The Senate convened for its final meeting of the semester on Sunday.

Madeline Bisgyer ’20, Phoebe Dolan ’20 and Alina Sipp-Alpers ’21 appeared on behalf of the Brandeis Labor Coalition to seek probationary club status. Sipp-Alpers said that the club wanted funding to recruit members at the Student Activities Fair and to become an official member of the United Students Against Sweatshops, as well as use its recognition to develop a relationship with the University. Sipp-Alpers presented the BLC’s one-semester plan, which included regular meetings with the workers and a voucher program for students to share a meal with a worker. The Senate voted to grant probationary status to the Brandeis Labor Coalition.

After a discussion about exclusivity in ethnicity vs. exclusivity in culture, the Senate voted to charter the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers.

Student Union Vice President Hannah Brown ’19 reported that Aseem Kumar ’20 was elected the chair of the Allocations Board. Brown met with Assistant Dean of Students Stephanie Grimes to discuss student concerns about lack of follow-up after the Nov. 20 armed robbery. 

Health and Safety Committee Chair and East Quad Senator Samantha Barrett ’20 reported that the committee met to discuss the armed robbery incident. Barrett stated that the committee will work on the issue of the prohibition of pepper spray on campus.

Campus Operations Working Group Chair and Senator at Large Shaquan McDowell ’18 reported that the committee met with Vice President for Campus Operations Jim Gray to present the results of its menstrual product initiative. 

Club Support Committee Chair Tal Richtman ’20 reported that the committee has decided on its projects for next semester: adding an advisor for every club, updating the renewal form that every club needs to submit each semester and deciding the meaning of a probationary club status. 

Executive Senator Aaron Finkel ’20, also the chair of the Services and Outreach Committee, reported that the Turkey Shuttles were successful, though there were some issues with students missing buses. 

Class of 2020 Senator Jonathan Chen reported that many Chinese parents were concerned about the armed robbery incident and had seen fake news circulating in the Chinese media about the incident. Chen worked to create a translation of President Liebowitz’s statements to dispel these rumors.

International Senator Linfei Yang ’20 reported that the alert system for international students on campus over the break was successfully beta-tested. Yang added that the hours and food in the Stein over the Thanksgiving holiday were poor for international students staying on campus.

Richtman, also the Chair of the Community Emergency and Enhancement Fund Committee, announced the decisions for CEEF funding. $10,817 will be allocated to the Brandeis Farmers Club for adding study spaces on the roof of the Shapiro Science Center and growing food. Another $6,133 will go to the Student Music Initiative for student musicians to use Cholmondeley’s Coffee House as a practice space, with instruments provided. The remaining $25,750 will go to a safety initiative for a crosswalk with a lighting and sound system to provide better accessibility for disabled students.

 —Emily Blumenthal