Duke Student Government met Wednesday for its second senate meeting of the school year, where senators heard student concerns about recent changes to Student Organization Finance Committee guidelines, shared committee goals and submitted nominations for presidential committees.
SOFC concerns
During the session, multiple members of Duke Mock Trial challenged recent changes to SOFC funding allocations. According to a member of the team, SOFC guidelines were recently updated to allow funding for only one annual trip per club for up to 12 members.
They added that Mock Trial was notified of this change Aug. 19, preventing the club of approximately 30 students from seeking adequate funding for their usual three tournaments per semester for all members.
The team was “taken aback” by the “drastic cut” to funding, which they worry may hurt the team competitively and increase the financial burden on its members.
“Tumultuous funding practices can really hurt competitive groups, and thus University-standing in these circuits where we compete,” said one member of Duke Mock Trial.
After a brief Q&A session, senators voted to end the open forum period, tabling the conversation for discussion at a later time.
Committee updates
Junior Tara Singh, who was confirmed as the new vice president of campus life at last week’s meeting, announced DSG’s continued partnership with Duke Community Affairs for Democracy Day, which will take place Nov. 1.
Singh mentioned the campus life committee’s involvement in other projects, including improving game day parking and commuter parking, adding health care vending machines on East Campus, installing “water provisions” in Kilgo and Few quads and allowing the use of food points in Cameron Indoor Stadium and Wallace Wade Stadium. She also introduced the airport transportation project, which would create a shuttle bus service between Duke and the Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Junior Mariam Gulamhusein, vice president of services and sustainability, gave an update about FROSH101 — the committee’s house course — which is dedicated to giving first-years an extensive guide to life on campus through guest speakers, field trips and upperclassmen mentorship. She added that projects related to campus library hours while Lilly Library undergoes renovations are underway.
Senior Alessandro Dal Bon, vice president of the academic affairs committee, discussed the committee’s continued work on the GRUNCH program.
The meeting also saw the start of elections for DSG’s presidential committees. Each candidate gave a one-minute speech to convince the senate to vote in their favor.
President Heather Raslan, a senior, automatically receives a spot on the President’s Council on Black Affairs. The council’s remaining two positions went to DSG Chief Financial Officer Ayanna Chatman, a senior, and BSA President Joe Asamoah-Boadu Jr., a junior — the only two students nominated for the seats.
In other business
DSG senators voted to approve funding for the Black Student Alliance’s FDOC event on Sept. 14, granting them $2,079 for food and event supplies purposes out of the requested $5,006.
The senate also allocated $2,400 out of a requested $2,700 to the Duke Chinese Student Association to cover catering costs for its Sept. 17 mid-autumn festival celebration.
In addition, DSG senators approved $324.50 for the equity and outreach committee’s Sept. 8 outreach event at Marketplace to cover the cost of LocoPops.
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Jeremiah Fang is a Trinity junior and a staff reporter for the news department.