By Julius Williams
Student Senate met Monday, Oct. 10, in CC 107 to discuss changes to campus vending machines, club event funding, new club registration and a constitutional amendment.
The senate discussed an update to the vending machines to include higher tickets items such as sandwiches and a credit card payment option. Over the next few weeks, the vending machines on the third floor LIB and the second and third floors of both OCB and GEB will be upgraded. For student Derique Cary, the change will be very convenient.
“I’d love to use a credit card because sometimes I don’t have cash,” Cary said.
Cary said that he uses the vending machines daily and hopes that his contribution helps to bring more credit card options on campus since the upgrades are being funded by the money that the vending machines bring in.
Other students were not impressed.
Student Ty Lawrence doesn’t use the vending machines because he thinks the prices are too high already. He said offering a credit card option would not change his buying habits.
The college currently allocates $37,000 a year to disburse to the various clubs and organizations on campus. The senate approved funding for two clubs from the hospitality department this session.
The Chef Club’s culinary team will be traveling to Phoenix this fall for Robert Bland Culinary Salon food competition sponsored by the ACF Chef’s Association of America on Oct. 21. The Hospitality Management Club will also be traveling to the International Hotel Show in New York City. The senate approved $1,972 and $7,438 respectively for the trips, giving club members in attendance much needed financial support.
“We were very appreciative,” said Dan Hertz, the Hospitality Management Club’s advisor. “It’s so expensive traveling to New York.”
“It’s the perfect networking opportunity,” continued Hertz. “All the major hotel management [undergraduate] programs in the U.S. will be there and every major international hotel and restaurant chain.”
Hertz said that the club members will contribute around $400 each for the trip, but without the senate support, they wouldn’t be able to make the trip.
“We couldn’t have done it without the senate,” Hertz said.
The senate also approved the registration of a new club. The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) will now have a student chapter on campus. The national organization is comprised of professionals in the construction and architecture fields. Students in construction, architecture, manufacturing and engineering will have access to professional development seminars, networking events and certification classes.
The final item on the senate agenda was to approve a motion to vote on a new constitutional amendment. A conflict of interest amendment will be voted on in an upcoming session whereby a member who is on the budget committee must refrain from voting on budget issues if that senator is a member of the club being reviewed.
The student senate meets every Monday in CC 107 from 12-1 p.m. All students, faculty and staff are invited to attend.
Contact Julius Williams, reporter, at jwilli78@stumail.jccc.edu.