The Senate convened on Sunday to charter a club and discuss updates on initiatives and Senate Money Requests. The meeting was held at noon rather than at the usual 8:00 p.m. meeting time. Skye Golann, who was a Class of 2018 senator last semester but left the University, visited the Senate meeting for its first half.

First, Senators voted to charter Coapital, a club that provides a forum for international students to adjust to life and customs in the United States as well as planning panels and discussions about international business. Though already recognized, Coapital sought chartering to hold events with other business-oriented clubs at the University and in surrounding colleges. In a private discussion before the vote, Village Quad Senator Abhishek Kulkarni ’19 raised concerns that Coapital was proposing a club similar to other business and international student-focused clubs, but other senators noted that Coapital was asking for chartering, not recognition. The senators voted to charter Coapital.

Next, Class of 2017 Senator Matt Smetana informed senators on behalf of President Lynch’s task force on sustainability — of which Smetana is a chair — that the University plans to institute a policy keeping rooms at a constant 68 degrees throughout the winter in all academic and administrative buildings. This will not affect dorms with air conditioning, which students heat or cool according to their own preferences.

In executive officer reports, Vice President David Herbstritt ’17 clarified to the senators that the Student Union neither wrote nor endorses the proposed changes to the housing lottery system sent to students last Friday. Herbstritt further explained that the Union’s role was advising the Department of Community Living and helping to distribute the information, though he noted that the Union will hopefully work with DCL if the proposals are approved.

Executive Senator Paul Sindberg ’18 mentioned that the Undergraduate Theater Collective is potentially merging into one unit. He dispelled rumors that the changes are “an e-board agenda,” clarifying that the e-board had nothing to do with the changes and only told Student Activities Specialist Robbie Steinberg ’13 that the merger was possible potentially.

As the meeting turned to unfinished business, Senator at Large Lucy Wen ’18 led a discussion on her SMR to bring in a guest speaker, Dr. Sharon Wu, to deliver an address at the International Cultural Center, which would be sponsored by ICC-member clubs if it passed. Wu, Wen explained, would speak about her own experiences adjusting to life in America, as the event would be hoping to attract international students. The motion for the SMR passed.

Wen then proposed an SMR for a slam poetry event to be held immediately after Wu’s talk, intended as a way of discussing the impact of social justice and diversity on campus. Student poets will perform at the event, which will be co-sponsored by the senior gift committee. The motion passed with five abstentions.

Sindberg, during committee chair reports, informed senators of a Union plan to develop a library of club resources in the Romper Room. This would be a collection of physical resources for clubs to check out, such as a bake sale kit or novelty items like smoke machines, he explained. Wen also updated the Senate on her plan to add preferred gender pronouns to students’ official information in University databases, noting that it has administrative support but will likely not be implemented until the summer. Wen clarified in an interview with the Justice that this is due to technical difficulties adding gendered pronouns to the data in Sage.

—Max Moran