By Erin Kamel
Staff Writer
Student Government denied the Love Your Melon Club for student organization recognition but approved the American Waterworks Association and the National Association of Black Accountants at its weekly meeting on Nov. 8.
AWWA was approved to become an officially recognized student organization. AWWA exposes students to fluid mechanics and hydraulic engineering. Members attend national conferences and network with professional engineers to get exposure to what is being accomplished nationally, and students will apply that knowledge to projects at the College.
The College’s AWWA chapter maintains a member base of 22 students and plans to keep up a relationship with the national organization.
SG also approved NABA for recognition. NABA was inactive at the College due to lack of recruiting, but now consists of about 12 members. NABA will conduct mock interviews and excel workshops, as well as bring in diverse speakers that relate to the profession.
NABA plans to diversify the College’s School of Business, as well as create a lesson plan to help teach younger students in Trenton, New Jersey about careers in accounting, business and related fields.
The Love Your Melon Club, an organization that seeks to promote sales for the apparel company of the same name, was not approved for recognition. Love Your Melon donates 50 percent of its profits to nonprofit organizations that fight pediatric cancer, and donates hats to children with cancer.
SG members agreed that the organization’s vision was not clear enough and it needed more time at the drawing board. There was also a concern with the exclusivity of a rotation that would allow only 30 members to participate in the organization’s activities at a time.
SG passed two bills that were introduced at last week’s meeting.
The first bill defined the quorum to make the bylaws consistent with the constitution.
Justin Brach, speaker of the general assembly and a junior finance and political science double major, suggested a friendly amendment that read, “In order to maintain quorum and conduct official business, three-fourths of all voting Student Government members must be present and able to vote.”
This bill was passed after the friendly amendment was added.
The second bill was reintroduced to add associate members to the attendance policy that currently applies to cabinet members.
Chris Blakeley, SG’s executive president and a junior civil engineering major, requested feedback for the Office of Student Involvement regarding the policy for flyers posted on bulletin boards for student clubs and organization activities. This policy currently requires all approved material to be hung on designated bulletin boards by the Office of Student Involvement.
The general consensus of SG members was to suggest that the policy be changed to allow clubs and organizations more autonomy to post on the approved bulletin boards after the material is approved to ensure that the flyers go up in time for events. SG agreed that maintaining the policy that the Office of Student Involvement staff take down expired posters will ensure that they are not left up for too long.
Representatives from the College’s Committee on Academic Programs will seek testimony at the SG meeting on Nov. 15, according to Dovid Wasserman-Plaza, SG’s vice president for academic affairs and a junior biology major.
SG introduced two bills to be voted on Nov. 15. The first bill, F-2017-14, was introduced to modify qualifications of voting members of the governmental affairs committee. This bill is intended to clarify the language so that only SG members can become voting members.
The second bill, F-2017-15, was introduced to enable the speaker of the general assembly — along with the alternate student trustee — to decrease the point threshold that SG members are required to meet, in case of emergency circumstances that result in absences. The bill will ensure that individuals who experience extreme personal circumstances can remain active members of SG.
Corrections: (11/15/2017 10:20 a.m.) Wasserman-Plaza is SG’s vice president "for academic affairs," not "of academic affairs." Also, the second bill enables the alternate student trustee, not the ultimate student trustee.
(11/17/2017 12:30 p.m.) The College's Committee on Academic Programs will seek testimony on Nov. 15, not the College's Counseling and Psychological Services.
