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Senate General Body Meeting #19 — Minutes (02/11/25)

Minutes / Senate · minutes · 112th session · dated February 11, 2025 · updated March 12, 2025

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112th Johns Hopkins Student Government AssociationSenate Meeting #19February 11, 2025 / 07:20 PM / ZoomAGENDA

  1. Call to Order and Attendance (1 min)

a. Excused Absentees:

b. Unexcused Absentees:

  1. Convening Business (40 min)

a. Presentation from Dean Long

  1. Amendment and Approval of the Agenda (1 min)
  2. Public Input (3 min)
  3. Reports (5 min)

a. Cabinet Reports (4 min)

b. Advisor Report (2 min)

  1. Non-Legislative Business (15 min)

a. Valentines Day Tabling & Speed Dating Event Discussion- Chair TimHuang

i. Promo 1 & 2ii. https://www.canva.com/design/DAGeoLrTy_A/kxaGWQ6rPUEnCQ9ETWoYpg/edit?utm_content=DAGeoLrTy_A&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

  1. First Reading
  2. Second Reading

a. Club Columbia Funding Bill- Senator Cynthia Sanchez Hidalgo

b. ABSA Funding Bill- President Nasreen Naqvi

c. South Asian Mela Funding Bill- Vice President SrigouriOruganty

  1. Prospective Legislation & Announcements (5 min)
  2. Adjournment (Estimated 9:00 PM)

Time-length and adjournment estimates are provided for the benefit ofguests at Senate meetings. However, SGA meetings are always slated toextend until 9:00 PM and SGA members are expected to remain in theSenate chamber until official adjournment by motion, whether before orafter the adjournment estimate.112th Johns Hopkins Student Government Association

Senate Meeting #19February 11, 2025 / 07:20 PM / ZoomMINUTES

  1. Call to Order and Attendance (1 min)

a. Excused Absentees:

b. Unexcused Absentees:

  1. Convening Business (40 min)

b. Presentation from Dean Longc. Dean Long: She talked to us about this in fall. Wants to start astudent advisory group for the library. Wants to create a websiteand get people to volunteer. Wants an SGA volunteer so thatthey can serve as a point person. Wants to propose it as shethinks it would be helpful.d. Nas: We do know some people here have questions in general.Not just construction but library places in general. Maybe afterthose questions we can discuss this idea. Student input wouldbe really helpful in building a plan. People who want to speakwill raise their hand instead of building a speakers list.e. Stone: SGA cross-cooperation with others like Dining,Recreation, IT advisory boards. Are you interested in havingone SGA members?f. Long: At least one SGA and one GRO. One person from eachclass. Useful to have people from other disciplines. Open tomore than one SGA member.g. Amy Xu: English major friend. Proactive in borrowing books.Has a couple issues with the book borrowing system. Just asuggestion: Can we go through and see who the top bookborrowers are and ask them for advice. Their interaction withthe library system would be useful in improving the system.h. Tim: We had a semester of the annex, he likes it more than hethought he would. Wants to ask: Iterations of the annex werebeing discussed and what can be improved. Has there been anytalk about it? Any plans to improve the annex in any way?i. Long: Running a survey. Shrunk to “give us feedback if you havefeedback.” Focusing the most on immediate things. Not enoughplugs, lighting, temperature. Staff is suffering, too. Getting agroup started in spring to improve further things. Originallyhad labeled things. Group studies, bigger rooms, active spaces,quiet spaces. One of the things we learned was that because it isall in one floor, it is not as easy to separate them as it was inMSE. Working on silent, not-silent places. Not every table hasplugs, so they found extension cables but then they foundstudents removing those to plug their devices. Who uses Brody,Annex… To decide if we will make them even more different.Numbers at the annex are lower than they expected that to be.j. Jacquelyn: Will the advisory board focus more on constructionor everything in general?k. Dean Long: to know about the questions and concerns aboutthe library. Give input, not about renovation but everything.Want students who are particularly engaged to give feedback.Sounding board, idea brainstorming for the team to make achange for service. Don’t have a group of change to easily turnto. They have staff but feels like don’t have a broader group thathelp the library to plan how it resonates with the student bodyl. Amy Li: Part of the reason why the annex number of people islower is students don't have accessibility to that part of campus.Suggestion is to look at more shuttle stops and create shuttlearound campus after six pm or throughout the day. Taking arthistory, and book pickup is hard at the annex because no chanceto go there. Consider transportation options and expandingstudent access to other parts of campus. Talked to Dr. Brownabout this as well, and works with transportation. Would it bepossible to allow people to get/borrow books frombrody/gilman? Since it’ll be more accessible, a generalsuggestion to help students have better access to libraryservices. Hodson Library - is not sure how the library systemworks there.m. Long: In general, would take more staffing (putting books indifferent places). Doesn’t know if we have enough space. For thefull Brody setup. Will talk to staff to see how feasible it is.n. Kevin: Where can we find this survey? How can we direct thestudents to those resources?o. Long: Has table tents in Annex and Hodson. Will double check.Link to main library website. Will find out. Feedbackmechanism will remain in the website in case people need it.p. Kevin: Not sure if you had similar comments on your feedbackform but students ask for equipment. People who try to studywith their laptops → height is not appropriate. Better seatingoptions.q. Long: On March 26th, we will have a student furniture fair sothat we can decide on the various types of furniture we needr. Kevin: Ones that have the table knee height. Not sure whichones exactly, so he was communicating the description.s. Long: Wants to ask as she wants to get more feedback. Loungechairs aren’t used a lot therefore, leaning more into tableswhich are used a lot. But, this issue might be the reason. Noround tables. Can we replace them? Over time, we can. We arein the middle of replacing them. In the reading room, we arechanging furniture. Will see when the rotation will be to swapthe chairs.t. Kevin: Members of SGA in the chat corroborate. The swingingtables at the atrium. The chairs at round tables outside thebroody reading room. Or blue chairs at the atrium. When andwhere?u. Long: March 26th, not sure where yet. Will advertise later andhope SGA can amplify it. Did this for the student center. Narrowdown in a showroom. Have student’s input and get feedback.v. Danial: A neuroscience major, have a steering community whohelp curriculum and put input. Bridge between faculty andstudents. Therefore, very possible. Feedback is that homewoodis missing out on a standing desk, which is at the medicalcampus. Can get inspiration from the Armstrong Medicalbuilding. Natural light, interior decoration. Individual standingdesk, different from high chairs. Good edition.w. Long: From the chat, don’t know about whiteboard spray.Tower power strips were created by make-do. Being proposed tochange and on the right track to invest in getting tables withpower. Hopkins Bloomberg didn’t have enough plugs. Want tostart off with lots of plugs to be open.x. Amy Xu: Why is Gilman open for longer than other studyspaces?y. Long: Need to ask for facilities not entirely up to the library.Spaces that are staffed by people vs. spaces that aren’t staffed bypeople. Cost for staffed spaces. Campus management ofbuildings. Similar question for Gilman classrooms: cleaning, setup for next day’s classes. Trying to not encourage unhealthyhabits, but they do it during finals.z. Arihant: Internet in D level?aa. Long: Will be wifi everywhere.bb. Arihant: Library is mostly for people who like to doindividual learning. Brody, social learning. Power outlets,internet, people being loud. Soundproof walls, so that peoplehave the incentive to go there to work.cc. Long: On some walls, they’re going to install elements that willhelp absorb sound. Architects look at this as a library and theywanted to meet all the needs. Eisenhower and Brody.Eisenhower is meant to be the more quiet part of the library.Thank you for your questions and let me know if there are anyquestionsdd. Nasreen: Thank you and we’re excited to hear from you.

  1. Amendment and Approval of the Agenda (1 min)

a. Motion to start the meeting and approve the agenda.

  1. Public Input (3 min)
  2. Reports (5 min)

a. Cabinet Reports (4 min)i. Stone: Thanks for making the meeting. Student Bodyemail was delayed again. According to advisors with thenew presidential administration, we are tight and need tobe careful of wording. Email will be given this week.Update student body and highlight senators.ii. Amy: met with Charles. commencement team looking forsix juniors to help volunteer for commencement day.iii. Brandon: Finish budgeting and get them out. Entirebudget from the Hopkins group got deleted, able to fixthat. Waiting on a couple of clubs to inform on anythingoutstanding. Any questions about a specific club, reachout to him and will update.iv. Jessica: As Amy mentioned, looking for six volunteers inthe junior class. Long standing tradition for 100 days untilcommencement ceremony. If interested. Not staying until8-11 is fine. Celebration for seniors. There will be food,drink, giveaways. Send her a message on the side, email,or teams. Continue to get emails through Jessica to bemindful of what’s being sent to the student body andadministration.

b. Advisor Report (2 min)

  1. Non-Legislative Business (15 min)

b. Valentines Day Tabling & Speed Dating Event Discussion- Chair TimHuang

i. Promo 1 & 2ii. https://www.canva.com/design/DAGeoLrTy_A/kxaGWQ6rPUEnCQ9ETWoYpg/edit?utm_content=DAGeoLrTy_A&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebuttoniii. Tim: Please register for the valentine's day table. Go get flowersfrom nearby and get reimbursement from SGA. A group met onSunday to talk about (Amy, Stone, Daar, Amy, Jason). Twovideos created. Promote the event through these videos. Secondone will go before valentines day. First one will get uploaded onvalentines day. Hope people like the videos and come to theevent. If there are any questions asked in chat.iv. Yashas suggested giving people time so that they can watch it ontheir own.v. Tim: Need people to set up.vi. Nasreen: Structure of the speed-dating event.vii. Tim: Regarding that, there will be a form. People will go andmake people write their names to not cause confusion. Will befilled out at the end so that people can have anonymity and itwill be secure. Match between forms → We will send them anemail with contact information. We’ll find a better method.“What if you forgot who you wanted to talk to” Then youprobably don’t want to keep talking to them. Fun where peoplecan talk. Pronouns and friends/smth else. We might get animbalance, but we might not be able to control it.viii. Nasreen: Any feedback/concern? Make sure to promote.ix. Jaden: Are people going to write the names first, then checkmark at the end?x. Tim: Yes. We felt like it would be nice to have smth physical.Write your actual name, but not anything elsexi. Jaden: Maybe create two check boxes, one for dating and onefor friend?xii. Tim: We decided to connect it as “contact” as they can decidefor themselves. We’ll figure out the cards part. Timing: 10rounds, we don’t know how many people will show up. If manypeople don’t come, we can give them longer time to talk.xiii. Kevin: Was wondering if it was your intention to keep theregistered attendee list public. As of now, in the Hopkins groupyou can see the names of people who registered.xiv. Tim: Not the intention, and will hope to fix it quickly.xv. Buse: How are you going to give the questions to them?xvi. Tim: Each pair will have a sheet, printed out for them to see. Doquestions by tiers to prompt them to do stuff.xvii. Nas: Side note, valentines will get attendance incentive and forthe junior commencement.

  1. First Reading
  2. Second Reading

d. Club Columbia Funding Bill- Senator Cynthia Sanchez Hidalgoi. Cynthia: Was gonna ask finance committee because wewant to learn how much money they will be landed.ii. Benjamin: Reached out to them, their budget was deletedbc of the glitch. Asked them to send the excel sheet andput them in Hopkins Groups.iii. Cynthia: We can wait until next week to vote. They willhave enough time as the event is at the end of thesemester.iv. Ryan: Why not event grant? It would be fasterv. Cynthia: We’re having the Latino caucus cosponsor.vi. Tabled

e. ABSA Funding Bill- President Nasreen Naqvii. Tabledii. Nas: Has this been talked in finance? Would it be an eventgrant? Or passing?

f. South Asian Mela Funding Bill- Vice President SrigouriOrugantyi. MELA, event with a bunch of south asian clubs. She’sworking on a South Asian Studies minor with other SGArepresentatives. Will participate here for tabling.ii. Passed.

  1. Prospective Legislation & Announcements (5 min)
  2. Adjournment (Estimated 9:00 PM)

Time-length and adjournment estimates are provided for the benefit ofguests at Senate meetings. However, SGA meetings are always slated toextend until 9:00 PM and SGA members are expected to remain in theSenate chamber until official adjournment by motion, whether before orafter the adjournment estimate.