University of North Florida Student Senate
Senate Meeting Minutes – March 9th, 2015 – 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM – Senate Chambers
I.
II.
Call to Order
- Meeting is called to order at 6:36PM.
Invocation – Senate Chaplain Noah Gomez
III.
Pledge of Allegiance – Sergeant-at-Arms Jonathan Rader
IV.
Roll Call – Senate President Pro-Tempore Caleb Grantham
- Quorum is established with 21 voting members.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
Approval of Agenda
- Senator Kishek: Motion to approve the agenda for tonight. Second. All in favor. Moved.
Approval of Minutes
- Senator Rader: Motion to approve the minutes from last meeting. Second. All in favor. Moved.
Recognition of Students Seeking Appointment
- None.
Student Remarks (3 minutes each)
- Mallory, Junior, campaign manager for UNF’s Real Food Challenge -After extensive research, I think
SG should pass the Real Food bill. More organic foods should be provided to improve our student’s
health. Antioxidants are naturally occurring substances. Organic grown foods can reduce pesticides.
Fertilization technique leads to faster growth. These help with the prevention of diseases. UNF can be
on the front line.
- Katherine Brian, graduate student, campaign manager for UNF’s Real Food Challenge: From personal
experience, I am a firm believer that local, organic and sustainable foods are essential factors to overall
wellbeing. The following research supports my belief. Organic Tomatoes have antioxidants which
protect against cell damage. Studies prove that organic foods contain more vitamin c, iron, phosphorus,
and magnesium than conventional foods. On average, conventional foods were found positive in.
Children consuming organic substances had a reduced risk reduction in skin conditions. This benefits
America’s health. Because of my involvement in UNF’s health culture, I am speaking on behalf of
students. When asked to identify. In only a couple weeks we gathered over 400 students signatures for
this petition.
- Nate, Senior, volunteer for UNF’s Real Food Challenge: Local, why do it? Within a week of produce
being on a truck it loses its nutrition. If grown locally it goes back into the community, which is money
back in their pocket. You are also building a relationship with your local farmers. Also, for the real food
challenge, you will know who to get into contact with. Farmers Markets you get so much more variety.
You get to know what Jacksonville can grow.
- Kevin Anderson, Staff member of Ogier gardens: I want to focus on farm worker safety. I have been
working on organic farms. 1000 farm workers experience the pesticide exposure. The average life of a
farm worker is 49. There is very little research on this. US farm workers labor for employers who abuse
their wages. Agriculture is one of the most hazardous agencies. It is horrifying that this can still happen
in the 21st century. Next week as a part of ospreys in action, we will take a toxic tour. Since the CWI,
they have become a model for others. I support this for all the reasons said before me.
IX.
Guest Speakers (5 minutes each)
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X.
XI.
XII.
a. Matthew Driscoll- Men’s Basketball Coach
UNF stands for Urgency Never Fails. I really respect your writing. I want to say thank you personally
for allowing those student to come to those games. Our Arena, but more specifically our students, was
the difference. You guys wacked them out, and that is all students. You have no idea the difference you
make. The storming of the court was choreographed, without somebody getting hurt. The pictures and
the social media that went out. The most watched channel in America, we were just on 7 minutes ago.
Sarah Walsh, ESPN reporter, spent the entire day here on campus. She did an entire piece on the
university; the piece will run on Saturday. Without our students, you certainly made a tremendous
difference. We have the best in the league.
Office of Elections Report
a. Elections Commissioner Brad Johnson (3 minutes)
- Tomorrow starts elections. We have all been working very hard. I want to thank Senator Gomez for that
invocation. The stations are now the plaza and the library; we got rid of the clubhouse. Please let people
know where to vote. If you volunteered and don’t remember let me know. If you haven’t signed up, I
still have 2 or 3 spots. For those of you who are volunteering. If you are near the polls in the protected
area, you can’t stand behind or above any students voting. You can’t inform while they are in the
protected region. We want to make sure our poll workers are following the rules. If you have any
questions let me know
o Senator Kontol: What time will online voting be? - 9:00AM on Tuesday until 7:00PM on
Wednesday.
o Senator Gomez: What defines the protected voting area? - 75 foot radius around the polling. No
active campaigning will be allowed there.
o Senator Kishek: How will we know where to vote online? - It will be on the SG website.
o Senator Kennedy: What are the rules for active campaigning on social media? - You can share it
and let people know about it.
o Senator Kontol: Can we share the link and the party you are supporting? –Yes.
o Senator Gomez: I know we have CR’s on that, so what about clarification for the students? The people behind the desk can clarify; there will be a summarization there as well.
Judicial Branch Report
a. Chief Justice Ben Jaeger (5 minutes)
- We have 3 openings in the branch, so if you know anyone send them our way. I did receive an elections
complaint and we did find merit. That hearing will be 8:15AM this Thursday.
Executive Branch Reports
a. Osprey Productions – Director John Chwalisz (3 minutes)
- It has a big couple of weeks. Tonight if senate gets out early, we have our CMF finale night. We will be
showing the top 16 films. I will share with you where you can find those online after. The week
following spring break, that first Wednesday we will be showing The Hunger Games. We had Fest of
All. Even with the terrible weather, we still had amazing attendance. The lines were long at the Fest. The
biggest thing we had was OZ, it was very successful although it rained. Thursday we had 55 campsites
registered, about 40 showed up. Sublime still preformed in the ballrooms in spite of the weather. Stay
tuned for numbers from OZ.
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XIII.
o Senator Brown: Where will the videos of CMF be online? - I can forward the link to Senate
President Baker.
b. Club Alliance – Director Katie Jackson (3 minutes)
Last week we had Spring Bash, we had about 2,000 students in attendance. I wanted to give a special
thanks to all the volunteers who came to the event. Also, we have our senator of the year award, there
are still more events to come. If you do want to help out send me an email. We have a lot of smaller
events coming up. We have a specialized board meeting coming up and a general body meeting, and a
talon painting after that.
o Senator Harris: Is there a time for the talon painting party? - Following the general body
meeting.
c. Treasurer Morgan Wolf (3 minutes)
I have nothing to report, other than that the competitive scholarship forms are due March 25th.
d. Acting Attorney General Dana Baker (3 minutes)
You guys are allowed to email the election link and put it on your social media. There is tape that marks
off the polling regions. You are allowed to give your opinion and clarify about the CR’s.
e. Vice President Christopher Brady(3 minutes)
I want to thank the agencies for the hard work they have been doing the past two weeks. I have a
project update on the boathouse. We did a town hall on the Boathouse 2 weeks ago. You will have a
special request by the end of the semester for renovations for the boathouse. If you have any
suggestions on the boathouse, let me know.
o Senator Brown: Where is the feedback coming from? - From the town hall.
f. President Joseph Turner (5 minutes)
I just want to say that it has been a huge couple weeks for the University; student government has
played a huge part in all of these events. We are planning an A&S budget town hall to inform students
how their fees are being spent. I think we owe it to them how their money is spent. As a reminder about
the elections, you represent the university and this organization.
Legislative Branch Reports
a. Constitution and Statutes Committee – Chairman Caleb Grantham (3 minutes)
- Committee met last week and we had an appeal and that senate got their points removed. On the note
of the absence, try to finish out your term out strong. I encourage you guys to inform your classmates
on elections, so that everyone has the opportunity to vote.
b. Budget and Allocation Committee – Chairman Blake Kennedy (3 minutes)
- *shows account totals on screen* We had 4 travel requests that passed in our committee. We had one
that got denied, from the UNF sculpture guild. We also had the special request and the change in the
provisionary language.
c. Government Oversight – Chairwoman Amanda Wollam (3 minutes)
- Tonight we have two appointments going before us. Dana baker for Attorney General and Amanda
Harvey for a general senate seat. On March 27th we will have student government volunteers for the
Habitat for Humanity. If you are free, this is a great opportunity. I will remind you again before that.
o Senator Kontol: How can we sign up for that? - I will send out an email to all senators and you
can email back with your RSVP.
d. University and Student Affairs – Chairwoman Leah Melquist (3 minutes)
- Coming up for USA, we have our Roundtable March 24-25 from 11-2 out on the student union lawn.
Roundtable is kind of the same deal as town hall. My committee and I sat down and came up with a
theme. UNF football will be our theme, where students can come tackle their problems. Our committee
members are working really hard on this event. I do not have the signup sheet yet. I will be emailing
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XIV.
XV.
everyone tomorrow the signup sheet. If you cannot make it for some reason, please fill out an absence
form. We will be having Moes for 200 students. Please do not hand out food unless they are
participating, we want to get answers. We will have questions regarding shuttles and also about library
renovations. We will also have a football throw game with string bag prizes and pencils.
e. Senate President Chase Baker (5 minutes)
Thank you to everyone who came to Safe Space training, if you couldn’t make it will be at senator
orientation. Senator Orientation will be April 11th from 9:00-1:00PM. Bill templates are now online. We
broke it down to the 5 types of bills. This way any student can write a bill.
Unfinished Business
a. Legislations considered for 1st Reading
b. Simple and Joint Resolutions on 1st Reading
c. Legislations considered for 2nd Reading
d. Simple and Joint Resolutions on 2nd Reading
Senate Appointments
a. Dana Baker- Attorney General
- President Turner: I trust she can do a good job. I will let Dana tell you a bit about herself.
- Dana Baker: I think I did my duties in an unbiased manner in my past position. I have been acting AG
since February 11. Since then I have had a really high success rate with parking appeals. I have been
Commissioner Johnson’s right hand man; we have been doing a good job. I am hoping that my actions
as associate justice and as acting AG will help on my behalf.
 Senator Rader: I move to approve Dana baker as the Attorney General. Second.
Discussion.
 Senator Brown: Motion for unanimous consent. Second. All in favor. Moved.
b. Amanda Harvey- Senator
- Chairwoman Wollam: She is very eager in getting involved in SG. She is a freshman, which is a great
opportunity for her to get involved.
- Amanda: I want to be a senator for 2 years, and then move onto judicial branch. What better way to
carry out the law, when you are the one writing it. This is why I want to be on the C&S committee and
help write the constitution.
o Senator Brown: What other clubs or anything that you were involved in that will help you with
this? - I was in the debate club for four years.
o Senator Kennedy: How do you see yourself serving the students? - By listening them.
 Senator Rader: Motion to approve Amanda Harvey as senator. Second. Discussion.
 Senator Ascanio: motion for unanimous consent. Second. All in favor. Moved.
*Chief Justice Jaeger swears in Dana Baker(Attorney General) and Amanda Harvey(Senator)*
XVI.
New Business
a. Simple and Joint Resolutions on 1st Read
b. Legislation on 1st Read
c. Simple and Joint Resolution on 2nd Read
d. Legislation considered for 2nd Read
i. SR-15S-2839 Real Food Challenge
- Aaron Anderson: Real Food benefits all of us, not just the consumer but also the farmers. There are
about 100 other national food campaigns. You have the opportunity to make a difference on how UNF
is seen. We would be the first to sign this in Florida. There will be bonuses to distributers. We would
like to see them work together and investing in the wellbeing. We can make that change. We are
guaranteed revenue. You may think it is a simple solution to this problem. But we would have to get
UNF to change its contract with Chartwells. You can use your influence and vote yes to UNF signing
the Real food campus commitment. You have had 2 surveys endorsing this. 75 percent of students said
they were in favor of having more organic options on campus. This would also bring more transparency
about the food we are getting on campus. You would be supporting the students if you vote yes on this.
I think it is a no brainer.
o Senator Kontol: Would that require paying all of those members? - There are grants involved to
help pay for things similar to this.
o Senator Brown: Can you explain the real food calculator? - It goes through all the different
certifications and how they define local, fair, humane, etc.
o Senator Behrend: What would be the financial repercussions? - The food prices would either
increase or decrease depending on what the food is. It would only be 20% of the food options
on campus.
o Senator Kontol: Would this be working with Chartwells?- There would have to be food service
managers and employees, so they could be working with them.
o Senator Silberstein: Can you elaborate more on the costs students will be seeing? - Real Food
challenge has assured me that none of the meal plans have gone up. There will just be more
organic food options.
o Senator Kontol: Have you talked to Chartwells? - They said they won’t move forward with it
until the real food commitment gets signed.
o Senator Melquist: What will be the next step if this is signed? - This would get sent to President
Delaney’s desk, it is not a contract but a commitment.
o Senator Wollam: Have you spoken with President Delaney or any other administration? - I
talked to VP Gonzalez and he is in support.
o Senator Awan: Who would supply the organic food? - It would still be the food provider. It
wouldn’t only be organic.
o Senator Behrend: Can you touch on how students would know what they are eating? - We
advertise at the café when students are eating organic food.
o Senator Grantham: Have you spoken with Chartwells on the increased prices? - They said they
would have to increase prices on certain things. This would be 20% organic by the year 2020. I
think it will be minimal price increase.
o Senator Kontol: It says we further commit to the next tasks? - That would be the university
committing to this, it is not a contract.
o Senator Gomez: Regarding statement 1, this is by 2020, who will be heading this project, is there
a reason for 5 years? - The 2020 is the national standard. We are at 3-5%; there are universities
who have reached this in 1 year.
o Senator Awan: If this gets passed, will there be a check and balance on the food brought to
campus? - Yes.
o Senator Kontol: Would the working group be responsible? - Yes they would definitely be a part
of that. IE John Delaney would have to be a part of that.
o Senator Awan: For check and balances, are you just waiting on it to get passed? - I am trying to
get John Delaney to sign this. I am looking to get students represent it.
 Senator Gomez: Motion to approve SR-15S-2839. Second. No discussion. Roll call vote.
21-0-0. Motion passes.
XVII.
Announcements
- Great questions everyone.
XVIII.
XIX.
Final Roll Call – Senate President Pro-Tempore Caleb Grantham
- Quorum is reestablished with 21 voting members
Adjournment
- Meeting is adjourned at 8:07PM.
Minutes taken by: Leah Tolisano, Senate Secretary.