On Campus — November 18, 2009
Minority organizations gather at Eat and Greet
Minority organization representatives gathered at a multicultural Eat and Greet potluck on Tuesday night.
Before digging into the meal, representatives from minority student organizations introduced their groups, the dish they brought to the potluck and the main events they run at MU. They also shared their meeting times and locations.
“There are a lot of minority organizations that do so much on this campus,” Multicultural Issues Committee chairwoman Alex Holley said. “We wanted to bring everything together. It’s a networking event so you can meet other organizations, get other contacts and see what they’re doing.”
MCI vice chairwoman Lakeisha Williams said these new contacts might lead organizations to plan future events together.
“We all share the common thread that we’re minority students, and we all have similar goals and purposes within our organizations,” Williams said.
About 60 students came to the event.
National Pan-hellenic Council treasurer Brennan Duvall said the Eat and Greet was worthwhile.
“I feel that anything working on interracial relations is very important,” Duvall said. “If I can come out and meet the people who are working for the same cause, and drop a few words of wisdom, it's working toward a greater good.”
Legion of Black Collegians vice president Lisa White said she realized a variety of minority organizations were interested in teaming up with other groups. The different student organizations can support each other in minority struggles, White said.
“Power is in numbers,” White said. “Any organization that may be going through the same thing can gather together to make a collaborative effort to change the problem at hand. That way it can be best for everyone on campus.”
MCI asked attending organizations to bring food to share, and many decided to bring cultural dishes, Holley said. For example, the Muslim Student Organization brought hummus and pita bread, the Missouri International Student Council brought baklava and the Jewish Student Organization brought matzah ball soup.
“We thought it would be a good opportunity for people to experience different dishes from different cultures,” Williams said.
JSO treasurer Belinda Kocen, of former Maneater staff, said she loved trying the different foods.
“Anything that was left on the table I grabbed to try,” Kocen said. “Food is always part of culture, so by understanding the foods people eat you get to understand some of their culture as well.”
New Student Affairs Chairwoman approved by MSA Senate
The Missouri Students Association voted to approve Michelle Horan as the new Student Affairs Committee chairwoman.
Senate Speaker Amanda Shelton said she selected Horan because of her ability to maintain structure effectively within the committee. Horan said that out of the three organizations she is involved in, MSA is the most important to her because it is where she can make the biggest difference.
Horan said her plans include improving campus safety, making Student Affairs projects more timely, and getting the entire committee involved with a specific charity organization.
MSA Senate approves new Student Affairs chairwoman
The Missouri Students Association voted to approve Michelle Horan as the new Student Affairs Committee chairwoman today.
Senate Speaker Amanda Shelton said she selected Horan because of her ability to maintain structure effectively within the committee. Horan said out of the three organizations she is involved in, MSA is the most important to her because it is where she can make the biggest difference.
Horan said her plans include improving campus safety, making Student Affairs projects more timely, and getting the entire committee involved with a specific charity organization.
Bill to create an Office of Inspector General position passes in MSA
The Missouri Students Association passed a bill on Wednesday creating an Office of Inspector General position.
The bill was heavily debated within the Senate and the final amended document clarified the duties of the OIG and rescinded the previously proposed financial compensation for the holder of this office. A new amendment stated that the Senate would work toward establishing some type of compensation for the position, possibly in the form of college credit.
The bill was originally drafted in an effort to take away certain responsibilities unfairly placed within the jurisdiction of the Operations Committee.
The responsibilities of the OIG would include conduction audits, detecting waste, promoting efficiency, reviewing pending legislation, and keeping the President and Senate fully informed.
The Senate plans to have the position filled before the end of the fall semester.
MSA Senate passes a bill changing the election process of at-large senators
The Missouri Students Association passed a bill on Wednesday changing the procedure for electing at-large senators.
The bill was written in response to the large influx of students who attempted to run at-large in early September. Bill co-author Sean Haynes said this presented an issue in implementing a fair voting process.
The bill requires those students running at-large to submit a resume to the Speaker or the Clerk of the Senate which voting senators may review prior to voting. Additionally, the bill states that only 10 senators may be elected at each Senate session, regardless of the number of available spots or the number of interested applicants.
