In the final meeting of the Student Association Senate Tuesday, the Senate passed two bills and nine resolutions, including a resolution to advocate re-evaluating the current system for meal plans and Flex dollars.
Off-campus SA Sen. Samuel Omoyege presented Resolution 75, the resolution to re-evaluate the meal system.
SA Vice President Braxton Stowe said Resolution 75 was the most important proposal passed during the session.
“Basically, President Coombs went to the [Faculty Senate] meeting and they were talking about this situation,” he said. “We felt that we [the SA Senate] need to make sure that students have the statement on this issue, so we decided to draft a resolution up quick and get this in the agenda.”
He said Resolution 75 will question whether Aramark is efficient in giving high quality food service and is worth students’ investments.
“Is it worth the students’ money to go into the cafeteria and pay $8 for all you can eat when the service is bad, the food is bad?” Stowe said. “We need to make sure that if they’re going to take our money we need to make sure we’re spending it right.”
Senior biological sciences major Clint Nanney said the SA seems to be doing a good job, and Resolution 75 is a good idea.
“Some of the food seems to be high priced,” he said. “I think they could definitely look into that and lower some of the prices.”
A copy of the resolution will be sent to the Faculty Senate, Colvard Student Union director Eddie Keith, dining services director Jason Nall and Aramark.
In other business, off-campus Sen. Justin Ammon presented Bill 36. The bill will allow student organizations to use funds allocated by the SA for any purpose as long as the purpose does not conflict with the mission of Mississippi State University.
“Originally in the Student Association constitution, there was a clause that said the SA will not allocate funds for requests to be used toward supplies, transportation or lodging for any student organization,” he said. “The week before, we had passed a bill saying the SA couldn’t prohibit the student organizations from using the money on food.”
Ammon said it makes no sense to allow organizations to use money for food but not for other organization expenses.
“We don’t know these student organizations better than they know themselves,” he said. “They should be able to determine what they want to spend their money on and what their goals are, not us.”
The Senate passed the Bill 26-10.
Also, Hurst Hall Sen. Randall Weems presented Resolution 77, which recommended visitation hours in residence halls be extended from 2 to 3 a.m.
“I was just voicing the concerns of my constituents,” he said. “[My student constituency] had several instances where they have had guests there later and had several write-ups, so they wanted that changed.”
The Senate also passed Resolution 77 Tuesday.
Stowe said the Senate has been very proactive.
“We’ve passed more resolutions and bills than any Senate has in the past and they’ve been very beneficial,” he said. “I think [we’ve passed] maybe about 20 resolutions and about 10 bills; I estimate about 30 things in all.”
Stowe said academic advising has been an important issue for students.
“Sen. Omeyege worked on a bill to recommend the quality of undergraduate academic advising be re-evaluated and reassessed,” he said. “The Academic Operation Policy 12.38 states that every student shall have the chance to have quality academic advising, and we felt that that hasn’t been the case.”
Stowe said the Senate also passed a resolution to put parking meters behind Suttle, in front of Ruby and beside Griffis Halls, respectively, close to the buildings for students who need to quickly go in and come out of their residence halls.
“If they forgot something, they don’t have to go and try to find a parking space or park illegally in the staff parking,” he said. “They get 15 minutes to go in, get their stuff and come back out.”
He said the parking meters will be enforced just like any other policy at Mississippi State University.
“If you are at the Union and your time on the meter runs out, you get a ticket,” he said.