Jalen Reid/Fourth Estate
Student Body President and Vice President collaborate with NOVA Community College
BY JALEN REID STAFF WRITER
On Oct. 18, the 39th Student Senate met for the 10th time in Merten Hall. The senate passed legislation on four points. Two pieces of legislation were referred to the Administrative and Financial Affairs Committee, another was referred to the chair of university services.
Senator Leah Hoffman was elected Chairwoman of University Life. “I am very excited to take on this opportunity,” Hoffman said. “I wasn’t expecting this at all … I am very excited to take on new initiatives not only focusing on events but making sure we are passing legislation that is supportive of university life and making sure it connects to all of the students.”
After the election, Student Body President Bekah Pettine spoke about topics such as recent events, the Board of Visitors (BOV) and the new Advance Program with Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA).
With midterms in full swing, Pettine also emphasized the importance of mental health. Students need to get proper rest, she said, so that they can manage their stress and still succeed.
Pettine mentioned that the second annual GMU Women’s Leadership Conference occurred Friday, Oct. 19.
She went on to say that the BOV covered an abundance of information, still being compiled, about university funding and decision-making.
Pettine also said that Sunday, Oct. 21, Yard Fest was held to interest prospective students in getting involved on-campus.
Additionally, President Pettine and Vice President Erik Truong have been meeting with NOVA’s president and vice president to collaborate on the Advance Program. The program enables students from NOVA to transfer their credits to Mason easily and smooths out their transition.
In second reading, three resolutions and one bill were passed: R#10, A Resolution to Support George Mason University Becoming a Conflict-Free Campus; R#11, A Resolution to Condemn Anti-Semitism in Fairfax County; R#12, A Resolution to Support the Tradition of Gold Rush; and B#13, A Bill to Allocate Funds for Gold Rush 2018 T-Shirts.
R#10 restricts the use of conflict minerals such as tin and cobalt, which are mined in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and contribute to human-rights violations. R#11 came in response to anti-Semitic vandalism in the community.
B#11, A Bill to Allocate Funds for What Do You Want Wednesday, and B#12, A Bill to Allocate Funds to Build Care Packages for Veterans, were referred to the Administrative and Financial Affairs Committee. B#13, A Bill to Support the George, was referred to the chair of university services.
