The Senate convened on Sunday to hear petitions from several clubs and to discuss initiatives to bolster school spirit.

The Brandeis Baha’i Club seeks to provide accurate information on the Baha’i Faith — an international religion founded on ideals of peace and cooperation — and give Baha’i students on campus a space of their own, in cooperation with other faith groups on campus. The club was recognized by unanimous vote. Next was Young Americans for Liberty, a club founded in Libertarianism but with the goal to facilitate discussion among all political groups and educate the public about Libertarian ideals. The club was recognized unanimously, with many senators citing the need for free speech on campus.

Next came a chartering petition from One Brandeis, which focuses on international health and the prevention of extreme poverty. After a presentation on the actions that the club had taken since being recognized, the Senate voted unanimously to charter the group.

The senators then voted to de-charter and de-recognize Brandeis Private Equity and Venture Capital Club due to lack of activity. After a discussion of some specifics about the rules regarding inactive clubs, the motion passed.

In executive officer reports, Executive Senator Hannah Brown ’19 reported that the E-Board has been working on initiatives to increase school spirit and expand campus-wide recognition of Kindness Day. In Committee Chair Reports, the Dining Committee chair, Class of 2019 Senator Kate Kesselman, reported that a recent meeting with Sodexo focused on greater student involvement in dining services. The Health and Safety Committee chair, Foster Mods Senator Ari Matz ’17, discussed upcoming student outreach efforts with the Department of Community Living. East Quad Senator Elijah Sinclair ’19, chairman of the Sustainability Committee, discussed upcoming initiatives that included extending recycling in Usen Castle and meeting with various campus officers to encourage sustainability.

The Senate also reviewed a Senate Money Request passed last year regarding the use of club resources in the Romper Room, which allowed club leaders to check out resources like tables and cooking supplies for events such as bake sales. One senator proposed a new idea to expand the program to include a schedule of rentals so that clubs could know when a given resource will be available. The Senate postponed the vote on renewing or altering the policy for a later date.

In individual senator reports, the senators discussed issues raised by students, including concerns about library hours, accessibility of various residence hall resources — such as communal vacuums and printers — reports of spoiled fruit in the Hoot Market, issues of hot water in the Mods and dissatisfaction with BranVan hours and locations.

In open forum, the senators briefly discussed the University’s communication through emails and other forms of media, specifically the overwhelming nature of large blocks of emailed text. Many senators expressed concerns over whether the student body regularly reads mass emails from the University.

This transitioned into another discussed about using various apps, such as the existing Brandeis app and Sodexo’s “Bite” app to better reach out to the student body.

—Spencer Taft