Two new ad hoc committees created at latest SGA meeting 

SGA created two ad hoc committees and confirmed a student to the senator of sustainability position at the Oct. 10 SGA meeting. 

The temporary committees aim to carry on a period product initiative started years ago and also to start planning for upcoming events. Both committees are headed by Senator of Innovation Isabella Polombo and Senator of Letters, Arts and Sciences Samrawit Kopessa. 

Ad hoc committees 

SGA unanimously voted to create both committees, the first being the Period Product Dispenser Committee. The committee aims to focus on several action items that Polombo presented at the Oct. 3 SGA meeting surrounding the free period product initiative, which was started on campus in 2021. Seven senators joined the committee, including Polombo and Kopessa. 

SGA also voted to start an ad hoc Events Committee to focus on planning for upcoming SGA events such as the annual Light the Spine and Friendsgiving events. 

“As student government, we kind of have a responsibility to keep on going with traditional events,” Polombo said. “By holding true to [these events], we’re also showing the next SGA and future SGAs what events students like.” 

Senator of Sustainability 

Micah Vacco was confirmed as senator of sustainability. Vacco is a geology and environmental science major and the president of Visibility Club. They are also involved in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) club, Geology Club and Lettuce Club.  

Vacco served as the senator of the arts for the spring semester last year. They said they want to be more active in their role with SGA this year. 

“I think last year, I was a little bit more passive, as I was figuring out Senate and kind of what my role was,” Vacco said. “I think I want to be very proactive in getting involved with GAF [Green Action Fund] and seeing what GAF needs because I know [it] is one of the big things that the senator of sustainability works with and attends meetings for,” they said. 

Vacco has some ideas for projects they would like to work on with GAF, including implementing automatic lights to reduce power usage and getting solar panels installed on campus to encourage green energy usage. 

The only remaining vacant position in the Senate is the senator of military affairs. SGA President Carson Hodges announced that the Appointments Advisory Committee hoped to have an appointee selected by the Oct. 17 SGA meeting. 

In other news: 

  • SGA unanimously passed the Trunk or Treat bill, allocating $111.04, including General and Administrative Recharge costs, to provide clubs and organizations with candy to pass out at the Pumpkin Patch event that the UCCS Farm is hosting on Oct. 18 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. 
  • SGA President Carson Hodges presented his monthly update. He met with Stephanie Hanenberg, vice chancellor for enrollment management and student affairs, to discuss implementing accessibility signage on campus to communicate where accessible pathways are. 
  • Senator of the Arts Jordan Reynolds spoke about prioritizing posting more frequently on SGA’s social media pages. Reynolds asked 60 students what pops up when students type UCCS in the Instagram search bar, and the SGA page was in the top 10 results. 
  • SGA voted to table a bill that would set attendance standards for Senate members to attend SGA sponsored events. The bill was tabled until the next SGA meeting because there were concerns about how attendance would be tracked and whether the bill should actually be a resolution according to the definitions in the SGA constitution. 
  • The College Republicans and College Democrats are cohosting an event on Oct. 18 for the Colorado House District 16 Democrat and Republican candidates to present their policies and discuss Colorado politics. 
  • The Air Academy High School student council will be sitting in an SGA meeting in November. 

Photo from The Scribe Archives.