The Student Senate passed a bill to amend the Student Government Association Code to protect against discrimination on the basis of gender identity on Wednesday night.
   The code was changed to match the Texas A&M University Code, which reads, “The University provides equal opportunity to all employees, students, applicants for employment or admission, and the public regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.”
Jacob Powell, Academic Affairs Chair, presented a bill to be sent to the Faculty Senate amending Student Rule 7 to expand the definition of a university excused absence.
“Some of the key highlights: there is added language for [excusing] mandatory interviews for permanent full-time employment or for internships that are related to your major,” Powell said. “They also added language to excuse absences when you’re presenting at a professional conference or you’re presenting research.”
The Student Senate also voted to pass a bill to support the effort to reinstate the rivalry game between A&M and the University of Texas. The Student Senate passed the bill in reaction to a poll on the ballot of the most recent student body election. Eighty-eight percent of the roughly 15,000 students surveyed voted “yes” when asked, “Do you support reinstating the annual Texas A&M University vs. University of Texas at Austin rivalry game on our non-conference football schedule?”
The Student Senate passed a resolution reaffirming their commitment to free and respected expression during debates. Speaker Pro Tempore Tate Banks introduced the legislation.
“This resolution is aimed at helping those who feel that maybe they can’t debate really feel like they can participate in the conversations we’re having in this room,” Banks said. “Each and every one of us in this room, whether we were elected with two votes or 5,000 votes, is a student senator and has as much of a right to a voice as anybody else in this room.”