Before fall break, the Student Government met on Oct. 10 to discuss amendments to the Elections Code Bylaws and a bill to enhance the domestic violence training of Resident Assistants.
On Oct. 10, Senator Morgan Anderson ‘25 led a presentation regarding the Elections Code Bylaws, proposed by the 2023 Constitutional Review Committee. This was sponsored by President Jacob Kozlowski ‘24, Vice President Sophia Alberico ‘24 and Senators Abigail Birch ‘24, Evan Richwalsky ‘24, Lauren Hoffman ‘25, Ryan Moore ‘26 and Magdalena Rumelfanger ‘26.
Following Anderson’s discussion on Oct. 10, Senator Ryan Moore ‘26 proposed the latest version of the bill intended to strengthen Resident Assistants’ training. The training would require Resident Assistants (RAs) to implement training from a program known as “KnowAbuse” and “Trauma Informed Care Approach.”
The bill addresses topics related to domestic violence and inter-relationship abuse. These topics include emotional abuse, verbal abuse, intimidation tactics, financial manipulation, spiritual abuse and how to speak with a resident in post-abuse and violence situations.
Senator Ryan Moore ‘26 explained to The Carroll News that his expectations for the meeting were met. “I went into last week’s meeting not wanting to vote but I simply wanted to ask my senators questions. The question and answering helps me to go back and revise portions of the bill.”
Despite the majority vote to table the bill to Oct. 17, Moore is satisfied with the outcome of the meeting as it helped him strengthen the bill with the feedback provided by the senators. “What I got out of the meeting was everything that I wanted,” he said.
This bill is sponsored by Senators Magdalena Rumelfanger ‘26, Emma Perdziak ‘26, Senior Resident Assistant and Peer Health Advocate Maya Kumar ‘24, Resident Assistant and Peer Health Advocate Veronika Mikhail ‘25 and Resident Assistants Nathan Burkett ‘25 and George Kubis ‘25. The discussion surrounding the bill continued at the Oct. 17 student government meeting.
On Oct. 17, Moore’s bill was incorporated into a new three-part bill, otherwise known as an omnibus. Written by President Jacob Kozlowski, it not only intends to improve RA training but also training for students in leadership roles on campus, as well as Bystander training for the general public.
After a slideshow presentation by Senator Moore concerning the first resolution, the senators were introduced to the other two bills in the omnibus and posed questions to the authors of the bills.
The second resolution, written by Senator Anderson, would expand Healthy Relationship Topics (HRT) certification to all campus leadership positions. The title “leadership position” would largely pertain to presidents of student organizations, but would also be flexible depending on the club or organization.
The third and final resolution, co-written by senators Moore and Hoffman, would use priority housing as an incentive to encourage juniors to complete the Bystander 201 program.
First year students from recent classes were offered priority housing their sophomore year if they completed Bystander 101. The continuation of the program, Bystander 201, would provide residents with a more-in depth understanding of their roles as active bystanders.
The writers of the bills opened the discussion up for questions and concerns, allowing senators to clarify each resolution and what they would be voting on as a whole. Moore’s bill was altered as a recommendation as opposed to a resolution.
Once questions had ceased and the votes had been cast, the omnibus bill was passed. The general meeting concluded with announcements concerning various events approaching in the near future. This includes a Streak The Center event set to take place on Nov. 10.
After two weeks of heated discussion, the senators were finally able to make progress in passing the bill and gathered afterwards for a group photo to commemorate the success. After utilizing multiple sessions to discuss these issues, the writers of the bills were able to see their ideas approved.
The Student Government’s next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 5 p.m. For additional information regarding legislation and meeting times, please contact [email protected].
