Committee reports were overshadowed by two issues this week: Campus Readership and changing school smoking policy. Scott Streit presented on behalf of the Campus Readership Program, which is offering various incentives for continuing the program. Currently, students read about $3.25 of the $5 they spend on the papers per semester, but because those estimates are based on how many times students access the papers themselves, they do not take into account instances in which one student will bring a paper back to a dormitory or room, where others might also read it. In exchange for raising awareness of the papers, and hopefully readership, the Campus Readership Program is willing to entirely finance special campus events like speakers. 

Anita Barkin, director of Health Services, came to present the Healthy Campus 2010 Task Force report, Tobacco Use on Campus: Progress Towards a Smoke Free Community in 2010. The goals of the plan include gradually eliminating smoking from all indoor campus property, including fraternities and administrative offices, no longer selling cigarettes at Entropy, creating designated smoking areas (instead of the 20 feet from a building rule of thumb), enforcing violations with citations, and eventually eliminating smoking from all campus property, indoors and out. Health Services would simultaneously provide support for students who want to quit, and provide incentives for those who succeed. The report cites community health concerns, mostly negative affects of Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS).

Both topics were discussed at great length, and Student Senate encourages students to ask senators or to read the minutes from this general meeting to gather more information. 

Last Friday's Campus Gear Sale was a huge success, nearly selling out of all clothing items.  Depending on estimated future demand, Senate may do this again before the spring semester.

Senate passed the funding motion of $500 to Kappa Phi Lambda for their Johnny Hi-Fi event 19-1-3 and passed $200 to the Undergraduate Investment Club for their Stock Pitch Competition. A vote on $300 for TSA's culture night was tabled until the next general body meeting because no representative from their group was present. 

Recently, Skibo Gym stopped giving out towels to students who shower after working out, citing too many stolen towels. However, the change occurred so suddenly that it did not appear that there were efforts to reach a solution that keeps towels in Skibo without denying them from students. Campus Life will be drafting a letter, and the Undergraduate Student Senate will be working with the Graduate Student Assembly to find an integrative solution to this issue.

The Student Body President and the Graduate Student Assembly are working on bringing rental cars to campus. A pilot project would consist of three cars parked in the Morewood parking lot. Students could sign up for the program for a small yearly fee, and then use the cars whenever they wanted. This kind of system is most notably in use in public transportation infrastructures like Washington D.C.'s Metro system (Metro Cars or Zip Cars), and they are catching on at college campuses.

Academic Affairs:  Evan Osheroff
Business Affairs:  Jared Itkowitz
Campus Life:Kelly Duncan
Development and Communications:Justin Berka, Gerrit Betz (co-chairs)
Funding:  Joel Bergstein
Senate Chair:  Emily Leathers
Website:  http://senate.web.cmu.edu 

This Week's Funding Motions:

$500 to Kappa Phi Lambda for Johnny Hi-Fi Seminar

Date: November 10, 2006

Request: Johnny Hi-Fi is a band that travels from college to college presenting a Seminar called Passion and Profession. The band focuses on multicultural issues and decision-making. Some of the goals of the seminar are to unite communities, empower students to pursue any profession and desire, to promote leadership and educational needs for the future, and to overcome multi-cultural stereotypes. The session includes a small concert, a lecture, and a question and answer section. Expected attendance is 50 to 60 people and the event will be held in the Peter and Wright rooms.
 
Additional funding sources:
Kappa Phi Lambda - $200
Pi Delta Psi - $200
Total Income: $400 

Budget:
Band - $500
Car Rental (2) - $150
Hotel (2 rooms) - $150
Equipment rental - $350
Insurance - $250
Band representation and legal fees - $800
Gas - $150
Food - $150
Total Cost: $2500

Committee Decision: The committee decided that the event was worth funding, but that a Senate support of $2100 would too much, especially without the support of outside sources. The committee is hopefully that Kappa Phi Lambda will approach other funding sources to supplement the cost of the event.

Vote: ¾ Supermajority
Media Restriction: None
Original Request: $2100

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$200 to Undergraduate Investment Club for Stock Pitch Competition

Date: October 28, 2006

Request: The Stock Pitch Competition is a first time event on campus that allows students the opportunity to test their knowledge of stocks and to deliver an effective presentation to a group of highly respected financial judges. Each team of four is given seven hours to research a given stock, create a sustainable argument about the stock and prepare a presentation. The predicted participation is about 50 people.  

Additional funding sources:
Undergraduate Business School
Possible Corporate Sponsors  

Budget:
Lunch for 50 people - $200
Dinner for Approx 15 people - $225
Small gift for 10 judges - $100
Total Cost: $525 

Committee Decision: Historically, Senate does not fund gifts for judges, coaches, and teachers. In addition, the committee felt that the awards dinner is exclusive in that only someone who wins can participate. $200 was therefore reasonable because anyone can attend the event and have lunch, but those who do not win are excluded from the awards dinner. 

Vote: ¾ Supermajority
Media Restriction: None
Original Request: $525

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