On Sunday, the Senate met to recognize clubs and discuss promoting transparency by recording all Senate votes.

The Senate heard from two clubs seeking recognition and chartering. Student representatives from the International Student Business Group stated that they wanted a club that will allow students to learn business techniques through cultural interaction and build up networking for both international and American students. The organization, they said, aims to promote long-term alumni networking. After a brief private debate, the Senate voted unanimously in favor of recognizing the club. The representatives then asked for chartering, claiming that they need funds to hold events and create projects that would also involve high school students. After a lengthy private debate, the Senate voted 12-9, against chartering.

Student representatives from the Brandeis branch of Net Impact — an international non-profit organization — then approached the Senate and asked for recognition and chartering. The representatives said that their goal is to introduce projects that underscore the theme of social justice and enhance participants’ career skills simultaneously. After brief private debate, the senators voted unanimously in favor of recognizing the club.

The representatives then asked the Senate for chartering, stating that the national organization demands that each chapter cover transportation for national conferences and off-campus events. The Senate noted in a private debate that they were aware that Net Impact might struggle to continue if it has to wait for chartering for a long time. After a private debate, the Senate voted to grant them chartering.

The Senate then move to executive chair reports. The Student Union Treasurer, Nicole Lenchner ’16, briefly discussed the process that A-board-funded club activities go through in receiving compensation. If students purchase items from the supermarket or from stores like CVS, they are supposed to bring receipts to the Student Union office in order to receive a check. Lenchner noted that she would then check out the items listed by students to see if any were bought online. She added that any cost over $1000 should be authorized first by A-Board.

The Senate then transitioned to a discussion of new initiatives and ideas for the Student Union to increase outreach. Student Union President Nyah Macklin ’16 discussed the importance of the Senate’s interactions with its constituents, urging senators to reach out to the students they represent in order to gauge what issues the Senate should focus on.

Committee reports followed the discussion of initiatives. On the subject of the Senate Bylaws Committee’s proposed provision that the Senate record all votes, one senator argued that the provision was necessary in order to promote transparency and inform the student body of Senate decisions. Brian Hough ’17, Senator at Large, argued against that point, claiming that most students who pay attention to the voting process were student representatives asking for recognition and chartering. He also discussed how publicizing senators’ voting records can invite student lobbying on important votes.

The Senate then moved on to a discussion about the Joseph’s Boston-Cambridge shuttle schedule. One senator spoke about the shuttle’s arrival time, stating that the shuttles should arrive on time, rather than “late [by] an hour.” The Senate then moved into executive session.

—Daisy Chen