The Constituency Town Hall Amendment was passed at Monday night's meeting in a unanimous vote of 22 in favor, zero against and zero abstentions.
The passage of this bill means that the SGA will now hold two large town hall meetings per semester will all members present that will be open to all students, rather than each constituency group holding two meetings of their own each semester.
Senators believe this will be more convenient for both students and The Senate hopes that two larger meetings will bolster student attendance and active participation with the SGA, as town hall meetings of the past have had historically low attendance.
"The old system wasn't working, so why not try a new one?" Senator Melissa Boege said.
She said that after discussing it, "We seemed to come to the conclusion that this was a better way to meet with our constituencies."
The amendment goes into effect immediately and students can expect the first of these town hall meetings in the coming weeks. The dates for the meetings will be discussed and determined at next Monday's meeting.
Student Life Committee Chair Jon Chowansky updated the senate on a meeting he held with Gourmet Dining Services.
Students can expect upcoming changes in both the food and the meal plans, from new burgers in the cafeteria to a new meal plan designed with commuters in mind.
GDS is considering a build-your-own meal plan, in which students can select how many meals per week and dining dollars they want and pay accordingly.
Chowansky also explained his hopes to get the Cove open on weekends, preferably until 1 a.m. to host events and be generally available as a space for students to hang out.
"They are going to give me three events to see how successful it is," Chowansky said. Dates and events are to be determined soon.
Jacie Jones, the president of Village Liaisons, had news for the Senate about the Village Liaisons' first Merchant of the Month. Bonté was selected at the winner for February, and students can get a special discount there this month.
There will be a new selected merchant each month and "for the months to follow, we'll be voting on those," Jones said.
Jones also discussed the information session about the South Orange Tax Resolution, which will be held Feb. 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the Chancellor's Suite.
Students will be able to ask any questions they have and find out how they can get involved.
Elections for the Student Government Association will not be held until the end of March, but any student interested must act quickly and attend one interest meeting next week.
These sessions will be held Feb. 16 and 17, at 8:30 p.m., Feb. 18 at noon and 8:30 p.m., and Feb. 19 at noon, all in the living room.
Attendance at one session is mandatory for any student interested in running for a Senate position or place on the executive board.
Information and petition sheets will be given out at these sessions, and applications as well as petitions are due by March 5.
Campaigning will begin immediately after spring break, from March 15-29, and there will be a "Meet the Candidates" event on March 22.
Voting will be March 29 and 30, with the installation ceremony held on April 9.
Katherine O'Brien can be reached at katherine.obrien@student.shu.edu.
