Senate Meeting

Senate Meeting called to order

1. Invocation

2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Roll Call

   1. Present: President Arguijo, Vice President Keeling, Secretary Morgan, PR Chair Nunez, Senator Do, Senator Ju, Senator (Phena) Kayode, Senator Landry, Senator Masem, Senator Ortiz.

   2. Absent: Treasurer Hertel, Chief Justice Edwards, Senator Johnston, Senator Nguyen, Senator (Phosa) Kayode.

Approval of the Minutes

1. No minutes to approve. This was the first senate meeting of the 2026–27 academic year.

Financial Report

1. President Arguijo gave the financial report in Treasurer Hertel's absence. She said there is no exact number yet because the school year had only just started, but money rolled over from last year, so SGA is in a good enough position to cover 100 drinks for the 7Brew giveaway.

Business

1. 7Brew bill 2620: President Arguijo said the purpose of the bill is to provide 7Brew drinks on the morning of matriculation mass to welcome students back. She said the plan was originally to hand them out after mass, but the logistics did not work out. She said the order would be the same mix as last year: coffees, energy drinks and teas; and that a medium energy drink is $6.30 on the app rather than $5.30, though a discount might be possible if SGA asks. She said the prices for the smalls are all the same, at $5.05, $5.30 and $3.10, and asked the senate what combination it wanted.

   1. Senator Do said more drinks should go to Bishop Gerber, because a lot were left over at Student Life last year and the ones at Bishop Gerber went quickly. She added that the teas should stay at Student Life because the people there really like tea.

   2. Vice President Keeling said SGA has tried splitting the giveaway between Bishop Gerber and Student Life before, but since this is the second week of school she would rather keep it in one place unless there are enough people to plan for two. She said mass is at 11:00, the drinks would be picked up around 8:30 and handed out starting at 9:00 so students can have one before mass, and that staying in one spot also lets SGA point students toward lunch afterward, which is in the conference center rather than the dining hall.

   3. Senator Do said that if the drinks are smalls, SGA can buy more of them, and added that in the past they have run out quickly.

   4. President Arguijo asked whether to keep 50 coffees, 30 energy drinks and 20 teas, or to change it to something like 40 coffees, 40 energy drinks and 20 teas.

   5. Senator Masem said to keep the same split and adjust as needed.

   6. Vice President Keeling asked whether to keep the tip, adjust it, or take it off. Senator Ju said to keep it. Senator Masem said to keep it as well, to stay on good terms with 7Brew.

   7. Senator (Phena) Kayode asked where the allocation for the drinks would come from. President Arguijo said there is no exact number yet but there was rollover from last year and SGA can cover 100 drinks. Vice President Keeling added that this is SGA's first showing of the year rather than an event, and that it is something students are familiar with and enjoy while the bigger events are still being planned.

   8. President Arguijo asked whether to keep the same flavors: Blondie and Cinnamon Roll for coffee, Nightshade and Blue Lagoon for energy, and Strawberry for tea. PR Chair Nunez asked which had been most popular. Senator Do asked whether they could get more Blue Lagoon. Vice President Keeling said the flavors can stay the same for now and be adjusted after seeing how this giveaway goes.

   9. Senator (Phena) Kayode asked about the location. Vice President Keeling said the pickup location would still be the one on Maple Ridge, and that how many places SGA hands out from depends on how many people can help; she said she could help and believed Chief Justice Edwards could as well. The giveaway is Thursday, September 3rd.

   10. Senator Ju said to keep it in the atrium, since a lot of people go into Dugan and Bishop Gerber is not very active on a Thursday. President Arguijo agreed to keep it in the atrium for now and said SGA would revisit it if anything changed.

   11. President Arguijo went over how a bill is written, using the bill Senator Trevino wrote last year as the example. She said the top states the event and how SGA is being asked to collaborate, the body describes what will be bought with the prices, the quantity and the total, and the bottom states the amount being asked for.

   12. President Arguijo said she would send the bill to everyone that day and that the senate would vote through GroupMe. Vice President Keeling said edits would be made and sent out, and that Chief Justice Edwards would send it over and procure the votes before the end of the week.

Call to audience

1. No audience members.

Committee Information and Updates

1. President Arguijo said Chief Justice Edwards would send out the vote for committee preferences, and that senators would learn their assignments at the next meeting. She said there are three committees for senators to choose from.

   1. She said Security and Grounds ensures campus is a good atmosphere and that the proper administration is in place to keep campus functional, covering parking and the upkeep of the grounds and facilities.

   2. She said the JRH committee restocks the room and keeps it clean, holds semesterly events to bring awareness to it, and keeps a list of the inventory.

   3. She said the Clubs Relations Committee works with clubs on getting involved, helps them with bills they need help with, and guides them through SGA's guidelines for requesting money.

2. President Arguijo said there are also the Constitution and Ethics committees. She said the Constitution Committee meets when something needs to be revised, discusses it and votes on it. She said the Ethics Committee meets when a member is not following the rules, to decide how to move forward and how to help that senator.

Advisor Updates

1. Megan Chambers introduced herself as the new Dean of Students and SGA's advisor for the year. She said she had been at Newman a week.

Executive Updates

1. President Arguijo had the executive team and then the senators introduce themselves with their name, year, major, years in SGA with any titles, and their favorite Newman memory.

2. President Arguijo said SGA also has a spiritual companion, Sister Fran, who could not be there. She said Sister Fran will come when her schedule allows, is available by email and willing to share her number, and is praying for SGA in the background.

3. President Arguijo said the senate would popcorn read the Constitution, and that she had paper copies of the Constitution, the bylaws and a senator cheat sheet for anyone who needed them. She began the reading and it went around the room. She said she would pass her copy around for everyone to sign, acknowledging that the senate read it together.

4. Vice President Keeling said the Constitution will be updated with the signatures, and that the Constitution Committee will meet to fix some things once it is established. She asked senators to take note of anything they think should change and refer it to President Arguijo.

5. Vice President Keeling said Archives has taken over the Res Life office on the third floor of Sacred Heart and Res Life has moved into the SGA office, so SGA no longer has an office. She said SGA will be in the Student Life office as much as it can for now, and is talking with a few more people about getting a space, possibly in McNeil. She said the JRH was considered, but because it is open to all students, official documents cannot be stored there. She said in the meantime the Constitution can be kept in Student Life with Josh or Megan for signing.

6. President Arguijo went over expectations for the year.

   1. Dress code. She said to be as formal as possible at meetings and that the dress code is business casual. She said the executive team dressed that way so senators could see what it looks like, that any outfit can be made business casual if it is styled appropriately, and that the JRH has items available for anyone who needs them.

   2. Showing up for events. She said SGA's biggest priority this year is being involved with the student body, and that some events will be required for senators. She said SGA is trying to plan at least three of its own events; ideas so far are renting out Chicken N Pickle, and a winter option where people could ice skate, play pickleball, or stay inside and eat. She said 7Brew will happen once each semester rather than as often as before, because getting students involved matters more than a giveaway students come and go from.

   3. Cultural Extravaganza. She said it is happening again and that SGA wants it written into the Constitution so it stops moving from committee to committee. She said Chief Justice Edwards and PR Chair Nunez are in charge of it and will delegate to the senate as a whole, and that she wants everyone on board because last year was chaotic and last minute.

   4. Talking with the student body. She said senators should go up to students who are alone and ask what would help them get more involved, and connect them to the right people if they need help with clubs or anything academic.

   5. Office hours. She said SGA wants to bring office hours back. She said that since SGA has no office, Jeannie suggested a table outside like the tutors use, with signs identifying each officer, so students can come and talk for an hour.

   6. Absences. She said attendance will be taken seriously this year and that the expectations are in the bylaws. She said more than three unexcused absences sends a senator to the Ethics Committee.

   7. Confidentiality. She said that if an ethics case opens, members will sign NDAs, and that anyone found talking about it outside the meeting will be dismissed from SGA. She said senate meetings and the minutes are open to anyone, but that what is said in a closed meeting stays there.

7. President Arguijo said senate meetings will be every Monday at 10:00 a.m. in the Alumni Center starting August 31st, with no meeting on Labor Day. She said the executive team is still finalizing its schedule but expects to meet Sundays at 8:00 a.m. and some Mondays at 7:00 p.m., that reminders will go out every week, and that anyone is welcome at an executive meeting with advance notice. She asked senators to stay active on the GroupMe and to watch their email.

8. President Arguijo said the JRH has moved. She said it was on the left side of McNeil and is now on the right side, on the other side of the hallway.

9. President Arguijo said the senators' homework is to read the bylaws, and to let her know if they do not have access to the drive.

10. President Arguijo said Chief Justice Edwards will not hold a senate meeting this month, but will get with each senator to set one up for next month.

New Business

Adjournment

1. Meeting adjourned.