A somber mood overtook the beginning of the weekly Student Senate meeting on Wednesday evening when President Jake Messer announced that former Treasurer Raymond Dunaway had been involved in an accident on Tuesday evening that left him in critical condition and resulted in the death of another driver.

According to Vice President Brooklyn Lampe, Dunaway had returned home from the hospital on Wednesday, but had received 12 staples in his head due to the accident.

Dunaway took to social media on the evening of the accident to express his condolences to the family who suffered a loss.

“My heart goes out to the other family,” said Dunaway via Facebook. “Please pray for them!”

After updating the Senate body on Dunaway’s conditions, Senate returned to business as usual.

Interim Treasurer Ashleigh Thomlinson stated that the Senate budget was $42,299.75 after the body approved appropriations for three different student organizations.

The first of three organizations to receive funds was Southern’s branch of the National Association for Music Education, which received $1,000 to attend an event.

“Nineteen members are going to Osage Beach for a conference where they will attend workshops and meet experts,” said Thomlinson. “It’s also a recruitment opportunity for them because high school students will be in attendance.”

The next organization to receive funds was the psychology club, which sent four students to a conference at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., earlier this month. They received $275 in reimbursements.

“It’s both a research conference and a networking opportunity,” said Thomlinson.

Kinesiology club was the final organization to receive funds from Senate on the evening. The club will send 16 individuals to a conference in Columbia, Mo., over winter break. K-Club requested $692.64 for the trip and was given the full amount.

Public Relations Chair Stacy Sonntag later addressed Senate’s shirt swap, which ran on Wednesday and Thursday of last week, noting that they gave away all 200 of the shirts they had ordered.

Sonntag also addressed why Crosslines was chosen as the outlet for donation.

“[Crosslines] sorts through all of the clothes and the clothes that are wearable are given to ones in need and the ones that are not are shred into insulation for the houses of the less fortunate,” said Sonntag.

In other news, Senate will only host one more body meeting for the remainder of the semester, to be held on Dec. 3. There will be no meeting next week due to Thanksgiving break.