EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE JOINT MEETING BETWEEN THE SENATE AND THE
PRESIDENT’S CABINET OF THE MARIST COLLEGE STUDENT GOVERNMENT
ASSOCIATION ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2014
In room 1207 of the Student Center, a joint meeting was held on September 10, 2014 from 11:03 am to
1:00 pm between the Senate and the President’s Cabinet of the Marist College Student Government
Association.
PRESENT
PRESIDENT’S CABINET
Christos Pietris– Student Body President
Timos Pietris – Executive Vice President
Joe Pugliese – Vice President of Academic Affairs
Samantha DeVito –Vice President of Club Affairs
Samantha Sprague – Vice President of Student Life
Madeline Kachou – Chief Financial Officer
David Gunter – Chief Information Officer
Mark Soranno – Director of Community Outreach
Tom Gonzalez – Director of the Elections Commission
Emily Lubrano – Historian
John DiBella –Parliamentarian
Robert Tognetti – Chief Pollster
Omar Mahmud – Press Secretary
SENATE
Brandon Heard – Pro Tempore
Corinne Bruckenthal – Class of 2015 President
Elizabeth Peper – Class of 2016 President
Mary Katherine Kilgallen – Class of 2017 President
Ryan Kiggins –Resident Senator
Brian Lampert –Resident Senator
SPECIAL GUEST
Kathleen O’Brien – Student Government Circle Correspondent
Daniel Lyons
OLD BUSINESS
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
Upon review of the minutes from September 3, 2014, the minutes were approved.
TAILGATE AND ACTIVITIES FAIR
S. DeVito stated that the Activities Fair went well, and that all the clubs were present except for three.
She thanked those who helped with the event, whether it were during set up, clean up, or at the fair.
Everyone congratulated S. DeVito on a job well done. B. Heard noted that in the future, it may be helpful
to have more members present to assist during the fair (for example, the wind caused flyers to fly
around and more help would have been able to assist with this). T. Pietris noted that some people
signed up to work shifts, yet failed to attend. In the future, he asked for members to let him know if they
are not able to attend, that way said person would not be accounted for. In terms of the Student
Government table, C. Pietris stated that openly engaging students and being overly friendly was a
successful recruitment tactic. In total, 194 students signed up to become involved within Student
Government! The email list has been used to alert the interested parties about the Student Government
Information Sessions and will be used to encourage students to join the general membership of Student
Government, as well as alert these students of big events hosted by Student Government, etc. B. Heard
stated that it would be a good idea to email students after elections have concluded (announcing the
winners) to raise awareness of other ways to still be involved within Student Government.
NEW BUSINESS
UPDATE ON F RESHMAN ELECTIONS
T. Gonzalez announced the last Information Session would be tomorrow, September 11, 2014 at 8:00pm
and Student Government members were encouraged to come and assist during the session. The past
two Information Sessions had 20 interested students in attendance. Posters advertising the election and
ways to become involved in the elections process have been posted in the resident areas, and another
email will be sent out to remind students of the last Information Session. T. Gonzalez was praised for his
hard work with Freshman Elections.
Recognized new guest: Joseph Theall.
PSA APPROVAL
J. Pugliese announced that a video camera would be rented today from 3:00pm to 7:00pm to film the
Academic PSA videos. Only a few people would be needed to help film the videos. Each video would
have a link to the Handbook; however, the Handbook is currently under review. Once the PSA videos are
completed, they will be reviewed by AAC for approval. M. Kachou noted that Patricia Cordner or
Michele Williams should be involved in this process as well. On another note, J. Pugliese had prepared
four short skits:
 Handbook Rule A – students are taking a test, one student decides to copy off of another
student, the other student finds out and punches the cheating student in the face
 Handbook Rule C – student is taking a test and seems to be cheating with the use of answers
written on his/her hand; however, when the camera zooms in on the student’s hand, the hand
reads “You can do it!”
 Handbook Rule G – one student does not want to take his/her test, the student’s friend offers to
take the test for him/her, professor recognizes that the student trying to take the test is not the
student he/she claims to be, security is called and the student fails the test

Handbook Rule M – student is in a poetry class and reads the lyric of a popular song, said
student is using the song without properly citing it, another student then shows how to properly
cite the song
Recognized new guests: Patricia Cordner and JohnMichael Chiriyan
J. Theall moved to have the PSA videos approved by Student Government once they have been filmed
and edited, T. Pietris seconded.
TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE BILL
J. Theall sponsored the Transportation Committee Bill, an ad hoc committee has been active for the past
two administrations, which he felt was a strong representation of Student Government to students on
campus. In the past, the Transportation committee has provided a bus shuttle service during
Thanksgiving and Spring break to areas such as Boston, Hartford, Long Island, New Jersey, etc; as well as,
free taxi rides to the Train Station. J. Theall felt that there was room for growth with the Transportation
Committee with what can be improved on campus. J. Theall has been in contact with Steve Sansola
about creating a Bike Share Program. Moreover, this committee can have a hand with traffic concerns; it
can be a joint effort with the Transportation Committee and others who are interested in tackling this
issue. The bill that was being proposed was seeking to establish the Transportation Committee, allowing
the committee to seek out members. J. Theall would like to chair this committee, expand the bus
shuttles to areas such as Albany and Philadelphia, improve transportation opportunities for Transfer
Students in the Resident’s Inn and increase participation in the ride share program by 150 percent.
Recognized new guest: Tyler Robinson.
J. Theall moved to open the floor to discussion, T. Pietris seconded.
S. DeVito and S. Sprague suggested providing shuttles to the airport for a reduced fair (etc) and
advertising this ahead of time, allowing students to book their flights around this shuttle. Moreover, it
would be essential to reach out to other departments to see how this issue can be addressed. J. Theall
stated that last year this was brought up and he had originally met with Admissions and Ambassadors,
but it was logistically difficult; however, this was an issue he was willing to continue investigating. T.
Pietris suggested that S. DeVito and S. Sprague be on the committee to help address this issue and other
transportation issues, M. Kachou seconded the idea. S. DeVito moved to end discussion and perform a
Roll Call Vote, B. Heard seconded.
TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE VERDICT
President’s Cabinet: 10-0-0
Senate: 8-0-0
The Transportation Committee was approved!
AD-HOC COMMITTEE UPDATE
C. Pietris has two Ad Hoc positions that will be going through a year trial period: Chief Pollster and Press
Secretary. J. DiBella clarified that these Ad Hoc positions made by the Student Body President didn’t
have to be approved by the Senate; however, if these positions were to become permanent then an
amendment would need to be drafted and voted on for approval by the Senate. On an aside, P. Cordner
noted that in the past, Student Government has been involved in voter registration and if it was
something Student Government would like to partake in, then dates, time, and location needed to be
decided upon as soon as possible. The last day to register to vote was Constitutional Day which would
be the 17th of this month. J. Theall stated that the only issue with this was that each state had different
election laws. T. Gonzalez stated that it would be a good idea to team up with the political clubs on
campus to start this incentive. Moreover, he has experience with voter registration drives and would
look into retrieving voter registration cards.
J. Theall asked that the Ad Hoc members present a formal mission statement of their position at the
next meeting.
TOWN HALL MEETING
T. Pietris stated that the Town Meetings would be headed by O. Mahmud, and would be a collaboration
of R. Tognetti’s position in order to obtain public opinion. There were several possible locations such as
the PAR room, Choir room, or even on the Marist Green which seemed like the best option. S. Sprague
suggested a less formal approach to the town hall meetings where students could shout or jot down
suggestions on their way to class, etc; that way students’ didn’t feel they are wasting time and having to
listen to everyone’s complaints prior to filing their own. P. Cordner suggested going to the Dining Hall
during the busy hours and handing out an index card (with lollipops) asking for things that students
would like to see changed. This allows the students to remain anonymous and maybe, if they wanted to,
they could enter their name for a drawing. This would increase the visibility of Student Government
members. E. Peper suggested incorporating a construction update component during the town hall
meeting. C. Pietris stated that a proposal for the first town meeting would be drafted with a mission
statement and would be presented next week. Moreover, all Student Government members should be
in attendance at the Town Hall Meetings. Any more suggestions or individuals interested in
helping/planning with the meetings were directed to email O. Mahmud.
BOARD REPORTS
C. Pietris – he has been working on getting the logo approved for the Student Government polo shirts.
He has also set up his weekly meetings with Deborah DiCaprio which will be at 4:00pm on Thursdays,
and he was in the process of setting up meetings times with Patricia Cordner, Michele Williams, and Ed
Smith. There were candidates, recommended by Ed Smith, for the office assistant position whom are
experienced in graphic design, these individuals will be undergoing an interview process for the position.
Next week, he will give a formal presentation about the biweekly on-campus bar, which would be
presented to President Murray upon approval. On September 25, 2014 at 3:00pm there will be a
Campus Coalition discussion in the Student Center room 3101 about the new law about off campus
house parties.
T. Pietris – he announced that Board Reports needed to be submitted to him by midnight on Sunday!
However, he does not want the Board Reports to be sent sooner than Sunday, and please make sure to
use the Board Report form and attach it as a Word Document. He asked that members to check their
mailboxes weekly. He had his meeting with Financial Services to address the financial aid gap through
the endowed scholarships, and they directed him with some else to speak to about the matter.
Moreover, he has been planning town hall meetings.
P. Cordner – she announced that the dates for the Administrative Luncheons have been selected for the
semester: October 1st, November 12th, and December 10th; all of which will be held in the Quiet Dining
Room. She asked for Student Government to decide on whom we wanted to speak to during these
luncheons. She noted that alternate candidates should be selected in case the original person could not
attend and she stated that more than one person can present at the luncheon or be talked to. J. Theall
suggested inviting some of the town leaders to discuss the new law that has been enacted.
J. Pugliese – he has emailed all the deans with a basic description of who he is, letting them know they
may contact him with any questions or concerns, and he is still in the process of reaching out to students
to join his board; he planned on attending the final Information Session tomorrow. He will be recording
the PSA videos today and the AAC did not meet this week, but he was going to propose a test run of the
online course evaluations.
S. DeVito – she met with Club Golf, is working with Heart1 whom is in the process of requesting a name
change, and responding to students whom are interested in starting new clubs on campus.
S. Sprague – she has been planning the Fall Leadership Training which will be the 1st or 8th of October,
and noted that there will be 45 Headless Horsemen tickets going on sale for October 30th. Moreover,
RHCs will have their boards finalized by the 21st.
M. Kachou – she announced that next Wednesday was Club Workshop from 11:00 am to 1:30 or 2:00
pm. She would appreciate Student Government’s presence at this workshop.
D. Gunter – last week Clubdash rolled out and everything was going smoothly. Approximately, 90 to 95
percent of clubs have at least one officer registered on Clubdash. Club Tip Tuesday is now being sent
through a new email service which makes it possible to track who opens the email. He has also been
working on a leadership presentation and with Michele on Clubdash and the emails. Currently, J.
Chiriyan is spearheading the new website project, and D. Gunter is currently working on a redirect to the
new website.
M. Soranno – he will be meeting with his Deputy of Community Outreach today.
T. Gonzalez – yield.
E. Lubrano – she went to the library archives yesterday with A. McCumber and gather information for
her Then and Now project and about Marist Traditions. Moreover, today she will be taking headshots
for Student Government members for the new website.
J. DiBella – he has updated the Student Government Bylaws and Constitution with the changes that had
been approved in the last administration.
O. Mahmud – he has conducted research on his position and it’s role within other colleges, as well as
drafting a bill for his appointment.
R. Tognetti – he has composed surveys that he is waiting for approval on, he has composed a bill for his
position, and stated that if anyone wanted to assist him with his surveying endeavors to please let him
know.
C. Brunckenthal – she has met with her Senior Class Gift Committee and Class Board and currently has
four events planned: Fall Fest, a beer tasting, Mr. Marist, and Thanksgiving Dinner; however, she needs
to solidify the dates.
E. Peper – she will be meeting with her board tonight and hopefully their first event will be an outdoor
movie if weather permits.
M. Kilgallen – she met with her board on Monday and they are planning a Welcome Back Block Party in
the Foy Parking Lot on Saturday from 4:00pm to 6:00pm.
J. Chiriyan – he has spoken to members of the Marist Grassroots Facebook group and is working on a
plan for an on campus Bike Share Program. He has also been working on the new Student Government
website and has been drafting a guideline to ensure that it remains active after this administration; he
will also be alerting members as to how they can help contribute to the website. Moreover, he has
spoken with faculty members about a staircase near Sheahan and Leo to the McCann parking lot and
how to make the road behind Leo safer.
R. Kiggins – spoke with Angel about issues concerning the Resident’s Inn. He discovered that the shuttle
service for students to and from the Inn is provided by the hotel and they don’t have shifts for drivers
past 11:00 pm. In order to obtain a larger shuttle would involve higher costs in terms of insurance (etc).
He is still exploring the possibilities to provide a service for these students.
B. Lampert – he has decided to take on the Title 9 committee and has met with the Title 9 Coordinator
on campus. Moreover, he has been speaking with Roberta Staples and helping her gain interest for the
Mentors in Violence Presentation group as well as the Race and Gender Reading Group.
J. Theall – he drafted the Transportation Committee Bill, and has spoken with a previous member of the
committee about rejoining. He has also spoken with R. Kiggins about different possibilities to provide a
late night shuttle service to the Resident’s Inn –brainstorming different ideas. Moreover, he thanked
Senators for submitting their Board Reports on time.
T. Robinson – he has continued his research on student run EMS programs on campus, drafted a bill for
his position, and drafted information for his Student Taught Self-Defense Seminar. Moreover, he has
done research on charge stations, which he thought would be a good idea to place in the McCann Gym
allowing students to charge their phones (approximately 12 to 20 electronic devices at a time), aiding
with the safety concern of students leaving the gym late and walking home with a dead phone.
OPEN FLOOR
P. Cordner stated that the administrative Title 9 committees are in the process of creating documents,
providing training on the code of student conduct, etc. Moreover, she noted that there are buses on the
weekend that stop at the Resident’s Inn until midnight. J. Theall stated that there are some SPC events /
other activities that run later than 11:00 pm or 12:00 am, and that it should be the college’s
responsibility to provide transportation for these students since they couldn’t be housed on campus. J.
Theall noted that during the Tailgate a club wanted to hang up their banner in the Student Center, but
they were told they were not allowed to do so. P. Cordner stated that it was the policy from the higher
administrators. There was mention of Marist driving toward becoming a Smoke Free Campus. It was
asked where the smokers would go, but P. Cordner noted that there was more support to go completely
smoke free. B. Lampert asked for clarification on the position of Director of Community Outreach and J.
Theall stated that if Student Government wanted to make a change to the duties of the position, an
amendment would need to be composed. J. Chiriyan stated that he has been working with J. Pugliese on
online course evaluations and B. Lampert thought that there should be a way to ensure that students
take the evaluations.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
 Final Information Session tomorrow at 8:00 pm in SC 3101. Please attend!
 Board Reports and Bills must be sent by midnight Sunday
 Please RSVP to Sun Belt Dinner if you haven’t already
J. Theall moved to adjourn the meeting, B. Lampert seconded. The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 pm.
Executive Assistant: Ariana McCumber