After the General Activity Fee Strategic Plan vote last week, Students’ Association returned for another busy agenda for its Feb. 4 meeting.

The new At-Large senator, Kevy Konynenbelt, was sworn into office. Sen. Konynenbelt is a senior undergraduate student in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

The candidacy nominations for Students’ Association president and vice president opened last night and President Allyson Monson is running for re-election with Sen. Corey Berscheit as her vice president for the 2019-20 academic year.

General election petitions open at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 5 and close on Feb. 26.

SA unanimously passed two resolutions 18-09-R, 18-10-R, Ordinance 18-01-O and Amendment 18-01-A.

In 18-09-R, SA shows support for the current South Dakota Board of Regents policies regarding firearms on campus. The Senate wants to continue the autonomy of the BOR to create or change its own policies regarding the possession of firearms on its campuses.

More debate happened with 18-10-R as it would allow the BOR staff and institutional representatives to make revisions to the former BOR policies to address issues and concerns that were raised by various constituent groups.

In the resolution, it requires all students getting Bachelor’s degrees to pass a United States citizenship test in order to earn their degree. All students must also take three credits in the area of United States government.

“If this goes through, basically you’re putting at disadvantage all the international students,” Josh Anderson the Ex-Officio for the International Relations Council said. “If we’re looking to improve enrollment and you need to pass a U.S. citizenship test just to get your degree, that’s going to put the majority of people off.”

The first reading of 18-01-O was waived by Sen. Nick Lorang, moving it to its second reading. This resolution is the establishment of Students’ Association Senate task force to develop a memorandum of understanding with Athletics regarding new general activity fee allocations.

Sen. Sameer Keshavan moved to amend the resolution so they would add a student athlete at-large position. This amendment was then amended to make it a nonvoting member.

Government Affairs Chair Cole McDougall expressed his concern about the lack of diversity on the task force, seeing as six out of the nine members were involved with Athletics closely.

However, President Monson stated that she had previously created a Facebook post where people could comment if they wished to be involved, but no one commented.

Also passed was 18-01-A which allows a senators-at-large to fill vacant seats on the Student’s Association Board of Directors. Previously, seats on the Board of Directors would remain unfilled if there were no senators elected from a particular college.

The History Club presented its case for a new venture fund request of $1,000, which passed unanimously.  According to Sen. Lorang “, this new venture fund represents a step toward growth.”

For student organization reports Oakwood, SDSU’s literary magazine, took the floor to give their student organization report senators about the value of the literary magazine. With funds raised by the English department and funds from the General Activity Fee, students are able to publish writers, photographers and artists from around the region.

“We actually put a call for submissions out to the entire campus. Last year in the issue we represented seven departments,” Taylor Spence, Oakwood president, said.

Staters for State reported on its events serving food to the alumni at every football game and choosing the SDSU family of the year.

Students’ Association will meet again at 7 p.m. Feb. 11 in the Lewis and Clark room of the Student Union.