By Nyla Cross | Script Writer
To kick off the Spring semester, the Hampton University Student Government Association Senate has passed several bills to better Hampton University including suggested changes to the Student Handbook regarding freedom of expression and “to improve financial clarity regarding where tuition money goes.”
Several bills address long-heard complaints to “improve the sanitation of the dining hall.”
Last semester, a survey was circulated asking students to share their thoughts on the dining hall’s food options, sanitation, and inclusivity for dietary restrictions.
“As someone who pays a lot of attention to cleanliness and detail, the dirty dishes, cross-contamination, and other FDA violations I noticed were a concern for me,” said Senator Jada Auston, a first-year strategic communications major. “I decided to write a bill for the improvement of the cleanliness of the Caf.”
Auston’s bill has already made changes, she believes.
Another bill addresses alleged invasion of privacy during unannounced room searches.
“Students were awakened with anxiety at one o’clock in the morning to have their room searched by Hampton University staff, and myself and my peers were very unhappy with that type of treatment. So, I felt the need to speak up for everyone within my student government rule,” Auston said.
Senator Jaedyn Wilson, a first-year political science major had her bill passed requiring mandated days and times of the week for welfare checks. “When crafting a bill, you need data and actual facts from the school’s websites and the administrators,” said Wilson.
Bills are crafted to address the student body’s concerns and are well-researched in providing thorough and appropriate responses to students’ concerns, she said.
“When a bill is passed, it is then presented to President Williams and his team for further discussion and deliberation. After that happens, you see the bill and what it asks for on campus. You may see it implemented the following semester, as in, the following school year,” Wilson said.
Christin Fluellen, a second-year journalism major from Detroit, Michigan, and secretary of the 50th SGA Senate, believes the student body will benefit from the bills because the senators can draw on their experiences to help their fellow Hamptonians.
“The bills positively affect the student body because the Senate listens to their concerns. For example, most of the bills we write are based on student experiences, complaints, or just stuff we’ve experienced. We’re senators, but we’re students first, so we know what students need,” said Fluellen.
Fluellen is particularly proud of the bill concerning the construction in progress on campus.
“Several of our senators wrote a bill about construction, so we can send emails before construction to know what paths and routes are blocked off. I think that will be impactful,” she said.
More information on the Senate’s bills can be found on their Instagram page, @senate.hamptonu.
The Hampton Script 