The 321st Student Assembly senate elected Sen. Will McConnell ’14 as chair Tuesday and reelected Sen. Jimmy Zhang ’15 as secretary.
Due to disputes over the oath used during inauguration, Chairman of the Review Board Scott Hardy ’14 swore in every senator present.
“At the inauguration, we were sworn in with the wrong oath, so technically none of us are sworn in,” McConnell said.
After senator and class president introductions, outgoing Senate Chair Kendall Lorenzen ’15 gave presentations on the structure of the SA, as well as the rules for speaking in senate meetings. Before leaving, she imparted words of advice for new members.
“The main word of wisdom I would give is to look at everything as if you’re still a kindergartener,” Lorenzen said. “I work a lot with children, and one thing about them is they look at everything with such passion and such excitement, and they don’t take everything as the norm. I think we can learn from them. We need to look at the problems that we have at our school … and say what can we do about that?”
Returning Sen. Colin Danly ’15 introduced the New Organization Funding Act, which proposes developing a new fund for organizations formed after the Executive Appropriations Committee completes its annual budgeting.
“These new organizations don’t have funding; they come to the senate to do activities and events one by one,” Danly said. “I think having a way to average them into the budget and figure out what the EAC rules are — they could have an advisor during the first year — would be very beneficial to the longevity of said organization.”
McConnell assigned the bill to the finance and the executive committees.
The 2013 Closing of Session Act marks all pending bills of the 320th senate as dead and brings over the New Organization Funding Act as a bill in the 321st senate.
The Know Your Rights Card bill proposes printing wallet-sized cards outlining students’ rights for distribution at orientation.
President Chase Koontz ’14, Vice President Mel Alim ’14 and Chief of Staff Drew Wilke ’15 selected nominees for the eight executive positions. Pending senate approval, Alyssa Zhu ’14 will be secretary of student life, Dylan Frendt ’14 will work as secretary of diversity, Trevor Parkes ’15 will be secretary of College policy, Danny Anderson ’14 will work as secretary of student rights, Alicia Moore ’14 will be secretary of health and safety, Zach Woodward ’14 will work as secretary of public affairs, Lorenzen will work be secretary of outreach, and Joe Soultanis ’15 will work as secretary of finance.
Undergraduate Council members elected Treasurer Brett Prestia ’14 as chair and Vice President of Social Affairs Yousif Al-Amin ’16 as co-chair.
Student Assembly senate committee assignments
Student Assembly senate Outreach Committee
Sen. Ishan Bardhan ’13
Sen. A.J. Sapon ’13
Sen. Joseph Scholle ’14
Sen. Dan Kennedy ’15
Sen. James Walker ’15
Sen. Seth Opoku-Yeboah ’16, acting chair for first meeting
Sen. Ricky Coston (School of Education)
Sen. Brianna Buch ’15
Student Assembly senate Policy Committee
Sen. Matt Gardner ’13
Sen. Peter Lifson ’14
Sen. Colin Danly ’15
Sen. James Walker ’15
Sen. Seth Oboku-Yeboah ’16, acting chair for first meeting
Sen. Gabriel Morey ’16
Sen. Matthew McAdams (Mason School of Business)
Marshall-Wythe Law School representative
Class of 2016 Daniel Rice ’16
Student Assembly senate Student Life Committee
Sen. Ishan Bardhan ’13
Sen. Alice Shaughnessy ’13
Senate Chair William McConnell ’14
Senate Secretary Jimmy Zhang ’15
Sen. Dan Kennedy ’15
Sen. Dan Ackerman ’16, acting chair for first meeting
Sen. Gabriel Morey ’16
Virginia Institute of Marine Science representative
Class of 2014 President Grace Martini ’14
Student Assembly senate Public Affairs Committee
Sen. A.J. Sapon ’13
Sen. Alice Shaughnessy ’13
Sen. Peter Lifson ’14
Sen. Chandler Crenshaw ’14
Senator Secretary Jimmy Zhang ’15, acting chair for first meeting
Sen. Yohance Whitaker ’16
At large Graduate Council representative (currently open)
Class of 2016 President Daniel Rice ’16
Student Assembly senate Finance Committee
Sen. Matt Gardner ’13
Senate Chair William McConnell ’14
Sen. Chandler Crenshaw ’14
Sen. Joseph Scholle ’14
Sen. Colin Danly ’15
Sen. Daniel Ackerman ’16
Sen. Yohance Whitaker ’16
Marshall-Wythe Law School representative
Shuting Zeng of the Graduate Student Association
Class of 2014 President Grace Martini ’14
Class of 2015 President Brianna Buch ’15
