On Sunday, March 22, the Union Senate convened in Shapiro Campus Center 313 for their weekly meeting. The agenda included a club chartering proposal from DeisBikes, the presentation of a Senate Money Resolution, committee reports and public comment for members of the Brandeis community to voice their concerns. The meeting was called to order by Student Union Vice President Daniel Shin ’27. 

     The meeting began with a presentation from Helen Kurita ’27 and Will Kozlowski ’28, co-legal coordinators of DeisBikes. The group, which aims to establish a bikeshare program on campus, is seeking to achieve probationary club status. According to their presentation, the group’s goal is to improve bike accessibility, reduce student carbon emissions and offer a

free transit alternative that supports a campus bike culture. They also mentioned that the group differs from the Cycling Club in that it has no athletic focus, but rather supports casual bike riders. The group has also implemented leadership roles, including positions for events, social media and maintenance coordinators. 

     The pilot program will be largely run through an app called Linka, which will allow students to borrow and lock their bikes remotely. Once students have used the bike, they can return them to a spot in Massell Quad. The project is currently being funded by a one-time-only grant that must be used by June 30. As such, the club is seeking a new status to secure additional funding. Kozlowski and Kurita also shared the organization’s semester goals and discussed how they would like to prepare for the pilot program, further develop their own bikeshare app and continue to publicize DeisBikes on social media. 

     After concluding the formal presentation, the floor was opened to questions from members of the senate. Executive Senator Sarah Jafary ’28 asked about Kozlowski and Kurita’s positions as legal coordinators. Kurita stated that “cycling is inherently a somewhat risky activity” with potential for medical or legal accidents. As such, the two are responsible for drafting liability waivers, which she said is “pretty standard for bikeshare programs as a whole.” They also shared that they are in collaboration with the Department of Community Living to ensure the waivers meet university standards. 

     Ashhwika Soni ’29 asked if the app they are planning to use meets all necessary legal standards, to which Kurita assured her does. Kurita described the app as “pretty basic” and shared that “we are hoping to eventually build our own app.” She responded to a question about subscriptions for the bikeshare service, noting that “eventually that is a cost that the club will have to incur” and that they are looking to make it free for students. She also shared that, in the future, the group would like to implement time limits on how long bikes can be rented for. 

     The Union Senate then moved into a period of discussion. Ariel Bransten ’28 began by stating her support for the program. However, she mentioned her concern about the lack of time limits on the rental period, including worries that students may get “lazy” and will not return the bikes. Luke Farberman ’27, chair of Club Support, responded and shared that “when I first heard about this I was kind of skeptical.” However, he believes it will help students get off campus, and stressed that if the pilot program is successful, the Union Senate can urge the group to implement time limits on rental periods. Raymond Cao ’27 restated the sentiment about lack of time limits, as well as concern about how only having one designated return area in Massell Quad may inconvenience students or deter them from using the program. Jafary inquired about the additional cost of adding other designated return stations. Soni clarified that because of the group’s limited funding, they were currently limited to only one station. River Simard ’26 countered these arguments, believing they were “nitpicky” and urged support for the program. Soha Mursalien ’27 also wondered if students would take advantage of the program and adopt the mentality that “this is a free bike I now have.” Several students also raised concerns about privacy, as the proposed app would have access to GPS, and the group is looking to connect potential renters through their Brandeis ID. Farberman countered, saying this was true of all bikeshare programs. Jafary responded, noting this was something the group would have to be aware of going forward.

     Due to the extended debate on the matter, Farberman motioned for a roll call vote. The motion was unanimously approved, granting DeisBikes probationary status. Farberman shared that the group would need to set up a meeting with club support and Morgan Gill to help them establish a CampusGroups page.

     Farberman led the next motion, which called to merge the American Cancer Society and Relay for Life groups. He shared that “this merger has actually already kind of happened” and the vote was meant to “pick up the loose ends” so that it could be confirmed. Farberman motioned to vote, and the merger was unanimously approved. 

     The Union Senate moved into orders of new business, including appointing a Chief of Elections. Current Student Union President Ria Escamilla-Gil ’27 was seeking the position, and clarified that the Chief of Elections is responsible for handling election information and communication throughout the voting period. Farberman motioned to nominate Escamilla-Gil, and the motion was unanimously approved. 

     The Union Senate then moved into a communications update, and students took the time to independently review the executive board report. Farberman asked a clarifying question about constitutional amendments and when they would be voted on. Shin replied that these amendments were being drafted months in advance of actually voting on them. As there were no changes made to the finance report, the group moved into committee reports.

     Farberman shared that the Club Support committee had officially chartered the Pre-Med Society for probationary status during the fall 2026 semester, and will be hearing more chartering presentations in the coming week. Mursalien spoke on behalf of the Student Advocacy committee, and discussed plans for an upcoming collaboration with the Intercultural Center, which will feature an alumni speaker. Emily Cristales Guevara ’28, chair of the Internal Operations committee, shared that the committee had not had a meeting but is planning to do so in the coming week. Cao spoke about the Campus Life committee’s plans for an event in mid-April depending on availability. He also mentioned that the group had revised the campus life suggestions box and had sent it to Shin for approval. The committee plans to present a Senate Money Resolution soon. Finally, Soni reported that the Health and Wellness committee was not able to host a puppy yoga event they had been planning, but they are looking into it for the fall 2026 semester. The committee is looking into doing tabling with the Department of Student Engagement and may be submitting an SMR in the near future. They are also working on a collaborative “Stressbusters” event with the Office of Health and Wellness Promotion. 

     The meeting transitioned into matters of unfinished business. Shin shared that the group will be receiving important updates in the April newsletter, including updates on election results from the current cycle. Shin and Jafary also asked each member to sign up for 30-minute meetings with one of them, to check in about the various projects they are working on and how to better support members of the senate. 

     Shin presented a Senate Money Resolution of $900 to purchase 30 stoles for seniors to wear during graduation. Shin said that the stoles can be reused and are meant “to celebrate your time in Student Union.” Jafary asked about how graduates can return the stoles so that they may be reused in future years. Shin clarified that they can appoint someone to be in charge of this task. Simard proposed investing in graduation cords as opposed to stoles, believing it may be a slightly more nuanced way of recognizing students’ achievements in the Union Senate. Mursalien inquired as to whether or not the stoles would be made available to students currently serving in the senate, or students who had previously held the role as well. Shin said he was hoping to make the stoles available to everyone. Jafary asked if Shin would be willing to revise the SMR to better reflect the Union Senate’s suggestions. Shin agreed and said he will present the SMR again at a future meeting.

     Shin discussed the Student Union’s end of year report. Members of the Union Senate were asked to fill out the report in their respective committee meetings. “We are listing all the achievements we have done,” Shin said. The report will be read during the mid-April state of the union address. 

     The meeting transitioned into an open forum for public comment. The group heard from Yotam Ginsburg-Levin ’29, who spoke on behalf of his friends. Ginsburg-Levin stated that his friends found the Aunt Flow menstrual products currently offered around campus to be uncomfortable. “The quality of the products are not good,” he said, and urged the Union Senate to look into providing products from alternative manufacturers. Jafary responded by thanking Ginsburg-Levin for bringing the issue to the attention of Union Senate. However, she noted that because the initiative is done in collaboration with ENACT and the Period Activists at Deis group, they will have to look into contacting the respective organizations to change manufacturers. Another student offered to contact Prof. Charlotte Powley (LGLS), who coordinates PAD and is heavily involved with ENACT. 

     The meeting concluded as representatives shared information about events from clubs they participated in. The meeting was adjourned shortly after. 

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

— Editor’s Note: The Justice Layout Editor Ellie Ji ’28 is a member of the Student Union Senate and did not edit or contribute to this article.