UF’s Student Senate passed a bill Tuesday transfering $32,000 to the Student Government Administration to construct a collegiate veterans success center and refurbish water fountains on campus.
The money, which comes from SG reserves, allocates $25,000 to the center and $7,000 to the water fountains project.
The center will be in Yon Hall and will serve as a gathering place for student veterans. The center will be set up within the next few months by the Department of Housing and Residence Education, Senate President Christina Bonarrigo said after the meeting.
The $25,000 ensures five exterior doors, three interior doors and two bathrooms compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act standards. A sink and ice maker will also be installed, according to the bill.
“[It’s] to give back to veterans who have done so much for us,” said Budget Committee Chairman Joey Michaels.
The $7,000 will be used to refit existing water fountains to promote sustainability on campus. In the next few weeks, gooseneck faucets will be added to 16 existing fountains to accommodate water bottle refills: three fountains in Matherly Hall, two in the Hub, three in Turlington Hall, two in Norman Hall, three in Weimer Hall and three in the Levin College of Law, Bonarrigo said.
The Senate also passed a resolution honoring Christian Aguilar, a UF student who went missing Sept. 20.
The Senate did not pass a resolution asking UF administration to halt the removal of independently owned newspaper racks.
During the SG elections earlier this month, about 60 percent of students who voted on the referendum voted that they did not want the university to remove the racks.
Sen. Cory Yeffet spoke against the resolution, saying the Alligator, which is mentioned in the resolution, is not a student organization and should not be treated differently than other publications.
After the meeting, Sen. Umair Asghar, who wrote the resolution, said the Senate didn’t represent student opinion.
“An injustice was done to the Student Body who voted to keep the racks,” he said.
Representatives from Nightlife Navigators also spoke about a new handicap-accessible Student Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol vehicle that would become available near the end of the semester.
Contact Samantha Shavell at sshavell@alligator.org.
