The latest meeting of the 77th Session of the Texas A&M Student Senate convened on Wednesday to address key topics, including student enrollment growth, campus housing and a resolution commemorating Hurricane Harry’s after it was recently demolished to make way for a re-development of the area.
One of the most significant actions taken was Senate Resolution 7746, which supports President Mark A. Welsh III’s undergraduate enrollment plan he unveiled late last month. The resolution, authored by executive cabinet member and education junior Robert Hargrove and Academic Affairs Chair and telecommunication media studies sophomore Kelsey Cornell acknowledged the 27th president’s efforts in ensuring that housing and infrastructure development keeps pace with student population growth. The resolution passed unanimously.
“Our infrastructure is not capable of handling the students we have, and until we can find a permanent solution, we need a better way to support students as a whole,” Cornell said. “I think President Welsh was wonderful in taking into consideration the student experience, acknowledging that there are problems, and offering a solution to fix them.”
Agriculture economics major Senator Jackson Steele also introduced a motion to recognize the cultural significance of Hurricane Harry’s, the recently demolished western dance hall. Steele said students encourage the bar district’s development but “wish it would not come at the cost of more of College Station’s culture and identity.”
While many senators supported the sentiment, some raised concerns about the resolution’s implications. Agriculture economics senior Senator Tanner Owen asked Steele’s opinion on amending the resolution to condemn the area’s new developers, and petroleum engineering sophomore Senator Beau Bradley questioned whether the resolution could address construction noise.
“The purpose of this legislation is to mourn the loss of this beloved establishment,” Steele said, reiterating the resolution’s intent.
However, industrial distribution senior Senator Corbitt Armstrong, chair of the Rules and Regulations Committee, proposed further discussion.
“There are outstanding issues, such as construction disturbances, which we should examine in relation to city regulations,” Armstrong said. “Additionally, Senator Owen’s point about condemning the demolition of a core Aggie institution is significant. Since there are two major concerns, we should either amend the resolution or table it for further discussion.”
Following another round of discussion, the Senate moved to a final standing vote on commemorating Hurricane Harry’s, passing it 43-1.
The Senate then shifted its focus to previously introduced legislation, including the 2025 Spring Reapportionment Act, which updates caucus representation for on-campus and off-campus students based on the most recent population data. The legislation is set to take effect in the next election cycle.
In the new business segment of the meeting, senators discussed several pieces of legislation, including the Harrington Renovation Resolution, which concerns updates to campus facilities, the Black History Month Resolution, which recognizes the significance of Black history on campus, and the Silver Taps Resolution, which honors Aggies who have passed away.
