By Jesse Taylor
The Student Association Senate approved a new SA photographer, approved $4,000 for club activities and approved six new members at its meeting Feb. 16.
Kasandra Webb was approved as the SA photographer. Webb said that she is a double major in video production and communications and that she is passionate about photography. She has her own business in her hometown.
The senators asked many questions about Webb’s work and scheduling until Stephen Matthews, the dean of students, reminded the board that they had previously made the decision to appoint a vetted hiring board to find someone they felt was best fitted to fill the SA photographer position. The SA’s appointed hiring board had found Webb to be the best candidate to fill the position. Webb was approved as the SA photographer in a unanimous decision met with a round of applause.
Morgan Feld and Angelina Soberal, treasurer and president of the American Marketing Association club, requested $800 for a travel grant to attend an annual AMA International Collegiate Conference in New Orleans. They said that they would have four total members attending. Three are e-board members, while one is a general member. AMA’s funding application, filled out by Soberal, indicated the hotel room is $249 a night for four nights.
Senator Nilay Vaidya wanted to know whether the AMA would arrange for general members to attend the conference in the future. Feld and Soberal said they would be happy to make those accommodations for general members in the future.
Vaidya said, “If that happens, we will be happy to offer another travel grant.”
With that closing remark, the SA Senate unanimously voted to approve the grant.
The club Black Onyx: Black Student Union was then up to request an additional $3,100 for their annual pageant dedicated to figuring out who the new Mr. and Mrs. BSU will be. BSU Treasurer Angelina Briggs and Vice President Shaniah Fairweather said the funds would cover sound and lighting, catering, a DJ, a photo booth and photographers, a pianist, a host and prizes.
Fairweather said the club is working to make the event more special because it is currently Black History Month and COVID-19 prevented the club from hosting its event last year. This year, Fairweather said, the club is “really trying to get our name out there.”
The SA senate unanimously approved the funding.
Additionally, four candidates were unanimously approved as voting members of the Student Affairs Board: Moustapha Diarra, Jemima Goody-Ogwama, Nekaybaw Ross and ReGina Sutphen. Kaliyah Green and Tamia Hubbard were also unanimously approved as voting members of the Academic Affairs Board.
Three senators were absent from the meeting: Sivaji Musunuri, Dineshreddy Channapereddy and Djeneba Sy.
