As the University Park Undergraduate Association heads into the third meeting of its 16th General Assembly, some new faces are emerging.
Last monthâs executive and legislative elections brought a turnout of 3,307 voters and saw many familiar and returning members elected to Penn Stateâs student government, but others are just beginning their legislative terms.
Previously serving as a representative in UPUAâs freshman council, Kyle Quinn was elected as an at-large representative in the General Assembly, where he said he hopes to increase UPUAâs outreach efforts to the broader student population.
Quinn (freshman-industrial engineering) also ran on reform ideas for Penn Stateâs student government. Hoping to increase representation of University Parkâs large student population, Quinn proposed implementing âclass councilsâ for sophomores, juniors and seniors in addition to freshman council â similar to the structure of many high school stude
Today
A few snow showers scattered about the area this morning, otherwise a good deal of clouds. High 46F. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 30%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..
Tonight
Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Scattered frost possible. Low 33F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. Updated: April 22, 2021 @ 3:00 am
The 16th Assembly of the University Park Undergraduate Association met virtually Wednesday night for its second meeting.
The night began with a special presentation from student trustee Bryan Culler. He spoke about his role in the Next Gen Penn State Advisory Group, a group organized with the purpose of seeking input and guiding community involvement in the search for the next university president.
Culler shared
this survey for any students, faculty, staff, or alumni interested in weighing in about characteristics, priorities, and goals that are important in the search for the next president.
The next special presentation was from UPUA Speaker Sydney Gibbard, President Erin Boas, and Vice President Najee Rodriguez.
In its first Wednesday session of Spring Quarter, Associated Student Government elected Weinberg freshman Dylan Jost as speaker of the Senate and SESP freshman Leah Ryzenman as parliamentarian.
Jost won an uncontested race, replacing Weinberg sophomore Zack Lori. In his speech, Jost said he campaigned for the role because of how important ASG’s work is in making students’ voices heard. He added that he wanted to build a better sense of community among ASG senators.
“(The) community aspect where people feel encouraged to speak up can sometimes be lacking,” Jost said. “It’s definitely contributed to by the virtual aspect, but I feel like there’s also improvements to be made.”
Iâm Brittni McGuire, a senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln writing on behalf of Divest NU, a coalition advocating for the University of Nebraska to divest from fossil fuels. This is our mandate for NU to announce its commitment to divest by the next Board of Regents meeting on April 9, 2021.Â
As students, we come to the University of Nebraska to invest in our future. In exchange for tuition, the university invests countless resources to prepare us to positively impact the world after graduation. Itâs unsettling that our investment is being counteracted by the universityâs investment in fossil fuels â an industry destroying the lives of people and the planet, making our future uncertain.Â