Representatives from Four Front, Graduate Professional Council, Interfraternity Council, Legion of Black Collegians, Missouri Students Association, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Panhellenic Association and Residence Hall Association gathered for the Spring 2014 Joint Session at 5 p.m. on Wednesday in Parker Auditorium.
RHA hosted the session this semester, and was chaired by Chief Justice Lane Adams.
Following approval of the agenda, the current presidents of each student government gave an update on the organization’s current projects this semester and for next semester.
LBC President LeChae Mottley said, in addition to electing a new executive cabinet, LBC recently held their annual Black Love Week events.
MSA has been working on compiling a spreadsheet of places on and off campus that students can study at in peace while Ellis Library is being prepared to hold office space when Jesse Hall begins renovations in May, MSA President Mason Schara said.
RHA President Steven Chaffin said he and his new executive board have started working on making internal changes within their organization. In addition to this, they have also been sponsoring a multitude of campus events, such as the Vagina Monologues and Dance Marathon.
GPC recently elected a new president, Hallie Thompson, the student government’s current treasurer, current GPC President Jake Wright said. He added that GPC is also advocating for graduate and professional students on a national level about student loans and debt.
PHA Vice President of Risk Management Julia Schroer said PHA has been preparing to send their Circle of Sisterhood participants to Nicaragua this summer and 2014 fall recruitment.
IFC recently scrapped their entire constitution and rewrote it, IFC President Alex Dyer said. IFC is also working with the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Center to create a task force in response to the numerous clery releases this semester.
NPHC President Vernon Driskell said they have been working on updating their constitution and announced they will be hosting a Homecoming Step Show in Missouri Theatre on Oct. 24.
Four Front President Young Kwon said the student government is focusing on working with other organizations on campus.
Four resolutions were presented during Joint Session.
Chaffin spoke on behalf of Resolution II, which encouraged further enforcement by the university on the campus-wide smoking ban, Smoke Free Mizzou.
“I see students, faculty, staff, professors always smoking on a campus, and it’s a huge issue,” Chaffin said. “I think that through this bill, there are a lot of things that we can do (to enforce this policy).”
The resolution passed unanimously with eight votes, one for each organization and an amendment to encourage the university to look into investing in informational materials to be sent to expected visitors and other groups who routinely visit the university.
Resolution III was proposed by Legislative Coordinator Camille Hosman and former Associated Students of the University of Missouri President Ben Levin, and would express support on behalf of the student body for Governor Jay Nixon, who plans to veto Senate Bill 509.
“We want to support this veto … because as it takes away tax revenue from the state of Missouri, that pie that is our general revenue will decrease,” Hosman said.
Levin said the tax cut would potentially make tuition for public universities increase in the state of Missouri.
Resolution III passed with six votes for and two votes against.
Resolution IV was presented by MSA Campus and Community Relations Committee chair Chad Phillips.
The resolution was to express MU’s support of the Columbia City Council’s decision to allow licensed food trucks on campus streets.
“MSA reacted quickly, we got every student opinion we could. That same night, we voiced the student opinion on mobile food trucks,” Phillips said. “This (resolution) is something we want to take to city council to make sure the student voice is heard.”
Resolution IV passed with seven votes for and one vote against.
The final resolution presented, Resolution I, was in support of the Rollins Dining Hall Green Roof additions.
MU Environmental Science Club President Ben Kreitner, who last year [received a $27,000 grant for the first sector of the roof](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2013/4/5/27000-grant-spurs-green-roof-project-rollins-dinin/), was present at Joint Session to explain his project in hopes that it would boost its support.
“This is hopefully a start up of a much larger project to expand to other dining halls and hopefully residence halls as well,” Kreitner said.
He said he chose Rollins as his first location for the project because it was close to the Bond Life Science building and the Agriculture Science building.
Resolution I was passed unanimously.
The 2014 Spring Joint Session was adjourned with Adams passing the gavel to Wright on behalf of Thompson, who will lead the next session.