeing Day with hammocks. She wants to focus more on the safety aspect of it. In the Health and Sustainability Committee, they had a lot of cool ideas on safety that they can pursue.
19. SGA Summit- Vice President Srigouri
    1. Oruganty asked everybody interested to let Jessica know about the SGA Summit.
    2. Snell said that it’s free and lunch is provided. It’s this Friday from 10 AM to 3 PM. She needs at least 10 people, but has 3 people so far.
    3. Meng asked if students can leave early if they wish.
    4. Snell said yes but they would need their own transportation.
20. Construction Update- President Stone Meng
    1. Towards the end of last semester, SGA met with Brown and Hernandez. They asked the SGA to write a proposal. Huang wrote the draft and Meng edited. It echoes the email SGA sent out with more details and fewer asks. They will be categorized into immediate, short term (over the summer), and long term changes (next semester). Brown will be emailed with any additional suggestions. The student body can also provide suggestions. President Daniel is willing to provide funding.
    2. Oruganty asked if this was already sent to Hernandez and Brown and whether they responded with categories.
    3. Meng said that it was and another one will be sent with further suggestions. He said that there is no need to have a discussion in this meeting. He asked anyone interested to reach out via Teams.
    4. A thread on Teams will be started for any further edits to the proposal.

21. First Reading

22. Second Reading

    1. Valentines Day Tabling- Chair Tim Huang
       1. Huang said that the time frame is still to be determined.
       2. There will be candies, flowers, and chocolates given out. He asked everyone to get people to follow SGA Instagram and promote the formals coming up such as the sophomore formal.
       3. He said that we need to figure out where to get flowers.
       4. Motion for 10 minute moderated caucus passed.
       5. Neelamana asked if we’re giving flowers out as a prize or for free. For 100 USD, he estimated we could only get around 6 flower bouquets.
       6. Huang said that flowers will be given out if they register for an event or follow the SGA.
       7. Meng asked if we could do origami in this tabling.
       8. Huang said that people didn’t stay last year.
       9. Meng suggested organizing a speed dating event.
       10. Secretary Buse Koldas suggested getting bouquets from the Streets Market and then separating them to wrap them up with pink or red ribbons and wrapping paper.
       11. Huang said that Streets is still expensive, but he will try to find something cheaper.
       12. Basirreddy said that satin flowers are sold on Amazon and that they’re pretty cheap. SGA could have some real flowers and some satin flowers. According to her, 20 dollars worth of satin flowers would be enough.
       13. Cabrera said that Trader Joe’s sells cheap flowers.
       14. Huang believes that transportation should be considered, too. Also, due to Valentine’s Day, flower prices will go up. Having a spin the wheel giveaway was suggested, however Huang said that he doesn’t want people to not win anything for Valentine’s Day.
       15. KSAS Senator Jaden Garcia’s motion to increase the cost of flowers to 200 USD passed.
       16. The bill was passed.

23. Prospective Legislation & Announcements (5 min)

24. Adjournment (Estimated 9:20 PM)

    1. Motion to adjourn passed.

Time-length and adjournment estimates are provided for the benefit of guests at Senate meetings. However, SGA meetings are always slated to extend until 9:20 PM and SGA members are expected to remain in the Senate chamber until official adjournment by motion, whether before or after the adjournment estimate.