General Assembly Minutes
October 15, 2015
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Call to Order Attendance o Anderson: 4 out of 5 one coming late o Berkshire: absent o Cassell & Nebraska: 3 out of 3 o Centennial: 4 out of 5 o Hughes: 5 out of 5 o Leonard: 5 out of 5 o Letts Clark and Roper: 5 out of 5 o McDowell: 5 out of 5 Minutes Approval o motion to approve the minutes by unanimous consent by: Kenneth o seconded by Sam Agenda Approval o motion to approve the agenda by unanimous consent by: Max o seconded by: Nana­Ama o Sam: Motion to have a 5 minute recess to discuss the agenda: ▪ seconded by: kenneth ▪ motion does not pass Hall Reports o Anderson: ▪ finalized the budget ▪ finalized plan for Fall Fest ▪ filled secretary position and media chair position o Berkshire: ▪ absent o Cassell & Nebraska: ▪ Cassell has been working on event planning ▪ working on “Expresso Yourself” event with coffee and doughnuts to have residents meet the hall council ▪ there will be boxes for feedback on each floor o Centennial: ▪ finalized the seconded event, pumpkin painting in the Perch ▪ working on ways to invite people to Fall Fest ▪ there will be an event with fall themed food for the residents (like pumpkin pies, apple cider) ▪ working on budgeting HDMI cords for the lounges o Hughes: ▪ had the first fully attended hall council meeting (including all of the new positions) ▪ budget set for North Side Haunted House and meet the hall council event ●
▪ working on online compliment campaign ▪ working on the healthy vending machine initiative, trying to get other halls in on the initiative ▪ possible google calendar for all hall councils to coordinate events with each other o Leonard: ▪ had a meet the hall council event with nacho bar ▪ started discussing future events including a door decorating contest ▪ wants to start a bi­monthly service tabling in the lobby o Letts, Clark, and Roper: ▪ hosted the first council kick off for meet the council, featured a football game ▪ finalized the budget ▪ developing a Key Notes at LeCloper with keynote speakers ▪ finalizing ideas for Fall Fest and funding for the event ▪ concerned about the accusations against Aramark, crafted a resolution, want to voice the concerns with the proper people o McDowell: ▪ had first event, and handed out lollipops ▪ finalized budget for the haunted house going shopping this weekend ▪ working on planning a karaoke night Executive Board Reports o President ▪ Safety Fest meeting ▪ SAWG meeting ▪ next week will meet with Lisa from HDP and Sasha the SG President to touch base o Vice President of Administration and Finance ▪ met with AU Blue Crew about Bender White Out ▪ working with them for district days ▪ getting the budget on the website ▪ working on getting the revenue from the poster sale ▪ also working on the care packages My Favorite Student, o Vice President of Advocacy and Community Coordination ▪ met with Martin, an RA in Clark who wrote the resolution about condoms in the resident halls, finalizing details about reaching out to students for testimonials ▪ Step Up Training, more details to come ▪ finalized meeting time with Lisa Freeman about guest policy ▪ HOTY system to be finalized for Halloween ▪ finalized the Red Cross blood drive sign ups o Vice President of Programming ▪ getting ready for Safety Fest, 11­2 on the Quad on Tuesday ▪ bought the prizes for Safety Fest, they are smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, other fun safety things ▪ met with BLue Crew about District Days and White Out ▪ finishing plans for Fall Fest and Haunted House ▪ submitted a memo of understanding with SG for Founder’s Ball o National Communications Coordinator/ Parliamentarian ▪ finalizing the CAACURH delegation ▪ making a bylaw review committee o Chief of Staff ▪ meeting with HDP about the website next week ●
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▪ meeting with Aboard next week ▪ reading the minutes sent in from the round tables and hall council meeting o NRHH ▪ apologizes for being late, was in a meeting about student workers rights ▪ had Eboard meeting discussing the induction process, setting up OTM workshop, ▪ deadline for OTMs is November 5th o Advisors ▪ Health and Safety inspections coming up ▪ Thursday October 29th­November 3rd the RA’s and RD’s will be coming into rooms ▪ they are looking that the rooms are relatively clean, and for any policy violations ▪ electric blankets and heating pads are not allowed because they are fire hazards ▪ clean rooms keep pests away, also at the end of the year it is an Aramark employee that goes and cleans the rooms Old Business o N/A New Business o Administrative Board ▪ Ashley: Lives in Anderson, from LA, she has a lot of experience planning events in high school, wants to help create events for good memories ● Cole: What kind of experience do you have? o planned the career fair in high school, with college representatives, games and food, wants to gain more experience planning events ● Debate: o Pro Chris: Ashley seems like she knows what she is doing and seems to be good for RHA o Kenneth: Moves to end debate and move to approve Ashley by unanimous consent ▪ seconded by: Max ▪ motion passes o All­American Weekend ▪ everybody knows All­American Weekend as parents weekend ▪ RHA will be tabling in MGC supporting care packages, it is a majority of our fundraising revenue ▪ looking for volunteers, talk to Audrey to sign up, get your parents to come by and purchase gifts ▪ as RHA we have a great connection to the residents, the kind of connection parents love to hear about so don’t be shy, it’s a great way to brand RHA and show commitment o Blood Drive ▪ will be on November 12 in Letts Formal ▪ volunteers are needed from 9:30am­4:00p, need at least one volunteer per shift, preferably two ▪ the link will be sent out in the minutes ▪ there will also be a link to sign up to donate blood o Step Up Training ●
▪ last year a resolution was passed that all members of RHA need to be Step Up trained within 3 months of joining the organization ▪ working on setting up 3 dates, one on a weekend, one during GA, and one during the week, ▪ if you go to another open training feel free to go, that counts as well ▪ the training will be in early November ▪ Laura: If you have been trained, do you need to do it again? ● you still need to be retrained because the training received was before becoming a member of RHA ▪ Chris: If they were trained in August what is the point of being retrained? ● it is a part of RHA bylaws that members need to be trained after being sworn into RHA, and it never hurts to get retrained and reminded of the skills and themes of Step Up ● the training done with this group (RHA) is catered a little more to this group and can be used to help residents ● Harrison: has been Step Up trained 4 times, each one was different, and he learned something new each time o Resolutions ▪ Martin: motion by unanimous consent to table resolutions ▪ seconde by: Max ▪ motion passes Open Forum o Thanksgiving: ▪ Audrey: by raise of hands who is going to be here for Thanksgiving Break­2 people ▪ Audrey: some residents will be on campus because they have to stay or cannot go home ▪ Audrey: want to reach out to hall councils about programing we can provide for residents who have to stay ▪ Audrey: in the past there was a catered Thanksgiving, ▪ Nana­Ama: Boston Market, Giant, we can buy things from there ▪ Max: start by getting an idea of who will be on campus is a good starting point ▪ Martin: Thanksgiving is his personal favorite holiday, all about solidarity, consider having homeless veterans and maybe some people from halfway houses come by ▪ Danielle: that’s a good idea, but keeping the residents in mind, incorporating the international students who do not celebrate Thanksgiving, maybe home cooked from the residents
▪ Hannah: I agee ▪ Yazmin: I think it would be cool if we had goody bags and goodby baskets to give to the residents who have to stay so they can have movies to watch, and a few snacks ▪ Jenna: in Leonard there are lots of international students, there is programming on campus for them around Thanksgiving, lots of them are staying on campus with family and friends coming to them, possible getting food trucks on campus for them so they do not have the same meal back to back ▪ Zak: great idea for a small community service at a local shelter ▪ Nana­Ama: in Tenleytown there are lots of old people houses, there is an animal hospital, they are accessible ●
▪ Harrison: Last year an outside organization cooked Thanksgiving dinner, more information is to come ▪ Paul Wells: partnership can be very important depending on what is happening, we can coordinate with them so they can help us out, there are options to make a really great event ▪ Daniel: thank you so much for having this conversation, it is a tough event to plan because lots of people who would run the event will not be present, talk about how to balance traditions with what’s happening, is food going to be involved, how do we make it manageable ▪ Aubrey: maybe have a South Side movie night with pumpkin pie, has people spending time together ▪ Kenneth: do not feel that we are currently equipped to make a decision ● clarification that no decision is being made, it is just a discussion ▪ Max: wants a group or committee to take point on this to make more effective decisions ▪ Audrey: some plans are already in motion, a committee will be formed she just wants outside ideas ▪ Sam: consider passing this to the programming round table ▪ Martin point of inquiry: Is this the only thing on the open forum? ● yes the only thing on the agenda ▪ Daniel: just to clarify a few things, open forums are just a place to start gathering ideas, we can motion to for a committee, table the conversation until next week, take time get back to residents and come back and discuss again ▪ Max: Point of information: How do we get open forum topic on the agenda? ● send them to Cristina beforehand, or motion to edit the agenda to add the topic (sometimes it will be denied due to time commitments, but will be in the following GA) ▪ Kenneth: motion to move this discussion to the programming round table by unanimous consent ● seconded by: Sam General Announcements o Halloween ▪ GA on the 29th, feel free to wear a costume, HOTY points might be involved for good costumes o Martin: Workers rights: ▪ there was an incident in TDR, it is a residential issue, we have a responsibility to stand up for these issues, advocating for public health, against vandalism, the best steps we can take is to do the work ourselves ▪ Alex: Point of information: AU Student Workers Alliance, there is an upcoming town hall about the issues, they have been working towards this for awhile, and they have been making lot of progress o Sam: motion to give Saagar speaking rights by unanimous consent: seconded by Kenneth o Saagar: was in RHA last year loves to hear about what we are working on ▪ wiffleball tournament to raise money for Big Bats for Big Brothers, Big Sisters ▪ $50 for a team of 6, includes food, and prizes, and entry ▪ there could bey a discount for RHA teams depending on how many people sign up ▪ all proceeds go to Big Brothers, Big Sisters program ▪ the organization impacts lots of people every day ▪ there are community sponsors from CAVA and Red Bull ▪ it will be a great event urge you all to come ▪ Point of information by Daniel: you cannot use hall funds to donate to charity, but you can urge members to come, think creatively about how to get residents to give money, for example instead of buying that coffee today, give the money to this good cause ▪ it is the first annual event o Max: clarify that the issues with workers rights, and extending into the past: it is not necessarily about what students do it is about the mismanagement in management of Aramark, and the abuse to the workers, cutting hours, contracted workers do not have the same benefits, event on Tuesday with the Student Workers Alliance, please come out o Point of clarification: as a hall council can we release a statement: ▪ no ▪ there will be a more in depth conversation about it ▪ individual hall councils are a representation of RHA so do not to release a statement because there are formal channels to go through ▪ Martin: motion to move to recognition by unanimous consent ● seconded by: Chris ● Recognition ▪ residents of Hughes Hall would like to recognize James McCabe ● Adjournment o
Martin: motion to adjourn by unanimous consent o
seconded by: Chris