During the final Student Senate meeting of the semester, held April 22 in the Billingsly Student Center, art major Sarah Volkl gave a presentation to the student senators and Senate advisors regarding the issue of student access to the art department after hours and possible changes to the current system.

As she explained, select students in the art department have been granted access to the building up until midnight each night, allowing them to use equipment such as pottery wheels and graphic design software that art students don’t typically have access to off campus. However, the possibility of changing student access policies, which is being advocated by the University Police Department which feels the current system creates a security risk, has sparked enough discussion to cause concern among students in the art department who feel any changes might prove detrimental to their academic work.

“My ultimate concern is that I don’t want our accesibility to our homework [to] be limited,” said Volkl.”

After the presentation, the senators engaged in a lengthy discussion over the issue and thanked Volkl for bringing it to their attention before they moved on to their next guest speaker Cory Garr, representing the Residence Hall Association. Garr was there to thank Student Senate for approving an appropriation earlier in the semester that allowed the RHA to carry-out their Adopt a Platoon event.

In additon to hearing the two guest speakers, Student Senate also wrapped up the business of purchasing new trash cans for the Missouri Southern campus. The goal of the project is to replace the University’s current trash cans, which include built-in ash trays, in light of the impending tobacco ban, which will go into effect next semester. Senators also approved appropriations from the Biology Club and the Caduceus Club, which are taking a joint trip to Kansas City to tour medical schools, as well as from the Southern Clay Club, which will be sending two students to an international program being held in North Carolina.

With Wednesday’s meeting being the final Student Senate meeting of the semester, Vice President Brooklyn Lampe took the opportunity to say farewell to her fellow senators before she graduates in May.

“I just wanted to say thank you to all of those who have served with me,” said Lampe. “It’s been a privilege. I’ve seen a lot of good things happen for this campus.”

At the close of the semester, Student Senate’s budget stood at $48,999.12.