Student Senate 9/18

Safie Sagna, Food and Housing Security Coordinator from the Dean of Students Office, spoke during public forum about the “Share a Swipe for Hope” campaign during this week’s meeting of the University of Rhode Island’s Student Senate. 

The campaign is a meal swipe sharing program where students can donate their guest swipes to students with food insecurity. The campaign will be running from Nov. 12 to Nov. 22. this year, but students can donate online throughout the year, according to Sagna. 

Austyn Ramsay, Student Organizations Committee Chair, asked if students would be able to donate more than one swipe. Students currently can only donate one swipe per semester, but Sagna said that the ability for students to donate more than one swipe per semester is something that can be worked toward. 

Senator Bolu Taiwo said that she had an issue with her combination swipe not being used when dining in Ram’s Den. Bolu said that she got an item that she usually gets as a combination but was charged $6.50 for the item. 

Taiwo said that she was given an “attitude” from a dining faculty manager because she was in the combo line. The dining staff then checked Taiwo’s ID to see if it was her ID.

“I just need that to be fixed,” said Taiwo. “I felt very targeted.”

Ryan Menard, dining liaison, said that members of the dining staff have been assuming that meals being purchased are not combo swipes and that students should confirm that they are using combo swipes for their meals if so. 

Donna Osgood, student senator and student manager at Ram’s Den, responded to Taiwo’s grievances and said that the dining staff is getting into the habit of checking IDs. This, according to Osgood, is because of a circumstance where someone stole their girlfriend’s ID and used it himself. 

Elections for Student Senate will be held in September. Students will receive one ballot for at large representatives, one ballot for a representative of the college that they are a part of and one ballot for either on or off-campus representative.

Clubs looking for official recognition from the Student Senate will be recognized on the last Monday of each month, according to Ramsay. 

Bills calling for the recognition of URI Men’s Soccer and RhodyTHON as student organizations will be voted on during next week’s meeting. 

The Muslim Students Association received a contingency grant for an event that will be held at the beginning of October from Student Senate, according to Joe Lachance, the director of Treasury.

Ben Ndayishimiye, a former senator who was nominated by Ramsay for the head jurist position, was elected to the position with 14 votes. 

The three nominees for the court have accepted their nominations, according to John Bagley, Instruments Committee chair. Two more seats on the court still need to be filled.

Jay Rumas, student senator, said that he would be stepping down from his position as a senator because he is “overcommitted,” but that he may be willing to step up and serve on the court if he is needed.