Hearing and Seeing None: All eyes on the Senate Meeting

After a long week of accusations, resignations, and overall confusion, many looked forward to campus leadership providing some much-needed clarity amidst the chaos. Students, staff, and SGA members alike packed the halls of Southern University’s Cotillion Ballroom for the highly anticipated Senate Meeting that was held on November 3, 2022.
With the recent dismemberment of the Royal Court, the school watched and waited for any scramble of information regarding the crown.
At 6:30 PM, the senators were present and seated with the Senate President, Armani Pink, standing attentively at the podium near the front of the room.
A solemn seriousness dangled over the room as each committee chair gave their various reports on issues ranging from enrollment to financial concerns in different departments.
Senator Donovan Douglas invited Director of the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement, Tiffany Freeman to come up and present homecoming and SGA expenditures. Freeman stated $617,000 was allocated for both the homecoming and spring fest budgets. A grand total of $475,000 was spent on homecoming (including $288,000 for the concert lineup).
The remaining funds from homecoming would roll over into Spring Fest.
Freeman also stated that SGA received $150,000 in expenditures for the academic year—$58,000 of which was spent on travel expenses for trips such as the Arlington Showdown. Overall, $93,000 was spent of the SGA budget thus far.
The floor was then open to concerns about student assessment fees. Kobe Kelson, sophomore and president of SU’s Department of Bands Academic Program, came up to present his grievances on behalf of the Human Jukebox. He spoke of the fee assessment for the band which was lowered from $60 to $55 and how band members felt the drop was a “disappointment”—expressing how tirelessly the musicians work to keep the “spirit, tradition, and pride” of the university alive.
“We would love to be at every single performance…but we’re not attending the FAMU game because we do not have the funds to,” Kelson voiced, who felt unappreciated by both the student body and the university, the latter has yet to release the band’s funds—citing moldy tile and broken glass in the band hall, which Kelson invited the senators inside to view.
Senator Jamarik Allen replied saying, “We understand your concerns and we are drafting a bill to say we support you.” Another senator, Nykeria Samuel, mentioned the potential creation of a band senator to speak for the band’s issues, which Kelson agreed would be an “amazing idea,” recalling how “political” our campus is when it comes to handling “certain situations” that the Senate is currently facing.
It was also made clear by Ms. Freeman that the money from fees was reallocated in 2021 in preparation for the new student union—which has yet to break ground.
SGA President Carlos Brister then came up to give a speech delivered on an ambiguous basis. Brister said a handful of statements calling for a “peaceful and civilized” campus, emphasizing “accountability” and civic duty. He continued by saying, “We do not condone
unlawful and unconstitutional behaviors that reflect negatively on SGA and our beloved institution.” Though the subject matter was never explicitly stated, Brister reassured everyone that SGA was a “safe space for you to express your opinion,” and that “callous and devious behaviors will not be tolerated on our campus.”
Public expressions were then opened up. While Monae Harris, SOC Vice President, expressed equity for smaller school organizations, she was bluntly interrupted by a police officer who yelled, “Excuse me, I need to speak to miss Alexa Isaac. Alexa Isaac, are you in here?”
The room was set ablaze with whispers and gasps.
Isaac was previously accused by Miss Sophomore, Sydney Cuiller, of being allegedly harassed with the aid of Miss Junior, Syndey Lafleur. The elephant in the room had finally been addressed.
However, after Isaac did not reveal herself, the meeting continued as normal, with Brianna Lewis, president of the College of Entrepreneurs, also speaking of lack of resources for smaller groups. “There’s $600,000 worth of funding for homecoming and we [COE] have $1,500. But when we reach out, we can’t even get $400… That doesn’t seem fair,” said Lewis.
The Senate responded both to Harris and Lewis similarly, suggesting fundraisers and collaborations with bigger organizations. Senator Colby Bonier stated, “It’s not us, it’s SOC.”
From there, President Pink asked if there were any more questions from the audience. The silence was deafening when she said, “Do I have a motion to adjourn tonight’s meeting, hearing and seeing none?”
And in the blink of an eye, the Senate meeting was adjourned at 7:21 PM. No mention of the events of the week had been explicitly expressed, and the question of where the crown stands was left in the distance. Be sure to keep up with the Southern Digest as we continue to cover these events and more in the near future.