Ember Duke | layout editor

At their meeting Wednesday night, The Student Government Association swore in a new lot of senators and discussed some proposals from the committee.
New senators include:

Christian Witterman, freshman, entrepreneurship and finance double major.

Mason Cianflone, freshman, pharmacy student.

Alyssa Benko, freshman, health sciences pre-med.

Nick Miller, freshman, international security studies and corporate communications double major.

Nick Genco, a second year, business management major planning to go to law school at Duquesne.

All were voted in without opposition.

During the open forum at the end of the meeting a motion was passed to start an Ad Hoc transportation committee. The decision responded to a discussion of public transit and parking pass pricing.

The reason Duquesne doesn’t have free public transit is because students don’t pay a transportation fee, said Adam Wasilko, faculty advisor to SGA.
 

The committee had mixed feelings. Some felt students wouldn’t want to pay a fee if they do not regularly use public transit, while others felt the discounted PRT fare offered now is not enough to offset costs.

Some members called for student surveying to gauge interest.

Newly sworn senator Nick Miller made a motion to lead the committee after he introduced the discussion in the first place.

“Why is it that it is so expensive to have a parking pass here and we also don’t have free transportation,” Miller said. “It should be either, we get free transportation, and maybe parking passes are just really expensive, but it shouldn’t be both.”
 

The Diversity, Inclusion and Identity committee also proposed to host an event where minority groups on campus can voice political and election-related concerns. They intend to run this event in collaboration with the Solidarity Team, a group where all the presidents of minority clubs meet to discuss their on-campus events.
 

“So just give us some feedback. If this is something you’re interested in, whether that means you will be there yourself, or you are just speaking on behalf of maybe the organization that you might represent,” said Samiya Henry, DII committee chair.
 

SGA announced they will be funding a $2,000 scholarship for one student, with funds likely being dispersed in the spring semester. Essay applications should be about an initiative the student thinks will benefit the campus community.
 

Applications will open soon and the winner will be anonymously chose by the committee.
 

The committee also approved four student organization proposals including the Coalition for Quality Queer Care, Public Relations Student Society of America, Graduate Student Organization of Biological Sciences and The Ultimate Frisbee Club. They also approved a club name change for the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos, Hispanics and Native Americans in STEM to officially include STEM in the title.
 

The next SGA meeting will be Oct. 9.