Student Senate Meeting Minutes (1-21-25)

Student Senate Meeting Minutes

1/21/25

Joel Tranel called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.  

Members Present: Joel Tranel, Caden Boyer, Noah Lahner, Shania Vanlewin, Taryn Dornseif, Mario Rodriguez-Gomez, Scott Walker, Allison Ciero (Connor Buetin), Aidan Indahl (Matthew Limbaugh), Garrett Rotzien, Conner Perry, Joey Dunn, Jaedyn Fellenz (Lia Richgels), Javier Cifuentes, Priyanka Satish, Sidney Polzin, Diego Corvera (Isaac Nemeth), Zoe Fink (Anelise Maccoux), Amanda Siemienas, Simone Vega, Maggie Albers, Reese Heitzman, 

Members Absent: Maggie Newhouse, Alison French, Lizzie Pike, Jacob Fiala, Luke Pilot, Cythina Sele

Special Request from Dance Team:

• Performing at the Minnesota Timberwolves game on March 29th, requesting $2,640. Finance Committee Suggested $1,080.
• Twelve dancers will perform, and a choreographer from Just For Kicks will be hired for this performance and future ones.
• Will be staying for the whole game.
• Questions were asked about the trip details.
• Have you fundraised at all this year?
  • No, we have not yet.

Motion to fund at the suggested amount of $1,080 was made by: Joey Dunn

Seconded by: Simone Vega. 

For:15

Against: 0

Abstained: 0

Motion passes 

Resolution 002: Golf Simulator

• Capital Improvement 002 is a golf simulator that costs $10,000. 
  • We do not know the specific prices of the simulator, so we are suggesting allocating this amount of money to cover all our bases. 
  • Any money not used ends up back in our account so we shouldn’t lose anything should it cost less. 
• Will be placed in St. Joe’s Hall, open to all students as long as the building itself is open. 
• Will use a classroom for this space, looking into the best way to secure, monitor, and schedule usage of the simulator.
• Concerns brought up: Who would all use it, why being placed in St. Joe’s and not Toner, is it only appealing to those who already have, would there be any classes to teach students how to golf?
• Are there enough funds to approve this project/ where do these funds come from?
  • Yes, the Senate receives funds from the laundry fee that students pay every semester as we are the owners of the machines.

Motion to adopt Resolution 002 by: Joey Dunn

 Seconded by Matthew Limbaugh.

For: 13

Against: 1

Abstained: 1

Motion passed 

Executive Board Reports

Maggie Newhouse, President

• Another reminder to register for Day at the Capitol. Please look ahead in your calendars and let Maggie know if you know you have a conflict on that day. The registration deadline is March 11, 2025. 
• Again, please let us know if you have any other improvement projects or ideas for us. We want to know what you as the students want to see at our university. 
• If you ever have any questions about your role in the Senate or want to see the past minutes or the bylaws and constitution, you can access that at any time on our website. There is also a place to submit questions there as well. 

Joel Tranel, Vice President of Financial Affairs

• Club officers who would like to request a budget please send me an email.
• When budgets are finished, please email me and the Student Senate email!
• Budget Requests are due February 16th at midnight!

Mario Rodriguez-Gomez, Vice President of Campus Affairs

• I want to thank everyone for the communication and discussion in tonight’s meeting!

Noah Lahner, Vice President of Academic Affairs

• The curriculum committee meeting tomorrow (12/22) will discuss changes to Health Humanities major requirements, specifically changing elective requirements to be more streamlined. Mostly due to staffing changes.

Caden Boyer, Vice President of Public Affairs

• Nothing to report

Ali French, Vice President of Student Affairs

• M and W Basketball home at 5:30 and 7:30 Wednesday
• M Hockey at St. Johns at 7 pm Thursday
• M and W Track at 10 am Friday-Saturday at St. Olaf
• W Hockey Away at St. Ben’s at 7 pm on Saturday
• W Basketball at St. Ben’s at 1 pm Saturday 
• W and M Tennis home against Martin Luther at 1:30 pm Saturday 
• W Hockey away at 4 pm on Saturday 
• M Tennis home against Lawrence 6 pm Saturday
• M Hockey home 7 pm Saturday
• M Tennis home against Carlton at 4 pm Sunday

Taryn Dornseif, Vice President of Media and Communications

• The Instagram takeovers will be starting soon! A Google Form will be sent out to anyone interested in the Senate.

Lizzie Pike, Vice President of Administrative Affairs

• Junior class officers raised $29 from selling posters at the Men’s Hockey Senior Night on Friday!

Shania Vanlewin, Vice President of Multicultural Affairs

• Inclusion and Human Dignity Week – Call to Family, Community, and Participation
  • Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, Guest Speaker
    • Wednesday, Jan. 22 • 7 p.m.
    • Winona Campus, Aquinas Hall, Room 200
• Friday, Jan. 24 – Community Service Project
  • Winona – Catholic Worker Meal Prep
  • Noon/Common Hour
  • Catholic Worker House
• Green Bandana
  • 1/22, 11:30-1 pm: Wellness Wednesday! w/ fidgets, play-doh, and coloring pages!
  • 1/22, 7-8:30 pm: Meeting in AH300! We will be making dream board collages and having snacks!

Scott Walker, Advisor

• Great lively discussion tonight, so thank you.
• Deacon tomorrow should be a great conversation/talk!

Class Officer Reports

Freshman

• Nothing to report

Sophomore

• Capital improvement idea, add the RockBot in the RAC/ Workout area

Junior

• Raised $29 on Friday at the hockey game at our first fundraiser!
• Men’s Club hockey games will be streamed this weekend on Saturday, as it will be an away game.
• Who controls the music in the RAC and can we change that?
• Concerns about getting in the RAC, what can we do about that? Cardio equipment in the RAC doesn’t work, and some of the outlets and treadmills don’t work
• A scanner in Leo is only working on one side

Senior

• Nothing to report

Senator Concerns: 

• Simone: Skemp, putting up a poster about the reps living there
• Amanda: The door on the 1st floor of Skemp doesn’t work
  • A washer is broken in Skemp, first floor
• Joey: A new washer/dryer request in The NEW
• Priyanka: In Gilmore, another set of washer/dryers. They are not drying properly
• Conner: The closest dryer in The NEW is rattling
• Would it be possible to add another scanner at the LEO downstairs back door? 

Adjournment

Motion made to Adjourn- Sidney Polzin

Seconded – Joey Dunn

Adjourned at 7:43 p.m.