SGC-MMC Senate convenes on University expansion and other issues

 

Adrian Suarez Avila/ Staff Writer
adrian.suarezavila@fiusm.com

The Student Government Council at Modesto A. Maidique Campus Senate voted in favor of a resolution supporting University expansion during the general meeting on Oct. 20.

As stated in the original document, the resolution was “in support of relocating the Miami-Dade County Fair and Exposition so that FIU may more completely support the academic mission of the University and serve the students and the community of Miami-Dade.”

After bypassing a second reading of the resolution, the senate approved it unanimously.

“We want to continue to show support and solidarity with both the students of the University and also with the larger FIU community about moving the fairgrounds and finding a suitable space for relocation,” said Charles Perretti, graduate senator and Senate speaker.

“We make this a public issue, we put the resolution out there, and then we can bring it to the members of the administration, to the community and show that there’s solidarity and there’s a strong belief among the students in this goal.”

Moving along the agenda, the senators discussed confirmations for vacant Senate- and Cabinet-level positions.

Four students stepped up to fill an open seat for School of Arts and Sciences senator.

The candidates were Giovanna Gonzalez, a junior psychology major; Chantae Brown, a sophomore psychology and criminal justice double major; Helen Boyer a senior transfer student from Atlanta, Georgia; and George Rafols.

Once each student delivered a speech explaining his or her qualifications, a question-and-answer session followed.

When it came time for the senators to discuss the candidates, the four students were asked to leave the chambers until the discussion reached an end.

“It is my personal opinion that the frontrunners are Chantae and Helen,” said Tomas Alcala, College of Architecture and The Arts  senator and speaker pro tempore. “Not only because of their qualifications, but also because they had goals.”

While Brown mentioned the possibility of creating a mentor program for biology majors, in which upperclassmen would guide underclassmen during their first semester, Boyer proposed working towards informing students about the various opportunities that are available to them at the University.

Hanna Habib, Arts and Sciences senator, agreed with Alcala.

“The only thing I see different between [Brown and Boyer] is I think Chantae, if I’m not mistaken, said she was a sophomore, so she has a lot more time to develop and has a future here in student government, whereas Helen said she was a senior, so this would probably be her first and last position. Since [Brown and Boyer] are neck and neck, I think that’s something we should consider when voting.”

When the votes were cast, Brown was selected as the new Arts and Sciences senator.

The Cabinet will also be welcoming a new member.

Javier Zapata, a senior international relations major, was confirmed unanimously as the sustainability coordinator.

Confirmations for the senator-at-large position were rescheduled for the general meeting in the coming week.

Other business was also covered.

Rhett Williamson, graduate senator, on behalf of the Graduate and Professional Student Committee, informed the Senate that he and his fellow committee members were currently working on converting their funding request application to an online format.

The committee has also finalized the date for its Gradskellar, which will take place Thursday, Oct. 30, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Chili’s Too in Graham Center.