Monday 10/26/2015

Chair: Mac

Public Comments

Evergreen State Forum is student driven

Student designs the program, aided by faculty and guided by alumni

Each project would have an unlimited budget, each participate will get paid

Forming a student activities group and would like to receive input from the GSU and other students

GSU reps will receive applications for Election Commissioners and vote at next Monday’s meeting

Approve Minutes: Approved

Approve Agenda: Approved

Clean Energy Committee Appointments

Steven-MAsters of Environmental Studies Student

Anna-Second year in Masters of Environmental Studies

Interested in Outreach Coordinator

Move to appoint them to the Clean Energy Committee (appointed).

Rhianna will send the GSU email updates after every Clean Energy Committee.

Discussion on #whitelivesmatter

Last week, the GSU agreed that Mac will draft a letter responding to the #whitelivesmatter fliers and present it at Monday’s meeting.

A few GSU members mentioned that the letter can be workshopped. Everyone can edit the letter on a google doc.

The bias related response team have also drafted a response letter, which Wendy will address later in the meeting. The administration will send out this letter to the student body. The GSU debated on whether to also send out a separate response letter. Belson mentioned the idea of collaborating with the BSU to send out a response letter. The bias response team have reached out to both the BSU and First People’s. However, they were unable to collaborate due to scheduling.

Meeting with Wendy

Wendy visited the GSU to discuss the letter drafted by the bias response team. Wendy received fliers from Tom on October 8th. Wendy was cognitive of the impact that the fliers had on the community and spoke with several other people. She came to a decision that it may be better to not bring more attention to the fliers. After the push back from the GSU, the bias response team decided to draft a letter in response to the #whitelivematter fliers.

The GSU has not made a uniform decision on whether the group will draft a separate response letter.

A few GSU members expressed the idea of hosting a town hall meeting.

Molly moved to have the GSU draft a 3-4 sentence quote to add to the administration bias response team letter (approved).

The GSU will email the statement to Wendy. She also expressed that there is great value in drafting a separate response as well.

Molly motioned to remove everything from the agenda except the discussion on Legislative pole and use this time to draft a response statement (approved).

Final version of the GSU statement:

We look forward to collaborating with the Gʷídəq Student Union to provide a town hall meeting about the impact of the “white lives matter” or “all lives matter” response to the BLACK LIVES MATTER movement,

The Gʷídəq Student Union statement is as follows:

“We as the  Gʷídəq Student Union have worked diligently to bring this to the administration’s attention. We have recognized the impact the fliers have had on the campus community and look forward to holding a town hall meeting on with the community at large. An official Gʷídəq Student Union response will be forthcoming.”

Alex motion to approve the statement that will be quoted in the administration’s bias team letter (approved).

A GSU rep motioned to host a townhall meeting addressing the #whitelivesmatter townhall meeting (approved).

Mac, Jeff, and Risaki will organize the town hall meeting.

Molly motioned to have a separate response to the #whitelivesmatter fliers (approved).

Legislative Polls

List an environment issue on Legislative Polls. The GSU reps also discussed in listing contact information under each poll item.

Lobby the Legislature to ban plastic water bottles.

Guarantee grad school student to have jobs with or without work study.

Motion to have an impromptu voting meeting for the GSU emails on Wednesday meeting (approved).