On Wednesday, Mar. 5, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in the Cape Cod Lounge of the Student Union, the Student Government Association (SGA) of the University of Massachusetts Amherst held its 1932nd Regular Meeting.

The meeting began with an announcement from Senator Morgan Kim, asking fellow Senate members to hand out flyers about the SGA election. Many other Senators discussed the importance of encouraging UMass students to vote.

“As elected reps it’s really important that we make sure that everyone is updated, informed and engaged in the election,” Kim said.

The Chair of Social Justice & Empowerment Committee, Esther Onyeka announced that the Black Student Union (BSU) will be hosting a “Chat and Chew” next Wednesday. She urged the Senate to attend help answer questions the BSU had about SGA operations.

Next, Vice Chair on the Undergraduate Services Committee, Jacob Nevins reported his meeting with the director of Waste Management, where they discussed trash and recycling at UMass. The director said the university is at the top of the region, with a 55 % average recycling rate. Additionally, SGA members were invited to take a tour of the facility.

Senator Darren Truong asked the Senate’s help on planned tasks, including a structuring report, expanding access to menstrual products on campus, and Registered Student Organization (RSO)  event booking reforms.

During the Committee of the Whole, Senator Kim led a senate bingo bonding activity. Vice President Dale Leone won a gift card to Ten One Tea House in Amherst.

After the game, S.87 was passed, reappointing Fernanda Arreola from the Committee on Academic Oversight to the Committee on Administrative Affairs.

During Officer Reports, President Colin Humphries reported that club sports will transition from RSOs, currently overseen by the SGA, to Recreation and Wellbeing (RecWell) oversight, a change nine years in the making.

He said SGA would still pay $400,000, but it would alleviate stress on the emergency fund and the Student Organization Resource Center (SORC).

Club sports will still have SGA advisors in addition to new RecWell advisors but will no longer be considered RSOs.

“This is the time of the year where the things we’ve been working on all year are really starting to come to fruition. I’m really hoping for a very productive last couple of months,” Humphries said.

Leone emphasized the significance of the club sports transition. He said administration and RecWell now have the support to handle the transition and provide club sports with adequate resources.

Chair of the Ways and Means Committee Maia Shteyman and Secretary of Finance Dylan Bellerive emphasized the significance of the club sports transition.

“This is a huge deal and it will free up resources, not only for club sports, but all other RSOs … not just financial resources … advisors, things like that … this is gigantic,” Bellerive said.

Shteyman is hoping the deal will be finalized by the end of this school year.

The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:51 p.m.

Juliana Pinelli can be reached at [email protected]