At the University of Massachusetts Student Government Association meeting Wednesday, senators started a mentorship program and voted to appoint two students to the administrative affairs committee.
Associate Speaker Julia Curto also introduced a new mentoring program for the SGA. “It’s a way for freshmen and sophomores, new senators, to get to know the SGA,” Curto said. She explained that she had based the program on UMass Women in Business, where they were matched with a mentor to help them learn the process.
“When I started in SGA, I didn’t really know what was going on,” Curto added. Senators were matched based on major, with the hope that underclassmen could have advice on upcoming course registration.
The first official event of this program will focus on “getting to know SGA.” The date and time is yet to be determined. The senate recessed for mentors and mentees to connect.
Afra Rindani, a sophomore studying political science, and Zachary Bhattacharjee, a sophomore studying political science and the chair of the undergraduate registry oversight committee, were voted in to fill vacancies in administrative affairs.
“Quorum has been an issue in AA, but also a matter of experience from returning SGA members,” Speaker Patrick Collins said. Both Rindani and Bhattacharjee are members of other committees, but Collins explained that if there is committee conflict, then the senators would abstain.
The administrative affairs committee, currently chaired by former SGA Attorney General Hayden Latimer-Ireland, “serves as sort of the rules committee for the SGA,” Latimer-Ireland said. Its main purpose is to “review and update our bylaws. So we’re constantly hearing potential changes,” she added.
The SGA also discussed their upcoming town hall, the second of the semester. Curto noted that there have been issues with accessibility around the SGA and that they hoped this event would change that.
Curto added that at the previous town hall meeting, “only eight people came, most of which were SGA members.”
“This town hall is going to be very different,” Curto said. The town hall will occur next Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 5:00 p.m in the Black Box Theatre in the Student Union.
Alex Genovese can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @alex_genovese1. Grace Lee can be reached at [email protected].
