Following last week’s meeting with the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, Student Union  Vice President Hannah Brown ’19 reported at Sunday’s Senate meeting that the committee has already taken some suggestions to the General Education Requirements proposal into account. The proposals will be brought to the Faculty Senate next week. 

In executive officer reports, Brown said the “Meet the Union” event, in which the student body can interact with all the Student Union representatives and committees, will take place in Fellows Garden on Oct. 19 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Brown noted there has been poor attendance at the two Task Force for Free Expression open forums and encouraged senators to attend the last forum, which will take place on Oct. 30. 

The Health and Safety committee announced that it is investigating lowering BEMCo ambulance fees after constituents expressed that the expense deters people from calling for help. Another solution is to advertise that Public Safety does offer students free escort to the nearby urgent care facility in Waltham, said Brown. 

Club Support Comittee Chair and Class of 2020 Senator Tal Richtman said that the club leadership workshop will take place on Nov. 9 from 7 to 9 p.m. in Mandel Center for the Humanities Room G03, co-hosted by Student Activities.

Additionally, the committee has an endorsement from Director of Student Activities Steve Pagios to approve the process of getting a faculty advisor for every club on campus, Richtman reported. The committee hopes that by the end of the semester there will be a working bylaw to put club advisors into effect. 

Social Justice and Diversity Committee Chair and Rosenthal Quad Senator Lizy Dabanka ’20 reported that the committee will be conducting a two-week poll of the general student body to get feedback on how students feel the school treats diversity and social justice on campus. 

Campus Operations and Working Group Chair and Senator-at-Large Shaquan McDowell ’18 reported that the free menstrual product initiative will begin distribution soon. An interest meeting for volunteers to help with the distribution will occur at 10 a.m. on Thursday at the Student Union Office. 

With no unfinished business or new business, the Senate moved into individual senator reports. McDowell reported that he has been working with Student Union executives on a statement for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, encouraging the University community to stay aware and engaged to protect its affected students.  

Richtman reported constituent complaints that campus and Boston/Cambridge shuttles do not run during the University’s Jewish Holiday closings. 

Several other senators agreed that, with a minority of students observing the holidays, shuttles should be offered. Some added personal anecdotes that online information for whether shuttles are running or not on holidays is absent and that no one in office was available to give clear answers on shuttle availability. 

“There are no reason why there shouldn’t be shuttles,” said Finkel. Dabanka added that dining halls also have reduced hours on Jewish holidays. “That’s quite frustrating when you’re a student that is not observing,” she said. Brown noted to the group that as senators, “We’re all empowered to reach out to these places,” to fix these frustrations.

—Michelle Dang