Last week, Senate discussed sev­eral issues that have been on the minds of students and senators for several weeks, including how the governing body responds to student input, how it addresses sustainabil­ity and the importance of resolu­tions on the Drake campus.

STUDENTS ASK, “HOW GREEN IS SENATE?” AT TOWN HALL MEETING

Last Wednesday, Senate held a “Sustainable Town Hall Meeting,” open to the entire campus com­munity. Senators decided upon the town hall meeting at the Oct. 29 Senate meeting after students ex­pressed frustration over Senate vot­ing down the motion to fund the purchase of eight additional cam­pus recycling bins.

The town hall meeting attracted about 50 people, including several senators. Senators Greg Larson and Brittney Miller led the discussion, keeping a speaking order to give all students a chance to participate.

“We hope this open meeting is conducive to dialog from everyone,” Larson said.

Matt Jurysta was the first person to speak at the meeting. Jurysta was one of the primary advocates of the motion brought up at the Oct. 29 Senate meeting to fund eight more recycling bins on campus.

The sophomore said that he believed Senate should allocate student activity fees based on how students want the money spent. He said he felt that Senate ignored the group of 38 students who attended the meeting to support the recycling motion.

“We felt we were being censored and weren’t being listened to,” Ju­rysta said.

He continued, saying he felt Senate was not receptive to what students were asking, and he did not understand why they were willing to fund a $5,000 etiquette dinner, but not the eight bins to complete the plan for the “Blue is Green” initiative.

“We hoped you guys would take the reins for us when administration and facilities failed to act,” Jurysta said. “We have a problem and we want Senate to listen to us.”

Many students said they felt Senate did not take sustainability seriously.

“The recycling bins aren’t the issue, it’s the attitude of Senate toward sustainability,” sopho­more Amanda Hanzlik said.

Students also discussed the prospect of cam­puswide printing and ice machines that has been the talk of campus this semester. Several students, including sophomore Cara Pratt, felt that these campus changes should not be consid­ered because they are not sustainable initiatives.

Senators said they needed to remember there was a diverse body of interests among their con­stituents.

“We need to keep other students’ issues in mind, including those that may not be con­cerned with sustainability,” Larson said.

SENATE RESPONDS TO STUDENTS’ CONCERNS

After hearing the input of students, several senators began asking questions about how to move forward and incorporate student input.

Senator Norah Carroll asked students, “What are you looking for beyond this issue? Where do you want our efforts to lie?”

Students called for a more proactive response from Senate.

Senator Samantha Haas said that students might feel Senate was not taking action because they did not hear the follow-up discussion dur­ing Speakers and Issues.

“I don’t want students to think that we aren’t listening just because it doesn’t show in dollar signs,” Haas said.

Senators also took the opportunity to explain how they were already supporting sustainability.

Senator La’Cee Groetken reminded students that there are Senate committees, including Lar­son’s Campus Advancement Committee, that are working on sustainability efforts.

Senators and fellow students also discussed the notion that if Senate started funding facili­ties projects, they would be on a slippery slope to funding lots of projects outside of their realm.

THE FUNDING AGENT CONTROVERSY

At the Oct. 29 Senate meeting, it was re­vealed that Vicky Payseur, vice president of business and finance, had sent a letter to Senate encouraging it to vote in favor of the motion. However, Student Body President Ben Olson said Payseur had also sent an e-mail that said the administration would pay for the bins if the motion failed.

Many students said they were confused as to why Senate brought the motion forward if ad­ministration had already agreed to pay for the bins.

“We had a hunch, but we weren’t 100 per­cent confident the university would pay for it,” Olson said.

Olson said he could not explain the admin­istration’s actions.

“The motion was more to see if Senate would philosophically pay for them, and we de­cided we wouldn’t,” Olson said.

Other senators explained that they were un­aware that administration had indicated they might pay for the bins. Olson confirmed that he was the only one who knew that Payseur had indicated that administration might cover the cost.

Jurysta said he felt the town hall meeting was productive.

“I have learned a lot, but there is a long road ahead with much to do,” Jurysta said.

After the meeting, Senator Tyler Coe said the meeting didn’t get to the root of the issue about how Senate spends student activity fees.

“Do we listen to students or do what we think is best?” Coe said. “I don’t think Senate always knows what’s best. These are our fees, not play money President Maxwell gave to us.”

THE DISCUSSION CONTINUES

The discussion continued at the Nov. 5 Sen­ate meeting during Speakers and Issues.

Jurysta attended the meeting to apologize to DEAL and Senate, asking senators not to judge DEAL based on the signs that were posted last Tuesday or the comments made at the meeting, as those were individual expressions, not group representations.

“Don’t judge DEAL on anything I’ve said and done,” Jurysta said. “Senate is one of DEAL’s best friends. It was a group of frustrated students, not DEAL, that put those signs up,” Jurysta said.

However, the recycling advocate encouraged Senate to take more progressive action on sus­tainability.

“Actions speak louder than words,” Jurysta said. “Words won’t define your Senate, but your actions will.”

Senators said they felt the town hall meet­ing was their way of taking action and that they ensured the recycling bins were funded through some means.

Senator Haas said that she felt that students were funding the bins either way.

“My tuition money goes to facilities’ budget, so I think we were still funding recycling,” Haas said. “There’s no reason to fund them (through Senate) if they can be paid for in another way by the university.”

Olszewski also presented research on what the student senates at other universities have done to boost sustainability efforts.

She mentioned the creation of sustainability committees and implementation of a sustain­ability fee. Other senates also sponsored events to increase sustainability awareness and collabo­rated with student organizations and Greek life.

The Senate Campus Advancement Com­mittee has been exploring several of these sug­gestions and other sustainability initiatives this semester. They are developing proposals to pres­ent to the Senate later this year.

A SUSTAINABILITY SENATOR?

At the end of Speakers and Issues, Senator Jenny Koska asked for thoughts from senators about the idea of a sustainability senator. The idea had been suggested at Wednesday’s town hall meeting. Senators discussed the prospect of reorganizing the Campus Advancement Com­mittee, appointing an advisor (a Senate consul­tant who is not a senator-at-large, like the stu­dent body auditor.)

Senator Eric Gudmunson said that he did not think it was appropriate because there would not be a student constituency for the senator to represent if the senator’s sole task was to rep­resent the environment’s interests, as Koska de­scribed the position.

“Issues are for committees,” Boggess said. “If we select a senator for every issue, we’d have a lot of senators.”

The senators concluded that they were not in favor of creating a new position, but said they would explore the issue further in the Senate ad hoc bylaw committee.

ARE STUDENTS APPROPRIATELY VOICING CONCERNS?

The town hall and Senate meetings led to conversations of how much impact a resolution has on the Drake campus.

“A resolution is one of our most powerful tools,” Olszewski said.

She asked students interested in drafting the legislation to leave their contact informa­tion with one of the senators after the town hall meeting.

“We strongly believe resolutions carry weight with the administration,” Olszewski said.

Senator Brittney Miller said that she was frustrated by Senate conversations.

“I feel like we talk in circles and our conver­sation gets confusing,” Miller said. “What I have to say may not be the most popular thing, but I need to say it.”

Miller said that she didn’t feel resolutions were able to create change on campus.

“People think this is our money, but it’s not,” Miller said. “It’s theirs. If students are coming to us with a way to spend it, we should.”

Miller also said that she felt Senate was not proactive enough in communicating with stu­dents.

“Nothing happens until students provoke us,” Miller said.

Miller also said there should be more town hall meetings with more advance notice given.

Senators also discussed the red posters placed around campus last Tuesday. The posters repre­sented the eight unfunded bins and read, “What is your purpose Student Senate?”

Jurysta said Senate should be more of an ad­vocate for students and “shouldn’t take anything from administration.”

Senators emphasized that relations between administration and Senate were key to improve­ments on the Drake campus.

“We can’t burn bridges with administra­tion,” Gudmunson said. “We don’t want to hin­der Senate’s voice in the future.”

Vice President of Student Activities Tisleen Singh said she felt there was a misunderstanding between Senate and the student body.

“The student body is uneducated,” Singh said. “The administration is here to work for us.”

Singh suggested students run for positions as senators or committee members if they had opinions to voice for the student body.

Almost every senator that spoke thanked Ju­rysta for attending the meeting.

“I love that you’re here,” Senator Megan Hutcheson said. “This is what Senate means.”

“I’m actually really, really proud of what this motion did,” Senator Jenny Koska said.

She said it sparked good discussion and got students involved in what was happening on campus.

Jurysta said that he plans on returning to Senate meetings in the future.

“Senate has not seen the last of me,” Jurysta said.