The Student Senate held their first meeting of the spring semester on Wednesday, Jan. 20, covering an outreach poll for the Matthew Gaines society and a resolution congratulating the Texas A&M football team for their victory in the Orange Bowl and their successful season.
The Matthew Gaines Society President Erica Pauls, alongside Student Senate diversity and inclusion chair Iman Ahmed, presented a resolution to conduct a university-wide student outreach poll that would allow the society to understand what percentage of the student body has knowledge of Senator Matthew Gaines and his contributions to the university.
“Basically what we’re trying to do with this resolution is we’re trying to have a question about the awareness about Matthew Gaines put into the election spring 2021 election survey just so we can get a good amount of people that know who Matthew Gaines is and what we’re working towards,” Pauls said. “We’ve done a lot of work towards outreach and we really want to see if it’s grown since the last time we’ve done a survey, which was in 2018.”
Some senators raised concerns about placing the question on the spring election ballot and whether it was fair to other organizations.
“[The] Matthew Gaines [Society] was actually birthed in Student Senate,” Ahmed said. “I think it is a little different because Matthew Gaines does have that relationship with SGA which will probably limit other organizations from all wanting to be on the ballot.”
The resolution passed with 41 in favor, 11 against, and three in abstention.
Senator David Garcia and Ahmed also introduced a resolution to congratulate the Texas A&M football team “on an outstanding 2020 season and commends all players, coaches and staff on making it possible.”
“The Texas A&M Football team competed in the toughest conference in college football, and while they did not make the College Football Playoff, many Aggies believe they deserved to make it through,” the resolution reads. “The 73rd Session of the Texas A&M Student Senate proudly supports and celebrates the success that the Texas A&M football team has had this season both on and off the field ; and, The 73rd Session of the Texas A&M Student Senate commends all staff for making attending games at Kyle Field as safe and enjoyable as possible for fans and for adhering to all safety protocols.”
The resolution passed with 54 in favor and one in abstention.