The University of Michigan Central Student Government met Tuesday night to discuss leadership goals for the semester, the upcoming CSG Wellness Day, and updates on recent resolutions.
CSG President Noah Zimmerman began by presenting a State of students report, which included an overview of actual goals for the semester, team initiatives, and new positions.
“We will highlight and advocate for student organizations,” Zimmerman said. “Helping everyone here, as well as the student body, learn who our administrators are … that way, it breaks down the barrier (between administration and) students.”
CSG Vice President Jacqueline Hillman then discussed the assembly’s plans to make a $20,000 donation to CSG Welfare Day March 25.
“(Wellness Day) includes working with the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and getting some athletes to come and showcase mental health, including their “Bag of Stigma” company,” Hillman said. “The main part of the event is to set up tables and distribute resources from various entities on campus, as we have done in the past the falland student organizations involved in mental health.”
CSG also plans to host arcade games, performances by local bands, a bouncy house, a petting zoo, free food trucks and other amenities at Diag during the event.
The Assembly also introduced Art The Law on Independent Electoral Officials, which aims to prevent election commission officials from favoring certain candidates or referendums in certain elections. The resolution would limit the right of election officials and judges to support, donate to, and act as promoters of the referendum.
Jarek Szmanski, Vice-Chairman of the Rules Committee, explained how the Rules Committee added a clause to the law that spells out penalties for any election officials or members of the RGS who violate it.
“Any official who violates this clause is subject to impeachment,” Shmansky said.
Then senior engineer Zainab Elkalaly raised a question Centralized Campus Room Reservation Actwhich advocates for a streamlined room reservation system on the UM Ann Arbor campus.
“Basically, we wanted to reiterate our desire to make rooms more affordable or to completely remove the room reservation fee, as this is a major obstacle for smaller or underfunded (student) organizations,” Elkali said.
The decision was adopted unanimously.
V. also spoke at the meeting Election turnout fund a resolution appropriating $10,000 to student organizations and chapter governments to publicize student elections. Schmansky objected to the motion, noting that if the club supported the candidate, the funding would create a conflict of interest.
“We would, in fact, take away the right of the student organization to support the candidate,” Shmansky said. “I think (that) money could be spent elsewhere.”
The following week, the resolution was returned to the committees for a second reading.
Public health junior Aarushi Ganguly presented Approval of the GEO negotiating platform resolution approving all aspects of the alumni organization a platform for negotiations.
The resolution will say that “CSG urges the administration to negotiate with GEO with seriousness and empathy to reach a final tentative agreement.”
The Assembly will continue to discuss this resolution at the next meeting.
The assembly then proceeded to discuss a series of future elections; LSA freshman Kenichi Lobbezu was nominated for Deputy Commissioner of Elections for Finance, LSA Freshman Joyce Jung was nominated for Deputy Commissioner of Elections for Events and Outreach, and Law student Erica Farmer was nominated for Judge of the Central Student Court to the government. All nominations were accepted unanimously.
Daily reporter Courtney Plaza can be reached at cbplaza@umich.edu.
Daily News staff member Ryan Kersten can be reached at ryankers@umich.edu.