"Senate makes plans for new Semster"

(So after listening to a lot of music from the up-coming movie Repo! The Genetic Opera... well more like just one song over and over again... I've finished the first draft of my first *official* article for the Voice, I still need to research some names and reword some things before I can call it done.)

The dark blue and green chairs were filled by the Student Senate on Sept 11th in Student Activity Center in the East Wing to vote on action items, such as getting purified water for the Student Center to getting a budget going for office supplies for both the Aptos campus and the Scotts Valley campus and voting for a new Senator for one open spot in the senate. With a soft ring of a small bell at 3:06, the Senate began their meeting after going through roll call and looking over last meeting notes for errors and unnecessary statements. After, they start with the first item on their list: voting for a new senator to the opening in the Senate. They are faced with two potential members, both speaking out on their behalf: Amanda Martinez and Ruben Witis. Martinez is up first and she explains why she thinks she would be a good choice for the Senate, “have been interested for weeks,” she says, “I think it’ll be fun and cool,” she states, slightly nervous with her gold airplane earrings bobbing around by her neck. She expressed interest in both the Democratic Club, getting involved with the Republican club and for the issue of Health care. Witis is up next, also giving details on why they should pick him and states that he likes the fact that he’d be making his own choices and decisions. Senator Eric Barbour expressed interest for Witis to be “the Voice of Watsonville to the Senate.” Silence comes over the room while the secret vote is casted and Martinez wins 10 to 6.

After a few public comments including a Campaign presentation by Phil Rodriquez who is running for the College Board and Johanna Bowen, the Library Director speaking about the cost of an over-due text book along with a quick president’s and budget report, the Senate soon bring up current important action items for the college, one being for money to help maintain the 900 Building on campus, over 34,000 dollars and 700 dollars for the Wellness and Health Fair on Sept. 25th. Two items were for office supplies for the Aptos campus for staplers and colored paper and for the Scotts Valley campus for Bluebooks and Scantrons. The Senate carefully and professional handled items that involved the Campus money budget and spoke about certain informational items that needed to be addressed from Free Speech to creating an Eligibility Center for distributing 10,000 dollars in Scholarships for students. There was also a matter of taking a set amount of money to bring over Bruno Pisaro from Italy for a lecture on Greek Culture of Northern Italy. Pisaro was brought to Cabrillo last year for a lecture on Pompeii and his appearance completely packed lecture hall with students sitting on the floor and crowding around the door. It seems like Cabrillo are in for some fascinating changes this fall by the slightly unorthodox, but very passion group of individuals that make up the Student Senate, more high-quality changes are to come down the road and the students will not be disappointed with the plans in store.

(Not too bad if I do say so myself, especially with it's content... but it's a work in progress...)