2008 Woodie Awards
Senate wants tobacco policy, enforcement re-examined
by Brittney Hansen
Issue date: 2/7/08
Section: Senate News and Notes
The MSSA Student Affairs Committee unanimously supported a re-review and possible restructuring of the proposed tobacco policy or a possible increased enforcement of the current smoking and tobacco policies. This motion was also favored by the majority of the student senate with 16 votes yes, zero votes no and three abstentions.
The Student Affairs Committee said the proposed tobacco policy - as currently written - may not only degrade the quality of campus life and student-to-student and student-to-faculty relations with its method of enforcement, but also infringe on the rights of individual students. Last year student affairs unanimously opposed the proposal.
MSSA also passed and adopted an amendment stating the student affairs committee would welcome student input and will review survey results to be sent out to students Monday and will possibly result in an open forum later this spring.
"We need to have an open forum on this," said off-campus senator Nathan Madden. "My gut tells me we're going to be deeply divided on this issue when the results come back."
Many senators echoed this sentiment, including off-campus senator Brian McMahn.
"We really need student input on this and we really need students engaged in the policy," he said.
In other senate news, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center gave its budget presentation Wednesday. The LGBT center is the second oldest center in the nation of its kind and provides services to students dealing with issues of sexual identity.
According to coordinator Jessica Flatequal, 10 to 15 percent of students identify as LGBT and more than 5,000 students last year received educational programs in their classroom or attended a program hosted by the LGBT center. More than 800 students attended the annual Gender Bender this year.
"We are an office that contributes to the entire diversity of this campus and we help all students recognize and appreciate diversity and that's mainly through our services and programs," Flatequal said.
LGBT receives $9,000 in student activity fees, making up 11 percent of its total budget. Salaries for Flatequal and Graduate Assistant Jamie Melchert are paid for through the general university maintenance and equipment fund. The rest of the center's total budget comes from fundraisers, community donations and campus drives.
The majority of the money LGBT is allotted from student activity fees - $5,000 - is spent on speakers and other programs. These programs would not be possible without campus partnerships with other offices, such as Institutional Diversity, the Women's Center, Greek Life, Impact and Athletics, Flatequal said.
Another $1,500 goes to leadership training such as annual retreats and conferences. The rest is spent on marketing, Safe Zone programs, training and technology.
Flatequal ended by saying the LGBT center is no longer part of SLD&SL, yet its budget remained the same. She said this isn't sustainable, so she would ask for more SAF funding this spring.
• Ryan Yunkers, newly appointed assistant director of the SLD&SL and program coordinator for Nontraditional Student Group, also gave a budget presentation Wednesday. The group receives $21,057 in SAF funds, accounting for its total budget, according to Yunkers.
The Nontraditional Student Group sponsors events such as "Lunch on a Dime," "Healthy Habits," mini-Yoga sessions, open game room nights and nontraditional student "Night Out."
According to Yunkers, the most significant thing the Nontraditional Student Group contributes to MSU is the advising of current and potential nontraditional students.
"When you walk into a classroom and you're the only person over 18 it's hard to feel connected to a university," he said.
Brittney Hansen is a Reporter assistant news editor
The Student Affairs Committee said the proposed tobacco policy - as currently written - may not only degrade the quality of campus life and student-to-student and student-to-faculty relations with its method of enforcement, but also infringe on the rights of individual students. Last year student affairs unanimously opposed the proposal.
MSSA also passed and adopted an amendment stating the student affairs committee would welcome student input and will review survey results to be sent out to students Monday and will possibly result in an open forum later this spring.
"We need to have an open forum on this," said off-campus senator Nathan Madden. "My gut tells me we're going to be deeply divided on this issue when the results come back."
Many senators echoed this sentiment, including off-campus senator Brian McMahn.
"We really need student input on this and we really need students engaged in the policy," he said.
In other senate news, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center gave its budget presentation Wednesday. The LGBT center is the second oldest center in the nation of its kind and provides services to students dealing with issues of sexual identity.
According to coordinator Jessica Flatequal, 10 to 15 percent of students identify as LGBT and more than 5,000 students last year received educational programs in their classroom or attended a program hosted by the LGBT center. More than 800 students attended the annual Gender Bender this year.
"We are an office that contributes to the entire diversity of this campus and we help all students recognize and appreciate diversity and that's mainly through our services and programs," Flatequal said.
LGBT receives $9,000 in student activity fees, making up 11 percent of its total budget. Salaries for Flatequal and Graduate Assistant Jamie Melchert are paid for through the general university maintenance and equipment fund. The rest of the center's total budget comes from fundraisers, community donations and campus drives.
The majority of the money LGBT is allotted from student activity fees - $5,000 - is spent on speakers and other programs. These programs would not be possible without campus partnerships with other offices, such as Institutional Diversity, the Women's Center, Greek Life, Impact and Athletics, Flatequal said.
Another $1,500 goes to leadership training such as annual retreats and conferences. The rest is spent on marketing, Safe Zone programs, training and technology.
Flatequal ended by saying the LGBT center is no longer part of SLD&SL, yet its budget remained the same. She said this isn't sustainable, so she would ask for more SAF funding this spring.
• Ryan Yunkers, newly appointed assistant director of the SLD&SL and program coordinator for Nontraditional Student Group, also gave a budget presentation Wednesday. The group receives $21,057 in SAF funds, accounting for its total budget, according to Yunkers.
The Nontraditional Student Group sponsors events such as "Lunch on a Dime," "Healthy Habits," mini-Yoga sessions, open game room nights and nontraditional student "Night Out."
According to Yunkers, the most significant thing the Nontraditional Student Group contributes to MSU is the advising of current and potential nontraditional students.
"When you walk into a classroom and you're the only person over 18 it's hard to feel connected to a university," he said.
Brittney Hansen is a Reporter assistant news editor
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