On Sunday, the Senate met for the first time this semester to discuss events and initiatives for spring.

Student Union Vice President Charlotte Franco '15 said that last week, Village Senator Bowen Li '16 resigned due to a strenuous course-load this semester. Elections will take place to fill the positions of Village Senator, Rosenthal Quad Senator, Off-Campus Senator, Midyear Senator, one position on the Judiciary and one on the Finance Board in the coming weeks.

Next, Student Union President Ricky Rosen '14 delivered his executive report. According to Rosen, the student body has responded positively to the online forms for the BranVan. Rosen said he anticipates that in the future the Union will work toward greater online accessibility for other campus services.

He also informed the Senate that the hours of the Brandeis shuttle to the Riverside Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority station has officially changed from Wednesday and Thursday from 2 to 5 p.m. to Saturday and Sunday at the same time. Rosen expects the change to make transportation into Boston increasingly convenient for students in the upcoming semester.

Additionally, Rosen mentioned that David Barsky '17 has been contracted to work on the Union website, which will be functional by the end of the year.

Rosen informed the Senate that the 'Deis Day co-chairs have resigned because they do not have the time to commit to the project. As a result, Rosen urged members of the Senate to involve themselves in planning the event. According to Executive Senator Annie Chen '14, 'Deis Day this year may feature a parade through campus in which clubs build golf-cart floats, school bands play or a capella groups join in the festivities.

Finally Rosen briefly discussed the 'Deis Impact! key-note address, which will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 5 in Levin Ballroom. Kweku and Ndaba Mandela, two of Nelson Mandela's grandchildren, will attend the event.

Following the executive officer report, Senator at Large Naomi DePina '16 delivered a report on the upcoming poetry slam to take place on Jan. 31. The event consists of students presenting their perspectives on the meanings of social justice and diversity. According to DePina, Dean of Students Jamele Adams will host and perform at the event.

Next, Class of 2015 Senator Anna Bessendorf and Class of 2016 Senator Jonathan Jacob introduced a proposal to create another BranVan stop at Waltham's Main Street Marketplace, where dining options include Panera Bread and Chipotle Mexican Grill. The marketplace is situated near the BranVan's current Walgreen's stop and therefore the addition would only cause a minor change in the current BranVan schedule.
Bessendorf also discussed safety concerns on South Street near the Lemberg Children's Center. In this area there are no streetlights, making a walk through the area of campus dangerous at night, said Bessendorf. Bessendorf raised such concerns with Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan, who replied that the area is owned by the City of Waltham and therefore Brandeis has no jurisdiction to place a light post on that area of the street. The Senate might introduce the issue to the interim vice president of operations or Waltham City Hall.

North Quad Senator Brian Hough '17, a member of the Constitutional Review Task Force, stated that this semester he will continue working on amendments to the constitution but, thus far, has no projected end date to the project. The Sustainability Committee stated that more than 60 dual flush toilets have been installed in both Massell and North Quads. The committee will soon begin calculations to determine the impact of the initiative.

East Quad Senator Andrew Savage '16 proposed a revisal of the Club Committee's procedures. He expressed concerns over ineffective measures of de-chartering clubs due to inaccessible information or lack of communication with the Union. The Senate hopes to establish a better relationship between itself, the Finance Board and clubs to more efficiently monitor club activity.

-Rachel Uemoto