At the final Slippery Rock Student Government Association (SRSGA) formal meeting of the semester on Tuesday night, several financial items were approved prior to the elections of the speaker of the senate and students-at-large.
Goalball, French Club, Competitive Bass Fishing Club and Women’s Ice Hockey were approved for initiative requests of $406.50, $143.50, $4,212 and $126.70, respectively. There was one abstention from the vote for the initiative request for Women’s Ice Hockey due to a senator entering the meeting late.
The student leader stipend budget of $82,955 for the upcoming academic year was approved. The budget has been updated to account for the SRSGA vice president of diversity inclusion, a new position fulfilled by Kennedy Moore. The vote received three abstentions.
Rachel Lawler, the outgoing SRSGA president, also recited a proclamation to recognize SRU president-elect William Behre, who will take office on July 1.
Lawler then swore in Dallas Kline, former vice president of campus outreach, as the SRSGA president for the 2018-19 academic year.
“Being a part of SGA has really allowed me to grow as a person and as an individual, which is why I’m so upset tonight. To everyone else who is continuing, I wish you the best and you’re going to do great things, especially with the new president coming in,” Lawler said in her final officer report.
After Kline swore in the 2018-19 executive board and senate, a new initiative request of $960 for homecoming was approved. The request will fund rental cars to escort the homecoming court during the parade.
Elections were held to name a new speaker of the senate and two students-at-large for the Board of Directors. Logan Tupper, vice president of finance, motioned to suspend the rules for the election in order to elect a speaker of the senate based on a majority vote instead of a two-thirds vote.
A majority was not reached after the initial vote, leading to a runoff vote between the two candidates with the most votes. Taylor Cochran, a sophomore early childhood and special education major, was ultimately elected speaker of the senate.
During the elections for the two students-at-large, Tupper motioned to suspend the rules, allowing for the senate to vote for both the one-year and two-year terms in the same election following approval.
Riley Keffer, former vice president of finance, and Brennan Smith, former parliamentarian, were elected. Keffer, who will be a graduate student in student affairs in higher education in the fall, will serve a two-year term while Smith will serve a one-year term during his senior year as an economics and finance dual major.
David Kershaw, chairperson for the political science department, was approved as the SRSGA adviser for a second year.
“He kind of turned us from a general senate to a hardcore senate. I think too, because of his guidance, he brings a different perspective than what we’ve had in the past,” Kline said.
This was the final SRSGA meeting for the semester. For the fall 2018 semester, meetings will be held on Monday nights at a new time, 7:30 p.m.
