The South Dakota State University Students’ Association approved a new club constitution, listened to student organization reports and introduced a memorandum for Hobo Day Committee funding at the Nov. 27 Senate meeting.  

Performer’s Alliance Club 

Hannah Hulstein, treasurer of the Performer’s Alliance, addressed the Senate about the club’s mission. 

“We’d like to become a club so we can provide opportunities for people in music to perform,” Holstein said. “In the School of Performing Arts, there’s already a club for music education as well as for music entrepreneurship degrees, but there’s no club to supplement the musicians who want to perform and may not want to do that full time.” 

The Senate approved the Performer’s Alliance constitution unanimously.  

Student Organization Reports 

Two student organizations presented reports to the Senate. The reports are required for general activity fee funding.  

Olivia McFadden, president of the Black Student Alliance, addressed the Senate on behalf of BSA.  

She highlighted last school year’s Martin Luther King Jr. rally and “marade,” the step show, a blood drive to help black populations with sickle cell disease and Open Mic Nights.   

“We have a 2% population on this campus … so not a lot of people who look like us around here,” McFadden said. “That’s why we come together and try to build a community through events that are community-focused.” 

Shelly Bayer and Marjoanne Collins, director and assistant director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, respectively, addressed the Senate on behalf of the Office of Multicultural Affairs.  

Bayer reported the office held study sessions, collaborated with Latin American Student Association and the Office of International Affairs for events, held ally training and presented in classrooms about the office space, services and social identities.  

The office received $62,000 from SA for fiscal year 2023, which was about 31% of its total budget of $201,908.  

The American Indian Student Alliance was scheduled to present, but members were not in attendance.  

Other

SA President Trinity Peterson announced the general activity fee strategic plan survey would be sent out Nov. 28 and encouraged student input.  

Government Affairs Chair Michael Garafolo said South Dakota School of Mines and Technology has a GAF deficit of about $10,000 annually and Dakota State University has a deficit of about $30,000.  

Garafolo said these universities are receptive to raising the GAF fee students pay, and that the Board of Regents is open to finding a solution.  

Sen. Kaitlyn Lorang, who sits on the Wellness Center Committee, reported the Miller Wellness Center’s pool is closed due to a leak that drained about 50,000 gallons.  

The Senate also introduced a memorandum of understanding between SA and the SDSU Hobo Day Committee with the purpose of establishing “a guaranteed funding source” for the committee and to continue “friendly collaboration.”  

The memorandum guarantees the Hobo Day Committee $20,000 per year from the Student Promotion Fund Committee, with funding beyond that amount not guaranteed. The memorandum encourages the Hobo Day Committee to request additional funds from the this source instead of GAF. The memorandum will be in effect for three years through Hobo Day 2024, 2025 and 2026.