The College of William and Mary’s Student Assembly Vice President Ryan Ruzic J.D. ’11 opened his first senate meeting Tuesday evening.
The meeting was part of the Bring a Student to Senate program, an initiative aimed at increasing SA transparency. Representatives from the Hindi Program, the Trial Team and the Fencing Team were in attendance.
Sen. Matt Beato ’09 began the meeting by providing an update on the Abstention Amendment, a measure that was passed in both the Undergraduate and Graduate Councils.
The Senate voted on only one piece of legislation this week: the Medical Amnesty Extension. Sponsored by Sens. Steven Nelson ’10, Ben Brown ’11 and Stef Felitto ’12, this act would extend the College’s amnesty policy to include all substances.
“Under the current policy, if a student’s health or safety is in danger under intoxication, the College wants to ensure that you don’t think twice about contacting authorities. This proposed extension is in the same language and has the same purpose,” Brown said.
The act would not grant amnesty for possession with intent to distribute drugs. Such a charge is legally defined and could only be determined if the police became involved.
The bill passed unanimously, and the sponsors will present it to Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Ginger Ambler.
Included in new business was the introduction of the Summer Shuttle Service Act. If passed, this bill will fund a taxi shuttle program during days the Green and Gold lines of the Williamsburg Area Transport are not operating.
The Pimping Out the Game Area Act, which would appropriate approximately $10,000 to purchase two racing games and other forms of entertainment for the Sadler Center, was also sent to the appropriate committee.
The last piece of new business was the Student Outreach Department Act. This legislation is intended to form an Executive Department of Student Outreach, which would act to manage communications between the SA and various student organizations on campus.
The remainder of the meeting was spent conducting senate secretary and chairman elections.
Sen. Brittany Fallon ’11 was elected secretary, a post previously held by Sen. Caroline Mullis ’09, and Brown will now fill Sen. Walter McClean’s ’09 position as chairman.
Both Brown and Fallon were elected with the full support of the 18 senators present.
