Senate Meeting Minutes :: 9.27.18 :: Week 2
Minutes of the SCU Student Senate Meeting September 27, 2018
Members Present:
Senate Chair Alex Perlman
Pro-Tempore Mary Balestreri
Parliamentarian Ricky Matthews
First Year Senators:
Sophomore Senators:
Kyle Andrews
Sahil Sagar
Ciara Moezidis
Nicholas Niehaus
Robbie Nunes
Junior Senators:
Avery James
Vidya Pingali
Mika Philip
David Warne
Senior Senators:
Eoin Lyons
Luke Martin-Resnick
Rachel Wiggins
Kayla Williams
At-Large Senators:
Stephen Fraser
Rory Pannkuk
Eduardo Ruano
Sophia Smith
Alejandro Sugerr
Members Absent:
Leif Allmeroth
Stephen Fraser
1. CALL TO ORDER
Senate Chair Alex Perlman called the September 27th, 2018 meeting of the Santa Clara
University Student Senate to order at 7:00 pm in the Benson Memorial Williman Room.
Senate Chair Alex Perlman asked Sophomore Senator Ciara Moezidis to recite the
invocation.
2. ROLL CALL
Pro-Tempore Mary Balestreri took roll at 7:01 pm.
3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Senate Chair Alex Perlman asked the Senate to consider the agenda for the current meeting.
He requested questions and comments related to the agenda. Hearing none, he asked for a
motion to approve the agenda. The agenda was approved by Senior Senator Eoin Lyons and
seconded by Sophomore Senator Robbie Nunes .
4. APPROVAL OF THE PREVIOUS MINUTES
Senate Chair Alex Perlman asked the Senate to consider the previous meeting minutes and
requested questions and comments related to the minutes. Hearing none, he asked for a
motion to approve the minutes. The motion was made by At-Large Senator Rory Pannkuk and
seconded by Sophomore Senator Kyle Andrews .
5. SPECIAL ORDER OF BUSINESS
Guest Speaker: Professor Sean O’Keefe
Senate Chair Alex Perlman invited Professor Sean O’Keefe to give a presentation on effective
business communication. His presentation is succinctly summarized below:
● Strict difference between academic writing versus business writing.
● Effective business communication consists of:
○ Knowing your audience
○ Information that is easy to digest
○ Identified main points
○ Do not bury the lead
○ Concise and cogent
○ Use short paragraphs
○ Use headers, bolded words, and bullet points
● Email isn’t the medium to make a request, use an email to set up a meeting to make a
request
● Have small talk and build genuine relationships with the person you are engaging with.
Add the human element.
Senate Chair Alex Perlman thanked Professor O’Keefe for his presentation and asked if there
were any questions for him, hearing none, he excused professor O’Keefe.
New RSO Presentations
Senate Chair Alex Perlman invited representatives from Santa Clara Investment Banking Club
(SCIBC) to present their RSO to the Senate. Their presentation is succinctly summarized below:
● Goal: Increase Santa Clara University’s presence in investment banking and build a
structured path to introduce students to investment banking.
● Helps students to get prestigious jobs and strengthen alumni basis
● The club with be structured as a course on investment banking
○ Samuel Lee (finance professor) is the advisor
○ 35 interested students
○ Executive team: Co-Presidents, Recruiting Officer, Treasurer, and Operations
Officer.
○ Expenses: Food, Gifts, and Cases
Senate Chair Alex Perlman thanked the representatives for their presentation and asked if
there were any questions for them.
Sophomore Senator Kyle Andrews: The club name is very similar to SCU Investment Club,
would you be willing to change your name to make a distinction?
Riley: The industry is called “Investment Banking,” so it makes sense to include that in the
name.
Sophomore Senator Sahil Sagar : What experiences do you have that qualify you to teach these
courses?
Philip: We have both had internships within the industry with companies like Bank of America
and Citibank.
Senior Senator Kayla Williams : Why is it that the executive team is the only body that votes?
Philp: Anyone can come to a course, we won’t have a membership log. The officers are the key
members.
Hearing no more questions, Senate Chair Alex Perlman thanked the representatives for their
time and excused them.
Senate Chair Alex Perlman invited representatives from VRoncos to present their RSO to the
Senate. Their presentation is succinctly summarized below:
● Goal: to teach students about virtual, augmented, and mixed realities, and to present
the information in a way that is understandable to people without previous knowledge
of the subject.
● Make use of the school’s VR lab.
○ Have 30 students interested, all of which are enrolled in VR classes
○ Want to recruit more students
Senate Chair Alex Perlman thanked the representatives for their presentation and asked if
there were any questions for them.
At-Large Senator Rory Pannkuk: This club seems very niche. How many members do you
anticipate having?
Dani: we have been focusing on people enrolled in VR classes, but we haven’t had recruitment
among university students. With our recruitment, we have 30+ people interested.
At-Large Senator Alejandro Sugerr : Are there any clubs on campus with similar ambitions?
Dani: We are both lab assistants and the VR lab, and there isn’t another club on campus with
similar intents.
Junior Senator Vidya Pingali : Will you only be using what is supplied in the VR lab, or will you
need to buy devices?
Dani: We will use what is supplied by the lab, but we are planning on having speakers which
we will have in other buildings throughout the school.
Junior Senator Mika Philip : What type of events do you have in mind?
Dani: Teaching events which will acquaint students with the devices and the industry.
Hearing no more questions, Senate Chair Alex Perlman thanked the representatives for their
time and excused them.
Senate Chair Alex Perlman invited representatives from SCU Investing to present their RSO
to the Senate. Their presentation is succinctly summarized below:
● Goal: Serve as a platform to teach students how to make their savings productive.
● Send out weekly informational emails
● Executive board: President, Vice President, Communications Director, Treasurer
Senate Chair Alex Perlman thanked the representatives for their presentation and asked if
there were any questions for them.
Junior Senator David Warne : Are you open to a name change?
Answer: Yes we are open to it.
At-Large Senator Sophia Smith: Is this a platform for people who are passionate about the
topic, or will it be used as a resource?
Answer: Not many people know a lot about investing. We are open to all people. I come into
this position with a background in studying the industry.
At-Large Senator Alejandro Sugerr : Will people be asking you for advice?
Answer: I want meetings to be more of a discussion; I will not take payments for services.
Hearing no more questions, Senate Chair Alex Perlman thanked the representatives for their
time and excused them.
Senate Chair Alex Perlman invited representatives from Agents Of Change to present their
RSO to the Senate. Their presentation is succinctly summarized below:
● Diversify community efforts through committees that have high impact and turning those
efforts into projects that members are passionate about.
● 5 Committees: Mental Health, Stem Advocates, Economic Opportunities, Fighting
Discrimination, Environment, and Health.
● Offers mentorship to high school students in pursuit of service.
Senate Chair Alex Perlman thanked the representative for his presentation and asked if there
were any questions for him.
Senior Senator Eoin Lyons: How is your organization different from pre-existing organizations
such as SCCAP and the service fraternity?
Charlie: SCCAP does hands-on service whereas Agents of Change is an educational role,
inspiring the minds of others.
At-Large Senator Sophia Smith: Can you speak to the mental health aspect of this
organization?
Charlie: The Peer Health Educators are more specific to the SCU community whereas Agents of
Change serves to help local issues and the surrounding the community.
Sophomore Senator Ciara Moezidis: Can you provide a better differentiation between Agents
of Change and SCCAP?
Charlie: SCCAP is centered around SCU students. Agents of Change is a leadership opportunity
for SCU students to provide mentorship for high school students.
At-Large Senator Stephen Fraser : Is there a vision for SCU students?
Charlie: There are 5 different committees, and within those committees, SCU students will
mentor High School Students on topics that they are passionate about.
At-Large Senator Sophia Smith: Are there specific schools in which you will be working with?
Charlie: Yes.
Hearing no more questions, Senate Chair Alex Perlman thanked the representative for his
time and excused him.
6. OLD BUSINESS
Junior Senator Shivani Gohil Revote
Before the revote, Senate Chair Alex Perlman the bylaws that will be enforced during this
procedure and will soon be enacted for future use. The bylaws used are listed below:
● Only questions pertaining to the candidate's role in ASG or leadership positions will be
allowed.
● Questions cannot be about personal matters or political views
● All questions are subject to be considered qualified by either Senate Chair ALex
Perlman or Parliamentarian Ricky Matthews.
● Candidate approval requires a supermajority
After carefully reviewing the bylaws, Senate Chair Alex Perlman invited the candidate for
Junior Senator Shivani Gohil before the Senate and asked if there were any questions for her.
Senior Senator Kayla Williams: What projects do you have planned for this year?
Shivani Gohil: The Campus Climate Survey has pointed out that many students of minority
groups do not feel safe on campus. I would like to work with faculty groups to bridge the gap
between the MCC and what teachers have been experiencing in their classrooms. An
additional project is to incorporate the MCC into more on-campus events such as sporting
events.
Junior Senator Vidya Pingali : What previous experiences do you have that prepare you for this
role?
Shivani Gohil: I worked at a startup over the summer. I am interested in leadership, specifically
for women and an emphasis on business ethics. I am an officer for the club Ethics of
Innovations and Technology. I am also the president and captain of the Policy, Speech, and
Debate team.
Hearing no more questions, Senate Chair Alex Perlman asked Shivani to step outside while
the Senate votes.
Senate Chair Alex Perlman asked if there were any questions pertaining to the voting
procedure.
Senior Senator Eoin Lyons: There needs to be a super majority for the vote to pass, correct?
Senate Chair Alex Perlman: Yes.
Hearing no more questions about the voting procedure, Senate Chair Alex Perlman invited
the senators to converse.
Junior Senator Mika Philip: Eduardo, can you speak to how Shivani helped your efforts for the
earthquake in Guatemala?
At-Large Senator Eduardo Ruano : Shivani responded to an Email about the Guatemala
earthquake efforts. She helped spread the word, and I am very grateful for her contribution.
At-Large Senator Stephen Fraser: I feel confident in her past experiences as the leader of the
Policy Speech and Debate team. Additionally, I think her personal connections to the survey
results are valuable.
Junior Senator Vidya Pingali: When trying to get signatures, she was very friendly and social.
She asked sincere questions.
Sophomore Senator Ciara Moezidis : She has been driven to get the revote and approached it
from a different angle. The roles that she has taken on are a bit more recent, but they show a
lot about her character.
At-Large Senator Sophia Smith : Everything Shivani mention was relevant to issues at Santa
Clara, and, as the Senate, if we aren’t addressing those matters, then we aren't doing our job.
At-Large Senator Rory Pannkuk : I agree with Ciara’s point, as most people would just accept
defeat and move on. I would like to hear more about why people opposed the candidate.
Senate Chair Alex Perlman : Would anyone like to share their reasoning why they oppose the
candidate?
Sophomore Senator Ciara Moezidis : Are you referring to our feeling now or in the spring?
At-Large Senator Rory Pannkuk : Are people still apprehensive?
Sophomore Senator Ciara Moezidis: Before there was a focus on people's perceptions of her
and her reputation. Now it comes down to how she will approach the position, and how much
she will care.
Senate Chair Alex Perlman : are there any more comments pertaining to that point? Would
anyone like to add any other points?
At-Large Senator Sophia Smith : I don’t see how it could hurt to have her. She applied for this
position, which shows that she wants to be here and wants the position.
Junior Senator Mika Philip : We have a constituency that we need to represent and want them
to feel safe and respected. There is, however, a fair share of frustrations on the matter and they
should be taken seriously. We don’t want someone who will make empty promises and we
should be looking out for that.
Senior Senator Rachel Wiggins : Have you heard of anyone who wouldn’t want her?
Junior Senator Mika Philip: I don’t wish to disclose that information.
Junior Senator David Warne : Motion to end discussion
Senior Senator Kayla Williams seconded the motion.
Senate Chair Alex Perlman called for a motion to vote. The motion was approved by
Sophomore Senator Sahil Sagar and seconded by Senior Senator Kayla Williams.
Pro-Tempore Mary Balestreri took roll. The motion carried and the vote was approved.
Senate Chair Alex Perlman called candidate Shivani Gohil back into the room to be sworn in
by Judicial Pro-Tempore Maria Parker.
7. NEW BUSINESS
Presidential Search Committee Resolution
Senate Chair Alex Perlman called Senior Senator Rachel Wiggins and Sophomore Senator
Kyle Andrews to the front of the room to present their resolution to the Senate. Their
presentation is summarized succinctly below:
● The Presidential Search Committee should include the student body in their search
process.
● The Final Candidates should come before the student senate to present themselves and
be open to question.
● The students would like to weigh in on the choice of a new President.
Senate Chair Alex Perlman thanked the senators for their presentation and asked if there
were any questions or comments for them.
Sophomore Senator Sahil Sagar , Junior Senator David Warne , Vice President Jahwala Johns ,
Senior Senator Eoin Lyons , and President Sam Perez all offered revisions to the resolution.
Senior Senator Eoin Lyons : what are your vision for this resolution?
Sophomore Senator Kyle Andrews : During the final stages of the search, we hope to have the
presidential finalist come to a Senate meeting to present themselves and give the senators an
opportunity to ask them questions.
Senior Senator Rachel Wiggins : We would like for someone to come and talk with us.
Sophomore Senator Sahil Sagar : Will there be a student on the search committee?
Senate Chair Alex Perlman: Sam is working on that. This resolution is specifically to have a
candidate come and talk to the Senate.
At-Large Senator Rory Pannkuk : How will the committee pick the candidates?
President Sam Perez : They have been sending out emails. The most recent one contains a
survey for feedback purposes. With that, they will devise a list of people to interview. From
there they will confer with the Faculty Senate and hopefully some students to narrow down
candidates.
8. EXECUTIVE UPDATES
Kylie for Public Relations
● PR is here to help market student events. We are currently working on updating the
ASG website with new member profiles. Additionally, we are developing a virtual “be
heard desk” along with a promotional video to go with it.
Asa Sweetser for Community Development
● We had a successful Walkabout and visited about 180 homes around campus. The
Franklin street festival is this upcoming weekend. There will be an ASG table at the
event so neighbors can talk to school representatives and ask questions about the
upcoming school year. We are working on bringing voter registration booths and
absentee ballot drop boxes to campus.
Ben Rhodes for Finance
● We have updated our office hours.
Maria Parker for Judicial
● Senate confirmation Bylaws have been rewritten. We are in the process of hiring the
First-year Associate Justice.
Vice President Jahwala Johns :
● A google doc will be sent out soon regarding the ASG retreat. The UPC application is
live. We will be reviewing Policy 311 and dining service planning committee. First-Year
informational sessions are being held this week.
President Sam Perez:
● Talked with the secretary of the Presidential search committee. They seemed receptive
to the idea of bringing a range of students to aid in the search process. The Executive
summary of the Campus Climate Survey has been released recently, please read the
summary. Lastly, I have a meeting coming up with Elsa Chen, Denis Jacobs, and Jeanne
Rosenberger.
9. COMMITTEE UPDATES
Kayla Williams for COMM :
● The meeting with athletics went well. At-Large Senator Alejandro Sugerr is working on
an initiative to have international students become paid, tutors. There is an inclusive
student council meeting happening next week.
Eoin Lyons for CUIC :
● Campus Climate Survey Results will be presented on 10/3. We have almost solidified
the red cup pickup schedule. We are also working on the Diversity Forum and
Broncoposi.
Rachel Wiggins for FOC :
● Matt Cameron gave us a tour of new Benson as well as a lunch meeting with Jeanne
Rosenberger. Amazon Lockers have been introduced to campus as well as new gym
facilities.
David Warne for SAC :
● The committee chairs had lunch with Jeanne Rosenberger. If you have any projects that
you would like to work on, meet with her. We have new RSO presentations next week
along with 3 +1,000s.
10. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Senate Chair Alex Perlman :
● There will be no speakers next week due to the amount of new RSO presentations.
● Top University personnel would like to speak to the Senate this year.
● Fr. Engh would like to speak during week 10.
● Fr. Engh is holding a leadership reception next week.
9. ADJOURNMENT
Senate Chair Alex Perlman asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Adjournment was
approved by Senior Senator Kayla Williams and seconded by Sophomore Senator Kyle
Andrews . Senate Chair Alex Perlman called the September 27th, 2018 meeting of the Santa
Clara University Senate to a close at 8:43 PM.
10. ROLL CALL
Pro-Tempore Mary Balestreri took roll at 8:43 PM.