Senate Beat is Locating Goats

Highlights and action items: The CSO Director Search Committee is in the final stages of finding the next CSO Director. Senators seek student opinions about AI use within the classroom. A survey requesting student “I Voted” sticker designs comes out this week. 

Student Body President Andrew Happy ’27 began the meeting at 4:10pm, announcing that the Residential College Implementation Committee has finalized their review of the pathway model for junior and senior years and will be drafting their final report in this year’s remaining few meetings. He then announced that the CSO Director Search Committee has wrapped up their interviews and are currently narrowing down their final candidates. He finally announced that the Academic Support Services Committee will have their final meeting Friday, April 17. 

Student Body Vice President Taylor Barth ’27 then reported that he recently had a successful meeting with the Alumni Board. He reported that there would be alumni reunions in June, and that he plans to attend an alumni retreat over the summer. He finally reported that he had unfortunately been having such a good time at the Reed Union the Friday prior that he had lost track of time and missed most of that day’s Student Committee on Diversity (SCOD) meeting, meaning that other senators would have to share on those proceedings.

Senator Sam Kuo ’28 then announced that the week prior he had successfully increased the swipe access time of ODB from ten seconds to twenty seconds for people with disabilities. He then announced that he, Appointments Committee Co-chair and Senator Sima Fasihi ’28, and Senator Enzo Lawrence ’28 had recently attended a Title IX conference with Christy Martin themed “You Are Not Alone.” He then expressed his solidarity with anyone having to file a Title IX case, encouraging students to remember that there are people here who want to help. He finally shared that SCOD will be holding office hours this week to discuss affinity group leaders’ experiences with identity-based funding. 

Senator Stella Greer ’29 then reported that the Commons Liaisonship will meet this Friday. She then reminded students that they are free to meet with a chef one-on-one if they have any personal dietary concerns. She then reported that she was waiting for upcoming meetings, including one with the Computer User Services (CUS) Committee on Thursday, April 16. She then reported that she was still looking for student opinions on AI usage in classrooms. She finally thanked Kuo for reading her committee updates the week prior.  

Lawrence then reported that the Reed Union event had gone well the week prior, and that he had been happy to see Barth (among others) in attendance and had been thrilled to get the opportunity to discuss steps that students and faculty can take to build community. He then reported that Sexual Health, Advocacy, and Relationships Education (SHARE) will be meeting this week to discuss possible SHARE involvement in clubs like Beer Nation and HUM Play during Renn Fayre. He finally reported that Title IX’s Lunch and Learn, at which they had discussed details like the difference between a report and a complaint, had gone well the week prior. He finally encouraged students to reach out to Title IX if they have any relevant concerns. 

Senator Alastair Budd ’27 then reported that he will be meeting with a CLBR representative the next day. 

Assistant Treasurer Al McKee ’29 then reported that they had had a successful meeting with the Bookstore Board recently. 

Vice Treasurer Bella Reyes ’27 then reported that no student group had been assessed at FinComm the week prior, but that meetings would continue to be held every week at 5pm in Eliot 123. 

Senator Justin Sotomayor ’27 then reported that SCOD office hours would be open to all affinity groups, and that affinity group leaders should have received more information via email. 

Senator Quinn Capper ’28 then reported that he had an upcoming meeting with the CUS Committee.

Senator JR Wallingford ’27 then reported that the deadline to sign up for senate candidacy had been extended to Wednesday, April 14 at 11:59pm. He then reported that a survey requesting student designs for next year’s Reed “I Voted” stickers would be sent out this week. 

Senator Manoel Pereira Lopes ’28 reported that the Bylaw review is almost complete and will hopefully be ready by the end of the semester. 

Fasihi then reported that AppComm has completed the rehiring process. She then reported that the SCOD office hours for affinity group leaders would be held this Wednesday from 7-9pm and next Monday from 3-4pm in the MRC Living Room. She then reported that the Student Committee on Academic Policy and Planning (SCAPP) hopes to give the junior qual report on Wednesday, April 15. 

Fasihi then read Appointments Committee Co-chair and Senator Sofie Braunstein’s ’28 committee reports. Fasihi read that the Accessibility Committee website is up and running, and that Committee on Accessibility Resources and Disability Services (CARDS) is working on goats. She then read that the Reed Union will be back in the fall and that the Sustainability Earth Day will be held Friday in the Quad with goats in attendance! She then read that AppComm would like to recommend Enzo Lawrence ’28 for Assistant Treasurer and Calder McQueen ’29 for Senate Webmaster. Happy then asked for a motion and a second, which were provided by Reyes and Barth respectively. The vote was then unanimous besides Lawrence’s abstention. 

Senator Manoel Pereira Lopes ’28 then shared that the Accessibility Committee website is now available. 

Happy then shared that according to Bylaw Article 3 Section 3.2 Part A Subsections 3 and 4, the sitting president can make an interim Renn Fayre Czar appointment if there is not adequate time for AppComm to hold an interview for a replacement granted the senate votes two-thirds in favor of the candidate’s approval. Happy then recommended Xixi Dukes ’26 for Renn Fayre Czar. Happy then requested a motion and a second, which were provided by Pereira Lopes and Greer respectively. The vote was subsequently unanimous. 

Happy adjourned the meeting at 4:23pm. 

Braunstein was absent.