VCU SGA
Executive Cabinet Meeting Minutes
Sunday, October 5th 2008 8pm, Canal Room
The following Cabinet members were present: Jibran Muhammad, Danny Barefoot, Morgan McDowell, Solle
Taghavi, Jenn Darkazalli, Gabriel Walker, Jay Knight, Sanjay Iyer, Jenny Furnoff, Brandon Dube, Leah Fremouw,
Winter Foddrell, Roberto Celis, Melissa Philips, Megan Goldshine, Eddie Brunson, & Kanwar Singh. Visitors in
Attendance: Ethan Labowitz & C.J. Klink. Absent Cabinet members: Neeru Goyal, Supreet Sahai, & Justin Green.
I. Weekly Icebreaker

Share 2 highs and 1 low for your week to create a “sandwich”.
II. Old Business
Appropriations Presentation by Eddie Brunson
 Roughly, $50 out of every student’s tuition is put towards activities fees which equal roughly $600,000
per semester which is appropriated-out by Appropriations Committee.
- Deadlines for budget applications must be met, very strict on timeline.
 Two ways to obtaining funding for an organization – Annual Budget Report application and
Supplemental Budget application.
III. Updates
1. Raymond – Senate Update
 Appropriation bill passed, going before Senate next week or following
 Working on Gordon’s Resolution.
2. Solle – Presidential Roundtables
 Monday’s roundtable went well with no significant problems.
 Attendance sheets from prior roundtables found
 Emailing non-compliant organizations.
 Next Roundtable Monday October 27th at 7pm in the Richmond Salons, please sign-up to help.
 Justine (Chair of Appropriations) will be presenting about financial budget procedures.
3. Kanwar – Elections & Technology
 October 7th 8am – October 9th 12am Online SGA Senate Elections
 Creating election blog for students to familiarize with candidates.
 Please Contact Kanwar - We need help at the election tables Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
9am-5pm outside or Harris Hall to educate students on how-to vote and bring laptops if possible.
 Trying to get 8,000 votes!
 Please post election posters (with Permission) still available in the SGA Office.
 SGA Website updated – Contacting Senate to post all committee minutes on Legislative areas of site.
4. Gabe – Student Affairs
 Food Advisory meeting 1st Thursday
 Student Concerns
 The freshness of fruits and vegetables.
 Vegetarian food cooked where meat has been cooked or handled.
 6 weeks from the October 14th the convenience center in the commons will be moving over to
where the OnlineVCU used to be located.
 Direct complaint line phone number to call if concerns.
5. Leah/Winter– External Affairs
 Operation Pick-up
 Van transportation to Elections focusing on District 7 – elderly or disabled.
 7am, 9am, and 12pm van pick-ups.
 Working topics of discussion
 Facebook page for rides to vote.
 Contacting R.A.’s to assist students in finding out where they can vote.
 Is this worth paying SGA money to use the transportation for students – Voting location at
Landmark Theater, students can easily walk.
 Publicizing with RadioOne and Channel 12 News
 Operation Pick-up director trying to make this a big event.
 Meeting every Friday at 5pm until Elections to discuss student mobilization to polls.
6. Brandon/Justin – Communications
 Still making contacts for publicity.
 WVCW and CT contacts are supporting SGA.
 University Edge SGA Column now dedicated to SGA news.
7. Roberto – Major Projects & Green Campus
 Article in the CT about new recycle bins on campus.
 BioTour
 Gordon McDougal is supporting the BioTour with Alumni Association.
 Voting Thursday on contributing $1,000
 Contacting BioTour to negotiate for $1,000 since it is on the way from DC to NC.
 Contacting other organization for financial help to reach cost of $1,500.
 Green Unity creating volunteer groups, SGA will host the events.
 PowerVote
 Non-partisan petition agreeing that when you vote in the election you will be concerned with
current environmental issues.
 Fill-out information card and join Facebook group will keep petitioners updated, also get friends to.
 Meetings are Tuesday at 7pm in Rodney’s on the bottom floor of Shafer, discussing speakers.
8. Jibran – Presidential Update
 Apologies about emails this week.
 Working with National Mental Health Society to feed the homeless for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
 Discussions on buying Ukrops building for 20 million + 30 million to renovate.
 Funding from sponsors like new Business building or cost will directly affect students.
9. Eddie – Finance
 Budget will be emailed to everyone this week.
 Timecards due by 4pm on Wednesday, October 8th.
11. Jay – Political Affairs
 Democracy Rebooted
 Working on types of topics to add to an agenda to bring before legislature.
 Trying to create unity among Virginia colleges – ex. Maybe Virginia Tech has a building they need
to be repaired and finished like Harris Hall.
 Democracy 101
 Need 300 students to work polls, 5am-9pm, paid $100 for November 4th. Excused absents for all
class-work.
 Put together an SGA team or Cabinet team?
 Please inform you organizations, residential halls, and classes about opportunity. Contact Sanjay,
Jenny or Jay to present about Democracy 101.
 Paid individually, not directly to group – please do not let people call Jay to argue about who gets
the money.
12. Jenn – Secretary & Office
 Recycle labels, recycling company, recyclable pen types- information for Roberto.
10.
 Printer prices and election sign-up sheets for Kanwar.
 Available slots for Information table in Commons for next two weeks for Melissa.
 Fall Events, Alumni Association Receptions, and 40th Anniversary Events sign-up sheets.
 Friday Joint Committee meeting at 11am, taking minutes.
13. Morgan – SGA Affairs/Forum Posts
 Every Cabinet member needs to sign-up to meet with Neeru and Morgan one-on-one this week.
 All of SGA signing and sending a card to the family of Brie Cells who passed away last Monday.
 Also signing and sending a card to critically injured shot victim from last week.
 Darrell Greene & Legislative
 Survey on when we would be able to lobby next semester.
 Forums
 Please post about current tasks, include the status of all of them.
 Frustrating to try to find out what is done and not completed.
 Tasks will be posted on Blackboard now with a break-down of exact task expected.
 Please use Blackboard to save all SGA work for future SGA members.
 Attendance of directors is mandatory – not acceptable to miss a meeting.
 Barnes & Nobles SGA event – lack of help, non-supportive, at least send a return email.
IV. Task Outline

Tasks will be posted on Blackboard online now instead of paper slips.
V. Mark your Calendars
October 7th-9th – SGA Senate Elections (needs SGA representation).
October 11th – 8am VCU Open House (needs SGA representation).
October 18th –Brunswick Camp-out at Morgan’s, RSVP. BYOB (21+) and bring a dish.
October 22nd – 11:45am MCV unveiling Historical Markers (needs SGA representation).
October 22nd-26th – VCU Fall Fest and 40th Anniversary Celebration
Friday– 10am Faculty Sculpture Reception
11am Siegel Lunch
6pm Alumni Reception
Saturday –11:30am RPI Sculpture Reception
12pm Monroe Park Festival
4pm Freshman and Alumni BBQ
Sunday – 12:30pm Family Picnic
October 27th – 7pm VCU SGA Presidential Roundtable in Richmond Solons
November 1st – 8am VCU Open House (needs SGA representation).
November 4th – Presidential Elections
Things to remember to do this week:

Turn in timesheets to Eddie by Wednesday, Oct. 8th by 4pm.

Contact Jibran or Jay if you would like to work the polls on Election Day.

Spread the word to friends about SGA needing Delegates, Deputy of Development, and election poll staff.

Post election posters – at least 2 – today and tomorrow all over campus (were permitted).

SGA Elections Senator debate Monday evening, please join if able, will help new senators.

SGA Election booth tables need staffing from 9am-5pm Tuesday-Thursday this week, contact Kanwar.

Contact Morgan to attend the Brunswick dinner or sign-up for Fall Fest events and 40th Anniversary events.

Everyone including Directors and Deputy Directors needs meet with Morgan and Neeru this week.
VI. Meeting adjourned at 9:20pm.