The Senate convened on Sunday to discuss and settle a number of issues on its agenda.

In Student Union Secretary Carlton Shakes' '14 address, he discussed efforts to revamp voting in an amendment to the Student Union Constitution. The amendment would get rid of the instant run-off system so that there would be no more ranking; each student would only be able to cast one vote per seat. A student is currently working on a system to replace BigPulse, which according to Shakes is "way too intricate" and costs about $2,500 per year.

In the event of a tie, the Chief of Elections would hold special elections with only those two candidates, leading Shakes to propose an added section making better guidelines for special elections. Ten signatures were procured to go forth with allowing the student body to vote on the amendments to the Constitution.

Student Union President Todd Kirkland '13 sent an email to the student body on April 5 describing the proposed amendments. He announced that the vote to eliminate the instant run-off system and add special election guidelines will take place on April 17.

Along with the aforementioned proposed amendments, the proposed amendment to add requirements to run for Student Union Vice President and President, which were written and proposed by Class of 2013 Senator David Fisch and the Student Union Senate Ways and Means Committee, will be voted on by the student body on April 17. Anyone running for President would be required to have served on the Union previously, while anyone running for Vice President would have to have served on the Senate, a Senate committee or the Executive Board previously. Only if there were no candidates following the criteria would anyone in the student body be eligible. According to Kirkland's email, the final proposal would not go into effect until next year.

In Kirkland's address to the Senate, he discussed the club proposal revisions that were made. The funding process for clubs is now going to remain the same; clubs will have to submit plans to their respective associations, but they will not have to provide the amount of money they are requesting to receive funding. Initially, club financing requests would have had to go through the association council, which would request an "efficient budget" from the Finance Board including all of the combined requests. Clubs would have maintained their own gifts and money earned through fundraising. The change allows for club financing requests to remain on an individual basis. Clubs would still have to list their activities and provide the lists to their respective associations in order to receive funding, but the requirement to share projects with associations would now be for the sole purpose of collaboration; the funding would no longer be from one "efficient budget."

A club could also now be a part of multiple associations, but must designate a primary association. Kirkland hopes to hold a vote on the amendments within the next few weeks, but timing will depend upon student feedback. Kirkland sent an email to the student body yesterday containing the revised proposal. An open forum will be held tomorrow at 8 p.m. in the Lurias rooms in the Hassenfeld Conference Center.

Kirkland also discussed a resolution for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which is currently being supported by other Boston-area universities. The resolution calls for an increase in T service hours and repairs. The Senate voted to support the resolution with no opposition.

Students who wished to begin a chapter of Liberty in North Korea at Brandeis sought to be recognized and chartered. The purpose of the club is to raise money for North Korean refugees and spread awareness, shifting the focus away from nuclear threat and onto the human rights violations in North Korea. The club was recognized and chartered with no opposition.

Union Vice President Gloria Park '13 addressed proposals to change the shuttle services. By the Senate meeting, Park mentioned that 362 responses to the shuttle service survey that was sent in an email to the student body on April 5 were received. Park mentioned the possibility of adding a $20 fee per student to make it possible to augment shuttle hours not only Thursday through Sunday, but also to add hours during the week and add service to the Riverside T station.

The Brandeis Academic Debate and Speech Society is seeking to become a secured club, meaning the club would be guaranteed a set amount of funding per year. After much deliberation, BADASS procured 10 signatures from the Senate, so it will be up to the student body to vote to secure the club.

Two Senate Money Resolutions were approved: one for a $360 hookah event to be run by the Class of 2015, and one for a barbecue at the Charles River Apartments, which will cost about $500. The SMRs were both approved unanimously.

-Marissa Ditkowsky