The Boston University Student Government, during its Senate meeting Monday evening, outlined upcoming election guidelines, reviewed spring semester programming, provided budget updates and voted to appoint new community directors.
The meeting opened with a financial report from Senate Chair Sean Sutton, who said the legislative branch’s remaining balance was $10,396.11. Of that total, $364.88 has been used by the General Senate and $5,239.01 has been allocated to committees.
Chief Justice Andrew Taylor reviewed the spring election timeline, beginning this week with Meet and Greet tabling scheduled for March 4 through March 6 at the George Sherman Union. The Town Hall will take place March 17, followed by the executive board debate March 23. Final voting will run from April 6 to April 10.
The Senate then voted on new leadership appointments. Sadie Feldman, a sophomore studying political science, was elected Director of City Affairs. Junior Anna Simms and senior Mason Carlucci were elected co-chairs for the Mental Health Committee.
“One thing I’d love to focus specifically on this semester is finding a way to make students feel like they always have access to mental health resources, not just in crisis,” Simms said. “It’s important at all times of the year, not just stressful times.”
Carlucci previously held the position for two years, during which he worked on a project examining BU’s campus response to sexual assault cases.
“This year, we want to step forward and work on a survey to see how students feel about ICE and see if we are protected as a campus and as students,” he said.
Following leadership updates, the Academic Affairs team announced upcoming events for the spring semester.
A Legos and Eggos event was rescheduled for March 18, which is National Waffle Day, and a Matcha Pop-up was set for March 26. Two of the semester’s largest events were also announced — Battle of the Bands and the Spring Festival.
Battle of the Bands will take place on March 30 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the GSU Ballroom. Students performing as bands or solo artists will compete for an opening slot at Agganis Arena before the Spring Festival headliner, and attendees will vote to determine the student opener, according to a slide presented by StuGov.
The Spring Festival artist has been confirmed and will perform at the final concert May 3. StuGov is collaborating with Agganis on staging, ticketing and event logistics.
Sutton explained in an interview that Battle of the Bands is a new event taking place this year, and said he thinks it will have a successful turnout.
“I know that the team planning is excited for it,” Sutton said. “I probably heard that more times this week than I can tell.”
Environmental Affairs also shared recent and upcoming initiatives for the month of March, including a partnership with the Boston Public Library to lead interactive sessions for elementary students about sustainability.
The executive board announced they are continuing to budget and plan priority projects, including the Terrier Access Fund and Student Community Teach-Ins, where a student committee will host a series of lectures focused on community, leadership, justice and equity. Funding for the Terrier Access Fund is being divided into the Student Life Grant and Student Academic Grant with $15,000 provided through the Off-Campus Council program.
The Social Advocacy Department announced its plans for a Cultural Summit in April for underrepresented cultural organizations and a collaborative event with the Boston International Students Association to support international students.
“It’s an opportunity to share employment opportunities for international students and better help them understand how the process works, especially with all of the current kind of immigration concerns that they may have,” an executive board member said.
