Los Angeles, CA – At the December 3rd meeting of the USG Senate, Chief Justice Susanna Andryan inaugurated President Brianna Sanchez, Vice President Dane Sprague, Senator Jad Kilani, and Senator Sydney White, and it considered and passed Senate Bills 144-20, 144-22, 144-23, and 144-24.
Authored by Senator Heydy Vasquez, SB 144-20: A Bill to Approve Legislative Funding for the Buddhist Shrine Room supports the implementation of a dedicated space for Buddhist students in the form of a prayer room in the University Religious Center. The center is committed to fostering inclusion by supporting students from various religious backgrounds. SB 144-20 passed unanimously.
The Senate addressed SB 144-21: The Incorporation of the Undocumented Trojan Success Assembly (UTSA) to amend the USG bylaws and officially incorporate the UTSA. The proposal seeks to include UTSA under Article III: The Legislative Branch, Section K: Advocacy Department, and Article VI: The Programming Department, Section A: Role of the Programming Department.
Chief Financial Officer Obioha authored SB 144-22: A Bill to Amend the Funding Department Guidelines. The Senate approved the amended Funding Department Guidelines, finalizing their implementation for the remainder of the academic year.
SB 144-23: A Bill to Approve Legislative Funding for Wellness Week was unanimously approved. Authored by Allie Wang, Chair of Wellness Affairs, the bill approves a Legislative Funding request of $2,000 to support Wellness Week, an annual event promoting awareness of wellness resources for students.
“Many of the wellness resources offered by USC are often underutilized or unknown, which is why Wellness Week is important to spread awareness about several holistic health offerings on campus,” shared Chair Allie Wang. “Through activities, speakers, and workshops, Wellness Week is a great way for students to decompress, destress, and foster healthy habits.”
The Senate previously approved the Budget in SB 144-10. However, SB 144-24: A Bill to Amend the Budget, approved a $12,000 increase to the Executive Account to fund shuttle services between LAX and USC, as well as workshops and roundtable discussions to enhance student engagement. This funding aims to improve accessibility and foster inclusive educational opportunities for all students.
Additionally, at the December 3rd meeting, the Senate confirmed Shrinidhi Sriram as the Affordability and Basic Needs Committee Chair. Chair Sriram is a freshman majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Law and minoring in Law and Migration Studies.
Vice President Sprague, Chief of Staff Sofia Coen, Chief Financial Officer Chisom Obioha, and Chief Diversity Officer Yasmeen ElFarra all provided reports to the Senate. In addition, Speaker Elija Barnes, Senator John Breitfelder, Senator Jacklyn Karamanougian, and Senator Brandon Tavakoli all presented updates.
The USG Senate meets every Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in TCC 450 (Tutor Forum). Every Senate meeting has an open forum. This is a space for any person to express ideas and/or concerns to the Senate in a verbal manner.