Heather Mangan

In their first meeting of the year, the Student’s Association discussed many of the topics they plan to deal with in the next few weeks.

Monday’s meeting began with Barb Telkamp asking the SA’s permission to put up posters around campus for a community event. Telkamp said the political event will host state and local candidates running in the November election. Stephanie Herseth, Larry Diedrich and John Thune have agreed to attend Sunday’s event. Each major candidate has 30 minutes to talk, Telkamp said. She said the candidates will positively discuss their plans if they are elected, and that it’s not a debate.

“They’re not allowed to have questions,” she said.

Telkamp hopes the posters will encourage students to attend the project. Senator Kristin Olsen agreed that it would be a good way to get students involved and encourage them to vote. SA unanimously voted to let Telkamp hang the posters on campus.

SA President Amanda Mattingly then discussed plans for senators’ office hours. SA has a smaller office this year, due to their old one being under construction in the University Student Union, Mattingly said. She said that senators will have their office hours during lunch time at DePuy Military Hall and Larson Commons starting next week.

Mattingly also talked about events she attended this summer, including a leadership conference in Boston and a Student Federation meeting in Pierre.

She then proposed setting up a small committee to plan activities for the football game versus North Dakota State University Oct. 9.

The SA also plans to have a speaker come to talk to the senators about the state taxation bill that will be on the November ballot.

Tim Wrenn gave the senate a Residential Hall Association report. He said they are currently electing officers for hall government and candidates are still needed in each hall.

Following Wrenn’s report, Justin Larson gave a report on behalf of the University Program Council. He said the UPC’s Kickoff Bash and comedian Brad Lowery events were very successful. He said the UPC’s next event is a poster sale Sept. 8 to 10 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Larson Commons.

Student Association advisor Zeno Wicks talked to the senate about a taxation bill that will be brought up in the community in the next 30 to 40 days. He said the bill will require an extra penny tax on prepared food, which is already a mandatory tax for food on campus. Wicks said he would like to figure out how the senate stands on the issue, and if they are in favor of the tax. He wants to put together a committee to promote the bill to students. Wicks hopes that the city will give the tax money students pay, which is $3,500, back to SA to promote the bill.

“I think we will find the city is in agreement with us,” Wicks said.

The meeting ended with a report from Marysz Rames, Dean of Student Affairs. The new student orientation programs went well, she said. She also said that the Administrative building was open during move-in days this year. That helped student and parents take care of final bill questions.

Rames said SDSU has a good enrollment this year, but she was unable to release the actual number because only the Board of Regents is allowed to release enrollment figures

“Our number is looking good going into the school year,”

she said.

She also said that the union construction is right on track. She expects both the union and the new dorm to be finished as scheduled, by fall 2005.

The SA will hold their next meeting Monday at 7 p.m. in DePuy Military Hall.