MSSA update 10-5-2016
Last Wednesday, the Minnesota State Student Association addressed the issue of smoking on-campus as it has become a violation of the policy and unless the students file a complaint about the issue, the Student Senate is powerless to do anything about it.
The students were asked how many have seen smokers.
A show of hands went up.
The other MSSA members and the students were asked how many disapproved of smoking.
An equal amount of hands, if not more, were raised.
Currently, a member of the senate is working on the smoking policy through the MSSA. A meeting on Friday at noon was set to discuss concerns further.
Later on in the meeting, the MSSA set the record straight in regards as to why the men’s football rugby club had been cancelled. Part of the miscommunication that occurred had to do with the exchange of emails and Facebook messages sent between two students, Nick Price and Ashley Hertter.
Last Wednesday Hertter visited to share her side of the issue and to act as representative for the men’s football rugby club. Yet it did not fulfill the requirement to attend the MSSA meeting as she later stated in that she could not be responsible for the men’s football rugby team or someone from the men’s football rugby team could not act on behalf for the women. However, Hertter stated the facts, starting with an explanation that, for a recreational student club to be recognized, the members had to go through a two-step process. After she had emailed the details about that, she heard back from Price but the representative, Daniel Griese, was supposed to be included on the rooster list but was not. Each member needed to be included on a rooster which required each student’s tech identification.
After Hertter researched the history, she provided additional explanations. Back in 2014, Griese was initially included as the representative for the football rugby team from January to March and rejoined in Fall 2015. That was around the time Nick was coming off the rooster which was when Ashley had bluntly called him off but to which she apologized for. She discovered, as she had dug deeper into the computer records that when Nick was cleaning out the portal while he trying to update the rooster, some technical issues arose that somehow deleted Grease. On September 25, however, Griese suddenly got back on.
That’s when the MSSA ordered the prosecution to rest and allowed Price to take the defense. On September 13, Hertter had asked Price to update to five new members on the rooster. Price said he had done that over Facebook with the MSU identifiers. Because Griese had taken a year off from the club, he failed to register again and seek a new representative. Price also missed orientation but neglected to seek a replacement.
“I have a question I think is important to ask,” said Mark. “…It was my understanding that there wasn’t a waiver form in the Campus Rec office for Daniel Griese when other waivers had been turned in for other officers as well. Can you explain why he hadn’t had a waiver form in the office if he was supposed to be on the team?”
Price responded that the mascot repertory was the one responsible for waivers and travel itinerates, and constantly communicates with the union so they know what times the team plans to travel. Price said that he had turned in stacks of waivers which he delegates to the mascot since he is in and out of the office. Price said he also hands them out during practice times but if the student football rugby players fail to bring their insurance card, they give the waivers back. So Price said it is easy for him to lose track of who has turned in waivers and who has not. “We were going to ask the other officers if he had one but at this point, it’s extremely suspicious that all of a sudden yesterday that he turns in a waiver that was dated even at the time it was filled out,” Price said. “I don’t know. It just doesn’t look good. That’s really the only thing I have to say.
President Faical Rayani asked if Griese had paid the mandatory dues for the football rugby club membership.
Price said Grease has not paid the dues since he assists with fundraising. “We don’t ask every player that they have to turn in their dues or they can’t play,” Price said. “That goes against what a RSO is. That would be just financially discriminating.” Instead Price said the club has recently set up a type of fundraiser for anyone who can bring money in for the club in separate ways, it counts towards those dues.
Regardless, the MSSA voted that for this year, the men’s football rugby team has been put on hold until next semester.