The Grand Valley State University Student Senate held its first general assembly meeting of the new semester last week, talking President’s Ball logistics, encouraging student participation in observing Martin Luther King Jr. Day events and playing host to two guest speakers.

This semester, the Senate will work on transitioning the university’s current student organization networking site, Stuey, with a simpler, user-friendlier interface called OrgSync.

Moving forward, senators will begin planning the upcoming Feb. 1 President’s Ball, this year building on a retro 50s theme called “Let the good times roll.”

The Student Senate encouraged fellow senators and all GVSU students to attend today’s scheduled events to honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Senators passed a resolution last year advocating the cancellation of class. GVSU Provost Gayle Davis gave final approval of the motion this past June, following not only support from the Senate, but also recommendations by University Academic Senate, the Academic Policy and Standards Committee and the Senior Management Team.

The decision to cancel classes on the holiday, according to GVSU’s website, will be revisited in a few years to determine whether the changes “prove to be compatible with the best interest of our students’ academic success.”

“We’ve been working for years to get this day off of classes, but we don’t want it to be just a day off, but a day-on of service,” said Rickey Benevidez, vice president of the Diversity Affairs Committee.

Also at the Jan. 17 meeting, Sharalle Arnold, director of the Children’s Enrichment Center at GVSU, spoke to senators about the 1,300 students that identify as pregnant or parenting students – 900 of these students are working on their undergraduate degree – and several of which accompanied Sharalle to the general assembly meeting for personal testimony.

“I ask that you all consider supporting the Student Parent Success Initiative,” she said. “There are a lot of opportunities for collaboration.”

Arnold suggested that Student Senate consider using the money fund raised from the annual Battle of the Valleys competition to support the CEC. This year, GVSU raised $1,100 for the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan during the competition through fundraising events on campus that range from 5K’s to Pie a Senator.

“We are helping two generations receive education,” Arnold said.

For more information and updates on Student Senate sponsored resolutions and events, visit gvsu.edu/studentsenate.

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lanthorn.com