St. Thomas’ Undergraduate Student Government met on Sept. 22 to discuss sustainability on and off campus, financial plans and swore in newly elected members.
New members sworn in
President Angelica Franaschouk swore in the newly elected members.
Ryan Eatchel: Legislative Affairs Senator. Sammy Lamichhane: First-Year Class President. Dare Akinmusire: Commuter Senator. Alexis Buresh and Henry Pike: First-Year Class Senators. Rachel Obeakemhe: Residential Senator Second-Year. Maggie Bau: Second-Year Class Senator. Aiden Staloch: Senior Class Senator. Caroline Richtman: Transfer Senator. Sarah Wlazlo: Neighborhood Senator Mac-Grove. Megan Holland: Sustainability Committee Chair
Guest speaker: Rachel Schauer
Program Manager at the Office of Sustainability Initiatives Rachel Schauer discussed the five initiatives the university has for the upcoming year and how they can partner with USG.
General campus sustainability projects around food waste, encouraging sustainable transportation, energy use and reduction, and water conservation are the five initiatives Schauer explained.
“All of those sustainability initiatives that are written into our goals are things that our students will be working on and then myself as well working with departments on how they can best implement those into their programs,” Schauer said.
Franaschouk asked how USG can assist the Office of Sustainability Initiatives in ensuring their success.
Schauer suggested students in clubs, organizations and departments reach out with ways they want help to become more sustainable.
“If you’re looking to do a zero waste event, if you’re looking to have someone help with waste sorting, if you’re looking to have someone come and speak about energy reduction, we can really help with that,” Schauer said.
Franaschouk asked if there were any ways to focus on working with the city of St. Paul to help promote sustainability locally.
“The Sustainable Communities Partnership does more of our external partnerships, partnering with the city and nonprofits,” Schauer said.
The Sustainable Communities Partnership is run by the Director Maria Dahmus They work with off campus students and the St. Paul community to promote sustainable living.
“We do organics recycling here on campus, but we also have students who live off campus who have the opportunity to do organics recycling out of their homes, through the city,” Schauer said.
Financial updates
Jarrett Helmer, vice president of financial aid in USG, discussed new financial plans regarding tabling conferences and competition expenses.
Greater MN / Out of State Senator, Kylie Watts expressed concern over how this will affect the clubs that go to conferences and competitions.
“If we approve it, you don’t receive your funding until after you’ve gone and after you’ve given me the receipts, so they receive funding after the fact anyway,” Helmer said. ”It would just be like pushing the timeline that they might receive funding out by a few months.”
USG passed the motion to table conference or competition funding until the end of the first semester.
Sydney LaBelle can be reached at Labe7208@stthomas.edu