Student Senate President Aundre Price said at Tuesday’s meeting that his goal for Senate is to reach out to and improve communication with the UF Student Body.
He presented his legislative agenda, co-authored by Senate President pro tempore Logan Harrison, to about 80 senators at the meeting.
After the meeting, Price said he wants to accomplish close to 100 percent of the items he put forth on his agenda.
“I do have the entire summer,” he said.
Some of the items outlined in his agenda are presenting upcoming bills in the Gator Times for students, recruiting students to help freshmen move into dorms, spending a day at Lake Wauburg with freshmen and hosting more town hall meetings.
Price also touched on academics, aiming to improve and increase funding for the Broward Teaching Center and create a medical school recreation room.
After the meeting, Price said these ideas might take longer than his term, which will end with the fall elections.
He also said he discussed getting students involved in UF’s anti-hazing task force subcommittees with Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Dave Kratzer and Associate Provost of Undergraduate Affairs Bernard Mair. Senators could serve on subcommittees such as institutional and statewide; band, ROTC and athletics; and student organizations.
Price wrote in an email that the subcommittees will review the hazing policies and regulations of each area.
After the agenda presentation, senators unanimously passed a bill to express condolences for the death of Trayvon Martin. Last week, senators asked the bill’s authors to revise it. The authors took out “white and Latino” to describe George Zimmerman, who says he shot Trayvon in self-defense.
Some senators were confused as to why Zimmerman’s race was removed when the bill still states that Trayvon was African-American.
Sen. Christina Bonarrigo said Travyon’s description remained for biographical purposes. His background and interests are also in the bill, she said.
The bill was passed with an amendment to send it to Trayvon’s parents.
The Senate also unanimously approved the 2012-13 Student Government Funded Academic Budget. Senators will likely vote on the student organizations budget next week.
Contact Samantha Shavell at sshavell@alligator.org.
