On Tuesday, September 24, the Stockton Student Senate convened for their first meeting of the Fall 2024 semester. The meeting began with reminders of upcoming events, including the Student Senate Elections on Tuesday, October 1 at 12 p.m. and Thursday, October 3 at 1 p.m.

Senate announced that the Meet The Candidates event will be held in the coffee house on October 1 at 6 p.m., allowing students to engage and converse with those running for the five open Senate positions. They also reminded everybody to check out the Stockton Swag Swap on Friday, October 18 and trade in any university or college apparel for brand new Stockton merchandise.

Largely discussed were Stockton clubs and their funding. To start, Lindsey DeLuca, Vice President of the equestrian club, requested $5000 for club expenses including trainer fees, lessons. She showed the continued growth of the club, including her 15 new members this semester alone. After the vote, the Senate approved $3000 for the Equestrian Club to finance their activities and resources. Continuing with the meeting, the Ski and Snowboarding Club president, Megan Lynch, requested the money needed to cover another trip to Copper Mountain, Colorado, a trip especially enjoyed by the more advanced members last year. When asked who would be welcome on the trip, Lynch stated, “The trip is open to anyone interested but has limited spots and is first come, first served.” The request was then promptly approved.

The last proposal was from the Muslim Student Association. President Zikra Naz asked the Senate for $4000 to cover the books needed in the curriculum for their Islamic Creed class. Naz informed the committee that the class is open to community members, who will have to pay for their materials out of pocket, and free to any interested students. The Senate went ahead and approved the $4000 for the Muslim Student Association’s Islamic Creed class, rounding out the meeting.

The first Fall 2024 Student Senate meeting yielded exciting results for the clubs and organizations that attended and set the stage for an exciting, fun, and interesting semester. The next public Student Senate meeting will take place on October 29, and visit OspreyHub for more information on its location.