The following covers the meeting on March 19.
CLIMATE CHECK
First-year Senator John De Hoyos brought the new Trinity policy on transgender athletes to SGA’s attention. Senators acknowledged that this decision was out of the university’s hands since the University of Pennsylvania had federal funding frozen over defying the NCAA’s order. However, senators still said they would investigate and reach out to school officials over the nature of the decision and the way it was announced, as multiple senators expressed that the email was cold and apathetic to the gravity of the decision.
FUNDING REQUESTS
Trinity’s local radio station KRTU requested $4,000 for this year’s KRTUfest. KRTUfest is a free community concert held on April 17 with Trinity and other San Antonio bands performing at Carver Community Cultural Center. KRTU requested funds for performers, advertising, rent and security. The request was fully funded with one senator abstaining: First-year Senator Nellie Clark, who as a member of KRTU, abstained from voting to avoid a conflict of interest.
The Trinity chapter of the American Marketing Association requested funding to attend the International Collegiate Conference. The AMA requested funding earlier in the semester, but their request was denied as the business school had already paid for the trip and was looking for reimbursement. The AMA requested $3,471.66, which included costs for hotels, registration, food and transportation. Sophomore Senator Madelyn Stovall and DEI Chair Omar Ratrut both commended the AMA’s effort and determination to obtain SGA funding and supported funding the request as a whole. Senior Senator Pierce Jackson raised a concern that the request could become annual and get bigger yearly. Regardless, the request was unanimously funded in full.
STAFF CHAT
Ernesto Gonzalez, head of Facilities Services, had a staff chat with SGA. Gonzalez is in charge of maintaining Trinity buildings and infrastructure, administrating custodial services, work orders and general upkeep of campus. Senators had the chance to ask questions about the systems that maintain Trinity.
President Joy Areola asked whether American Building Maintenance, the custodial service Trinity is contracted with, can clean or check in on residential dorms to guarantee cleanliness when students return from a long break. Gonzalez says it’s not in their contract, but if students have problems with their dorms when they return, they can submit a work order and notify their RA.
Junior Senator Joshua Mitra asked whether AC control would become standardized across all dorms. Gonzalez revealed that the AC control in dorms has a range of only four degrees. Each mode only operates within four degrees of 72 degrees for cooling and four degrees of 68 degrees for heating.
Vice President Allison Waters brought up how the third-floor bathrooms in Coates Library never flush, causing an odor throughout the floor. Gonzalez said they fix the toilets every time, but it appears that someone is flushing paper towels every time they’re fixed, causing them to get clogged again.
Meetings are held every Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Dicke Hall 206.
