On Sunday, March 8, the Union Senate convened in Shapiro Campus Center 313 for their weekly meeting. The agenda included the presentation of a Senate Money Resolution, review of Union Senate expectations, Committee reports and an open forum for representatives to voice their concerns. The meeting was called to order by Student Union Vice President Daniel Shin ’27, while attendance was taken by Sarah Jafary ’28, an executive senator. Shin acknowledged that the group had no club charters or recognitions to review, so the group promptly moved to communications issues. The Union Senate took a moment to individually review both the Executive Board and finance reports, and no concerns were raised. Luke Farberman ’27, chair of the Club Support Committee, asked if Shin could provide any information about a planned “Move-Out Market,” for the end of the semester. Shin clarified that this was a sustainability initiative and did not have much information to share. 

The Union Senate then transitioned to Committee chair reports. Farberman spoke on behalf of the Club Support Committee, and began by sharing that the MedLife group had been approved for chartered status and more probationary status groups will be coming forward for a vote soon. Chair of the Student Advocacy Committee Soha Mursalien ’27 mentioned that the group had discussed new ideas for engagement such as potential collaborations with the Intercultural Center to do a documentary screening, as well as bringing in Brandeis alumni to speak about the University’s history of protest and social justice. Emily Cristales Guevara ’28, chair of the Internal Operations Committee, described how the group discussed plans for the State of the Union address, as well as upcoming Student Union elections. The Campus Life Committee, headed by Raymond Cao ’27, shared that in the past week they had clarified meeting times and are set to begin operating next week. Finally, the Union Senate heard from Ashhwika Soni ’29, co-chair of the Health and Wellness Committee. Soni shared that while the group did not meet in the past week, they are in the midst of finalizing a puppy yoga event and are in the process of negotiating contracts for the program. 

The Union Senate moved to new orders of business, during which Cristales Guevara presented a Senate Money Resolution to fund a study break event led by the Internal Operations committee, which included a request for $3,186.34 as well as $400 in taxes. Farberman asked about a date and location for the event, and Cristales Guevara shared that these details have not yet been finalized; she is in conversation with other Student Union leaders to determine these logistics. Farberman also asked if the price of the handcrafted drinks in the request was the lowest price they could find, as it was the most expensive item in the request. Cristales Guevara said that she believed these handcrafted drinks would be enjoyable for attendees and the pricing was the best option they found. Cristales Guevara mentioned that the resolution did not need to be voted on immediately. However, Davian Pagan ’29 motioned to expedite the vote, and after the motion was approved Cao motioned to vote on the resolution. The resolution was approved in a unanimous vote. 

The Union Senate turned to review a series of announcements. Shin asked members to sign up for shifts to work the Student Union table during the International Women’s Day celebration on March 15. As such, he shared that next week’s meeting would likely be cancelled. Shin also shared several campus issues that had arisen and been reported to the Executive Board. He first discussed the campus’ Wi-Fi issues, stating that this problem had begun last month for several students and stated “even the IT department is having a headache about it.” The Executive Board also heard complaints about the housing selection process, and Shin shared there was some confusion among students about the housing lottery system. To address this issue, he explained, the Department of Community Living will be holding an informal meeting to clarify the process for students. He also briefly mentioned that students have expressed concerns that direction from Student Accessibility Services has been unclear, and he is currently working on resolving this issue with the administration directly. 

The group transitioned into a discussion about Student Union expectations, headed by Shin and Jafary, as well as Chief of Staff Sanjana Kumar ’27. The presentation stressed the need for student representatives to be present, engaged and active with the work they were doing, specifically within their committee assignments. They also stressed the importance of understanding proper procedure and implored representatives to be actively involved with their work. “The reason we are all here is because we were elected by the student body to do things and not just sit and talk at each other,” said Jafary. The presentation allowed representatives to review their committee assignments and assess whether or not they felt passionate about the work. If they were unhappy, Shin and Jafary said, they were encouraged to engage with different committees. 

Kumar emphasized the need for transparency on her portion of the presentation, especially within committees. She shared that going forward, each committee should take meeting notes that are then uploaded to a Google Drive folder so that the greater Union Senate can see what they are focusing on. Kumar also emphasized the need for taking attendance, “so that everyone’s pulling their weight equally.” She implored student representatives to be actively involved with the Union Senate, saying that lack of attendance caused an unjust burden on present representatives and that attendance is a critical part of their role as representatives of the student body. 

After the presentation concluded, the Union Senate proceeded to open discussion. Farberman cited a recent Letter to the Editor in The Justice which criticized the University’s decision to invite Sheryl Sandberg as the commencement speaker at the spring 2026 graduation. Farberman inquired as to whether or not other members of the Union Senate had heard student frustrations about the issue. Both Pagan and Tyler Hupart ’27 shared that they had heard strong opposition from the student body when the decision was first announced, but have since not heard much. Another representative shared that they had heard students discussing Sandberg’s allegations of sexual misconduct, which she described as “really disappointing.” Shin suggested that the group collect more information about the student body’s opinion and see if it was a large issue. From there, he said, they can make an informed decision about how to broach the issue, whether that be through direct conversation with the administration or other ways of expressing student discontent. “Obviously, we are here to support the students,” said Shin. 

Finally, several representatives provided announcements and highlighted events they would be participating in in the coming weeks, such as the South Asian Students Association’s upcoming “Love Stories” event and the Femme of Color Alliance’s gala. After these announcements, members of the Union Senate were asked to vote on designs for Student Union merchandise in their Slack channel, and the meeting was adjourned. 

Editor’s Note: The Justice News Editorial Assistant Ashhwika Soni ’29 is a member of the Student Union Senate and did not edit or contribute to this article.