The Student Government Association passed a new Glass Recycling proposal and allocated $400 to the Diversity Committee for their virtual Diversity Food Night.
Senator Grant Williams brought forth the proposal. There were originally five glass recycling bins on campus, yet there is still a demand that needs to be met.
This proposal is meant to get the SGA started in promoting and continuing glass recycling, and will expand if needed in the future.
The proposal received 41 yes votes with zero no votes and zero abstentions.
Senator Chenel Dale, an academic college representative, asked the SGA to allocate $400 garnered from the UCA SGA reserves account.
The funds will be used toward the virtual Diversity Food Night on March 11 at 6 p.m. through Instagram.
The program is typically done in-person, and the committee is hoping it will still be engaging with the student body.
There are eight Registered Student Organizations participating in the virtual event. The $400 will be split evenly between each group, each receiving $50.
“We’re doing this because they are taking the time to go out and fix their recipes and we wanted to reimburse them,” said Dale.
Freshman representative Kaya Mason rose in agreeance with the motion stating that many RSO had said they would not participate should they not be reimbursed in some way.
“We want to make sure everyone feels absolutely welcomed and represented, so we’d really like the opportunity to make sure every RSO gets to participate,” said Mason.
This motion passed with 41 yes votes and zero no votes or abstentions.
SGA advisor, Charlotte Stickland was in attendance and had a challenge for all SGA members.
She challenged senators to “sit down and think about what is truly important.”
Stickland said that people often skip telling someone “no” either because of their insecurities or their ego, so she asked members to consider why they are involved in the clubs and organizations they give their time to.
President Jamaal Lockings updated members on the Difficult Conversations programs, saying that the previous meeting had a good attendance rate.
The assessment is meant to start conversations about race, equity and allyship, and asks students what they see as important.
According to students, information about the programs reached them through multiple advertisements such as mass emails, SGA fliers and word of mouth.
Students also found the assessment to be helpful and are willing to participate again in the future.
SGA will continue working on its Difficult Conversations programs in order to make conversations about diversity “normal and casual because even though they may be uncomfortable, sometimes it’s all about growth,” said Lockings.
Vice President of Finance, Jennifer Cale reminded members that budget hearings begin this week.
There were 46 budgets submitted and 44 that signed up for hearings. The total requested amount is slightly over $160,000. This is about $40,000 over what the SGA will be allocating.
On Thursday, Feb. 25, the SGA will host an awareness table for small Black-owned businesses in Central Arkansas.
