The University of Rhode Island student senate met Wednesday to vote on six new senate positions for its internal elections and four bills, all of which were passed.
To open the meeting, Vice President Sanah Feroz spoke on meeting with managers from Mainfare and Butterfield dining halls to discuss bringing greater visibility toward dietary restrictions, specifically involving halal food.
During the announcement period of the meeting, Sen. Kiersten Sundell brought up the Student Action for Sustainability’s beach cleanup party. As SAS liaison, Sundell said the organization will hold the cleanup at Point Judith, Rhode Island on Friday.
The senate then voted to approve and welcome Snaha Pokherel as director of communications. Prior to the vote to approve her entry into position, Pokherel gave a short speech.
“I know we need some help re-branding the website and I would love to do that,” Pokherel said. “In general I would love to join the student senate as it’s a great place to enhance communication as well as my collaboration skills.”
Following Pokherel’s induction onto the board, nominees for five more available positions on the senate board were voted on.
New senators included first-year position Chiamaka Desmond-Igbo, on campus Reps. Luke Lagasse and Gianna DeLorenzo, and off campus Reps. Liam Flemming and Tyler Dickinson.
A resolution to officially honor the life of Maureen McDermott, allowing her tribute to be entered into the official records of the student senate, was passed.
Prior to the vote, the floor was yielded to chair Hannah Collins, who spoke on her experience knowing McDermott.
“[The resolution] was to honor Maureen in the best way we know how,” Collins said. “There’s not enough good words to describe the impact that she’s had.”
The bill will be printed out, framed and hung up, according to Speaker of the Assembly Lauren Peckham.
In addition to the resolution, the senate passed three other bills: the approval of a $17,500 category transfer for URI Alpine Ski and Snowboard, an acknowledgement of the URI Natural Pharmaceutical Medicine Club, and the installment of a historically excluded population liaison on the URI student senate.
The senate took a moment at the end of the meeting to honor and celebrate four students graduating this semester: Hannah Collins, Tracy Santos, John Estes and Kendal McCloskey.
This student senate meeting was the last of the fall semester.