Before the meeting, Christmas music filled the Waxahachie Room, and SGA members helped themselves to cookies and hot chocolate. President Danny Nguyen had a conflicting commitment, so Vice President Caterina Mora served as acting president for the duration of the meeting.
Climate Check
Junior Senator Joy Areola talked about how there was no blue light in the Dicke Hall area and said she would contact TUPD. DEI Chair Trinity Hatchett brought up the Teach-In on Palestine hosted the week before and commented that the panelists and organizers did a good job opening a dialogue. Acting President Mora broached the topic of portable charging stations for campus to see how other SGA members felt, which was met with mixed opinions.
Funding Requests
SGA — Trini-Tailgate. Fully funded $5,766.90.
Junior Senator Ella Charbonnet presented on behalf of the Trini-Tailgate event to be hosted by SGA in collaboration with other parties, including the university-sponsored organizations and the student affairs office. To pull off this event, Senator Charbonnet requested funding for enough food for 600 people, giveaways and entertainment, though the other involved parties were able to help cover the expenses in part.
Junior Senator Andrew Phillips asked Senator Charbonnet if she foresaw SGA funding these tailgates indefinitely. Senator Charbonnet replied that she thought SGA would have to contribute fewer funds in the future as more organizations and departments become involved each year. Senior Senator Nadesh Vaithianathan motioned to fully fund, and the motion passed.
Trinity University Mock Trial — Austin College Invitational Competition. Fully funded $2,393.35.
The Mock Trial competition coordinators presented to request funding for their first invitational competition of the year. After advancing to the highest level of competition in the team’s history last year, Trinity University Mock Trial is ranked 162 in the nation and is in the top five teams in Texas. They requested money for food, gas and hotels. Advisor Bernadette Buchanan raised concerns about students sharing beds at the hotel. Senior Senator Maria Duenas commented that they had been funded by SGA in the past and achieved success and that SGA has already funded them for materials. Senator Charbonnet motioned to fully fund, and the motion passed.
Prowlers Dance Team — Performance Costumes. Fully funded $4,294.00.
Three officers in the Prowlers Dance Team presented their need for new performance costumes since their current ones are ripping after only one year of use, and their current costumes also need to have the proper range of size diversity. They asked for 20 new costumes from Varsity Spirit in the official Trinity color scheme that would be more durable, easier to wash, range more in sizes and last for years to come.
Junior Senator Allison Waters asked if they could go through athletics for funding, and the Prowlers clarified that athletics does not recognize them for funding. First-year Senator Claire Binns commended the team for their work with no coach. Senator Vaithianathan motioned to fully fund, and the motion passed.
Swing Bums — Yule Ball. Fully funded $2,550.40.
The Swing Bums officers presented for their annual Yule Ball event in December, for which they are expecting 200 attendees. The money would cover food, music, marketing and decorations. Senator Vaithianathan asked why they were requesting more than last year, and the Swing Bums responded that the band’s price had increased and that they wanted to buy more vegan and gluten-free cookies. Sophomore Senator Bocar Diagana motioned to fully fund, and the motion passed.
Officer Reports
Head Treasurer Conrad Jarvis and Assistant Treasurer Avery Lim presented a graphic of funding data from the semester, and Acting President Mora said that they were still working on the best way to distribute the information to the rest of campus. She also mentioned that she was working on an end-of-semester report, a feedback form for organizations who dealt with SGA and that they were working on the Project H.O.M.E. initiative.
Post-Meeting Discussion
Advisor Buchanan suggested they further discuss her recommendation for having one student per bed on trips (which would most often result in having two students per room). She responded to concerns from SGA members that organizations would be hesitant to comply with that recommendation because requesting too much money for hotels would make them worry about SGA rejecting their requests. According to Advisor Buchanan, risk management should be prioritized over cost-effectiveness. She said having one student in a bed is the best way to avoid issues leading to complaints, like hazing, in which first-years must sleep on the floor.
Currently, one student per bed is not a university policy. Senator Waters and junior Senator Harrison Tinker inquired whether any incidents that Advisor Buchanan listed as examples had occurred on Trinity trips. Advisor Buchanan did not know if there were any Trinity-specific incidents like these but maintained the importance of the policy anyway as a preventive measure.
Several SGA members said that they believed this policy would have to start with athletics, but Advisor Buchanan said that change is best implemented when it starts with students and then moves up to administration. They all agreed to continue the discussion at a later date.
