The General Student Senate meeting on Jan. 26 began with roll call and the approval of the meeting minutes by Vice President Zachary Wyles.

General Good and Welfare:

Vice President Wyles gave Robert’s Rule of the week regarding a point of information. A point of information can be used by a senator to obtain urgent information during someone’s report. This point must be directed at a speaker. 

Officer Appointments, Resignations and Promotions:

Sen. Ben Orgel and Isaiah Bedsole have resigned.

Executive Reports: 

President Harrison Ransley welcomed back all of the senators for the new semester. He addressed that employees will be allowed to work from home in order to better contain the spread of the coronavirus. He will also start reaching out to all senators, along with Vice President Wyles, in order to obtain more feedback and better improve the UMaine Student Government. This also will serve as a way for the president to gauge everyone’s goals while they are in office. The big issue brought up by the president was the increase in the budget. The UMaine Student Government has a surplus of unallocated funds. This is largely in part due to COVID-19, but also in part due to a lack of club interests for funding. With this in mind, the president is looking for ideas to use some of this money for projects that will benefit the school and community as a whole. 

Vice President Wyles also welcomed back senators. He is looking at starting some new projects this semester and will continue to update the senate as those ideas come to fruition. Wyles and President Pro Tempore Peter Alexander attended a leadership conference in West Palm Beach at the end of last semester. When they attended they were able to learn several new leadership techniques and ideas that they hope to incorporate into the Student Government. Vice President of Financial Affairs Jacob Tauke reiterated Ransley’s remarks on the Student Government’s budget and the importance of finding new projects to use it on. Vice President of Student Organizations Emmeline Willey is working on several new projects and is looking for extra help from senators. Vice President of Student Entertainment Chase Flaherty said that this semester will be very similar to the last in regards to entertainment. He is trying to put together some new projects and will keep senators updated. Winter Carnival is coming up this February. Advisor to Student Government Lauri Sidelko welcomed back senators for the new semester. She announced that the school is taking similar precautions to COVID-19 and should check their emails about testing times. 

Periodic Reports: 

The University of Maine System Board of Trustees Representative Abigail Despres reintroduced herself to the senate after not being able to attend meetings last semester and announced her office hours. Representative to UMaine ROTC Austin Westfield said that there was a successful transition in the chain of command. 

Reports on Special Committees:

The Policy and Procedure Committee is trying to update absence policies through resolutions. The Political Activism Committee urged senators to join the committee. The Student Conduct Code and Oversight Committee urged senators to reach out if they have potential ideas for amendments. 

Representative Board Reports: 

The Board of Commuter and Non-Traditional students will  continue donating to the Black Bear Exchange this semester. They hope to gain enough funding to do more trips to the store. They also want to focus more efforts on recruitment. The Honors College Student Advisory Board was able to organize over 75,000 meals for the meal packout last semester. They will be holding officer elections next Thursday. They also launched an Honors College Minecraft server, and are trying to come up with more creative ways to keep the community connected. Panhellenic council will be having its first meeting of the semester on Thursday and will be having their leadership summit at the end of the month. Sustainability and Environmental Action Committee will be having their first meeting at the end of the month. 

Community Association Reports:

Wilde Stein has been having meetings in order to focus on putting together events for later in the semester. These events are the Drag Show as well as an alternative to Lavender Prom. 

New Business:

There was an act to modify the standing rules to create an absence policy, because the senate currently does not have a written one. Members will be dismissed after 3 three unexcused absences. This was passed. Another act to modify signature requirements for senators, allowing them to get online signatures instead of written ones, was going to be reviewed. 

The senate then went into final roll call and adjourned shortly after. 

Maine’s recent droughts have been taking a huge toll on the quality of hay for Maine farmers, forcing them to adopt new strategies to keep their hay in the best condition and keep their livestock healthy. On Wednesday, Dec. 9, the University of Maine’s Department of Agriculture hosted a virtual talk to discuss various agricultural insurance policies, as well as strategies for securing reliable hay during these droughts. The talks were given by Risk Management Crop Insurance Educator Chris Howard and Sustainable Dairy and Forage Systems professor Rick Kersbergen.

Howard gave the first half of the talk. She wanted to make sure that interested parties are made aware of various insurance opportunities for their crops, livestock and property. She advertised several programs that could be beneficial to farmers, such as the Livestock Forage Program (LFP), the Emergency Loan Program (ELP) and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). 

Several programs are also available to help with whole farm protection, which can be available to farmers who produce revenue for at least two different commodities. In these programs listed above,  farmers don’t need to produce the expected yield for each crop but must be able to have verifiable results in order to receive coverage. The more commodities that a property produces, the more coverage the property will end up receiving. A COVID-19 food assistance program also exists, which has been incredibly helpful during the pandemic. This program is for those who have experienced market difficulties during the pandemic and need some relief. Approved parties can receive 10% of their gross sales from 2019 as their payment. Howard hopes that people will jump on these opportunities so that they can be as secure as possible going forward.

Kersbergen gave the second part of the talk. The main goal of this discussion was to help farmers determine how much hay they will need to make it through the winter, provide information on forage alternatives and provide resources to reduce waste and help feed go farther. Every type of livestock needs different amounts and hay. An animal that weighs 1,000 pounds is considered to be one animal unit. Depending on how many animal units you have, this determines how much hay you will need to supply to keep those animals healthy. 

Kersbergen then spoke on hay quality and optimal storage conditions. The less moisture that hay has in it, the more optimal it is to give to animals. If hay has been stacked individually out in the open with large gaps between other bales, then the overall moisture will be low. However, if the bales are stacked in a pyramid like structure, it creates a gutter system that will lead to great amounts of moisture and  extensive damage to the hay. Kersbergen’s greatest recommendation was to store hay inside as much as possible and to avoid these unfavorable conditions. When purchasing hay, Kersgergen explains, it is very important to ask the seller how their hay was stored and to make sure that you aren’t getting a bad deal.

This talk served as a way to educate farmers on various opportunities to have a more secure production. Whether it’s having the right insurance or storing hay properly, the educational potential of this event is incredibly high and will likely help farmers move forward from the pandemic and Maine’s drought.

The General Student Senate Meeting began on Dec. 1 with roll call and the acceptance of the meeting minutes by Vice President Zachary Wyles.

General Good and Welfare:

Vice President Wyles gave the Robert’s Rule of the week, which was on division. Division is used when you want to cast a vote on a motion, rather than proceeding with the pleasure of the senate. Going into a division is not debatable. 

Executive Reports:

President Harrison Ransley returned this meeting. He has been working on securing office space for the coming year, in order to make the Wade Center the official working and meeting space of the student senate. Vice President of Financial Affairs Jacob Tauke informed the senate that they had received a change in balance from the Bursar’s office, bringing their new total unallocated funds to approximately $284,601, and that there are several requests for funding that need to be voted on.  Vice President of Student Organizations Danielle Jarosz, has been having several student organizations take part in the COVID-19 initiative that was voted on previously. Many clubs are putting themselves in stasis for when they can be more active after the threat of COVID-19 subsides. Vice President of Student Entertainment Chase Flaherty announced that the planning for spring events has already begun and that tickets for Spotlight Cinemas are still available. Advisor to Student Government Lauri Sidelko welcomed the senators back from Thanksgiving break.

Periodic Reports:

Student Legal Services Liaison Camryn Hammill informed the senate that there are six pending student court cases that are currently being assisted. Orono Town Council Liaison Hammill said that the council is looking for signage for future campaigns, and will be updating rules. Director of Communications Danielle Jarosz has begun working on senator Instagram profiles, which have been met with positive reception so far. 

Standing Committees:

The Marketing and Public Relations Committee had a very successful meeting and will be improving features on Instagram soon. They also discussed how to handle conflict resolution in the press. The Political Activism Committee had a meeting last week and decided that they want to try having a round table discussion with the University of Maine College Democrats and the UMaine College Republicans. Here, they could have an open dialogue to discuss views in a respectful environment. The Services Committee will be holding a meeting with dining services soon. 

Special Committees:

The Student Conduct Code Oversight and Review Committee has successfully opened the door for a serious review of the current iteration of the conduct code. Representative to the Provost Council Ryan Kelly said that the council has cancelled their next meeting, so they will be meeting again in early 2021.

Representative Board Reports:

The Board of Commuter and Non-Traditional students announced that they have donated over 1,300 pounds of various goods to the Black Bear Exchange. The Honors College Student Advisory Board just held a personal care items drive, and raised over 500 items. They also hosted a student focus group to talk about curriculum changes coming to the Honors College. They will be hosting a resume building workshop at the end of the week. Interfraternity Council finalized its elections, and their philanthropy events have concluded for this semester. A winner for the mustache contest they have been running for “No Shave November” should be decided by next week. Panhellenic council will start their officer training soon, and the new president should be shadowing at the next senate meeting.

Community Association Report:

The International Student Association will be having meetings throughout the week to discuss the meetings moving forward. 

Consent Agenda:

The Woodsman Team made a request for $200. This request was granted.

New Business:

The Senior Class Council made a request for $2,562 for senior class face masks. This request was approved.

The senate then entered the executive session, and adjourned shortly after. 

The flora and fauna of the natural world are truly a beautiful thing to behold. Every day, people find ways to adapt their lives to keep different types of plants in their homes. Even in dorm life, it’s quite common to find students caring for some form of plant in their rooms, watching it grow while nurturing it over the course of a semester. Professor of horticulture at the University of Georgia Bodi Pennisi gave a talk titled “How to Care for Houseplants” to the University of Maine over Zoom about proper houseplant care. This was run by the School of Food and Agriculture at UMaine. 

Pennisi spoke on the importance of proper plant care, discussing light levels, humidity, soil quality, temperature and water quality. She discussed all of these topics in the context of growing a variety of plants including orchids, violets, ferns and even succulents. Each kind of plant requires a different variety of resources, all needing unique conditions for maximal growth. Whereas some plants flourish better in very hot and humid conditions, others will grow better in more temperate, dry conditions. On the University of Georgia’s website, Pennisi expands further on the points she made during the talk, putting everything into a comprehensive list for people to follow. 

After getting the right mix of soil, and making sure that the plant is ready to grow under the right conditions, it is time to move into grooming and pruning. Some plants need to be properly groomed in order to flourish and stay as healthy as possible. The key is to prune a plant lightly and frequently in order to maintain the desired height and structure of the plant. When the plant begins to grow too big for its container, repotting the plant is often the next step. The key is picking a container that can properly handle and maintain the root growth. However, one can also prune the root of the plant as well. Another topic  Pennisi harped on was keeping plants clean in order to maintain their health. According to Pennisi, salt accumulation along leaf margins can lead to wilting leaves and stems. Therefore, keeping plants clean will ensure a longer life cycle for the plant. There are also certain pests that can attack plants, such as spider mites, which can be handled by gently using rubbing alcohol on affected areas. However,  taking care to purchase pest-free plants will prevent the problem from occurring in the first place. 

Indoor houseplants can be a beautiful accent to any home or room. They allow for expression, and add a little something special to every room.  Pennisi’s talk provided a great guide for how to care for houseplants responsibly, so that we may better extend their lifespans in the home. This talk was sure to help students and UMaine staff alike, and will be useful for any and all people who are looking to grow plants indoors. By following the proper steps, anyone can have beautiful and healthy plants in their house that will be sure to wow anyone who sees them. 

On Sept. 28 2020, the University of Maine board of trustees approved to have the name of the Emera Astronomy Center changed to the Versant Power Astronomy Center. This change comes amidst the acquisition of Emera by Versant Power, which is a subsidiary of Enmax Corp, a Canadian utility company. While the company has gone through a period of change through the acquisition, the functions and features of the astronomy center will remain the same.

UMaine built the astronomy center in 1954 under the name of the Maynard F. Jordan Planetarium. Much like today, the planetarium was run by students with a passion for astronomy that they wanted to share with other students. The center was originally constructed above Wingate Hall, and was only open to students. However, after some renovations in the late ‘70s, the planetarium became available to the general public. By the 1980s, the planetarium had fallen into a state of disrepair, and needed to be closed indefinitely. After the planetarium closed down, the greater Orono community petitioned for it to be renovated and reopened. Sure enough, backed by community support, it was reopened again in 1983 with newly updated models and projectors. 

The new technology allowed the planetarium to stay functional well into the 2000s. In 2012, the university received an anonymous donation to create a new home for the planetarium. They began construction on the new astronomy center, which finished in 2014. At the time, Emera provided significant monetary support for the planetarium, and thus, the university decided to name the astronomy center after the company. 

With the recent acquisition, the newly christened Versant Power Astronomy Center can continue to show us what lies in the stars, and educate students and visitors alike on the wonders of our solar system. 

The General Student Senate meeting on Nov. 10 began with a roll call by President Pro Tempore Peter Alexander, and the approval of the previous meetings minutes. 

General Good and Welfare:

The senate approved the UMaine e-sports club for preliminary recognition.

Executive Reports:

President Zachary Wyles addressed several problems that have been arising on campus due to rising COVID-19 cases, such as rooms beginning to shut down and having in-person meetings cancelled. As of right now, spring semester will be starting a week later on the academic calendar, and that week’s late start will be taking the place of spring break. The senate is looking to get that date changed back to the original spring break date. Vice President of Financial Affairs Jacob Tauke spoke on unallocated funds, and told the senate of a new request from the Asian Students Association for a movie night, as well as other topics to talk about during executive session.  Vice President of Student Organizations Emmeline Wiley told the senate that several clubs that were active in past years, have to be deactivated this year, including archery, Marsh Island burning, mock trial and several others. Vice President of Student Entertainment Chase Flaherty thanked everyone who attended the Maine Event tour over the past couple of weeks. Overall, it was a great success, and something they are looking to do again in future years. Flaherty also informed the senate that because of new COVID-19 cases, there will be no more in-person senate meetings for the rest of the semester. Advisor to Student Government Lauri Sidelko talked more about the outbreaks on campus. These are likely results of Halloween weekend, as well as students going home for breaks. Due to these new events, all face-to-face activities will be extremely limited for the semester, and many public spaces have already been shut down.

Periodic Reports:

Director of Communications Danielle Jarosz announced that she has just finished her social media post campaign, but will likely be starting a new promotional campaign soon. She is still looking for a new director of technology, and is also looking to start a senator of the week program on Instagram. UMaine Security Representative Ben Orgel will be having a meeting with the Orono Police Department on Nov. 15. 

Standing Committees:

Membership meeting this week finalized details with Wyles for the annual senate retreat. However, because of recent Covid COVID-19 restrictions for student life, this will have to be changed once again. The Policy and Procedure Committee amended various recognition policies for the student government. 

Representative Board Reports:

The Board of Commuter and Non-Traditional Students planned on making another trip to Hannaford for the Black Bear Exchange, but recent COVID-19 restrictions mean this has to be rescheduled. Honors College Student Advisory Board is moving Honors hangouts to a virtual environment. All in-person hangouts have been suspended for the rest of the semester. The Interfraternity Council is participating in “Movember” to raise money for men’s health. PanHellenic Council is extending president applications for another week to get more applications. The Senior Class Council sent in a budget request to get senior class masks. Sustainability and environmental action is trying to get money for electric car chargers on campus. 

Community association reports:

Wilde Stein had a successful meeting last week. They are trying to figure out what to do for a transgender day remembrance, and they are hoping to put flags on the mall. They are also trying to find an alternative route for gay Thanksgiving, which has been a tradition for the past couple of years. The International Student Association is meeting this week to discuss meeting ideas for the rest of the semester. 

Consent Agenda:

Asian Student Organization requested $61 for a socially-distanced movie night. It was approved by the senate. 

New Business:

A new resolution has passed to create a membership pause for certain organizations affected by COVID-19. They can be paused for one year without having to renew information, but after that year, they must go through the club creation process again.

The senate then moved into executive session, and shortly thereafter, they adjourned. 

The General Student Senate meeting on Nov. 3 began with roll call by President Pro Tempore Peter Alexander.

General Good and Welfare:

The meeting minutes were approved. Women and Business, a club focused on bettering the experience of women in the Maine Business School, was approved for preliminary recognition. 

Executive Reports:

Vice President Zachary Wyles reminded all the senators to vote in the United States election if they had not already done so. The Robert’s Rule workshop will be happening later in the year at the senate’s leadership conference, rather than held exclusively by the school. President Pro Tempore Peter Alexander thanked the senate for their patience during President Harrison Ransley’s absence. Vice President of Financial Affairs Jacob Tauke announced that the student government has $221,338.81 of unallocated funds. Allocations need to take place, which will be discussed in the executive session along with topics pertaining to the University of Maine Renaissance and UMaine Outing club. Vice President of Student Entertainment Chase Flaherty announced that the final act of The Maine Event will be Chloe Fineman. The entire tour has been going well, with greater reception given to the second half of acts. UMaine is also launching an on-campus streaming service through Apogee. 

Periodic Reports:

The Representative to ROTC Austin Westfield brought up recruits who are concerned they will face possible backlash over election results and urged senators to report harassment if they saw it. This warning was given due to certain behaviors exhibited on campus during the previous presidential election.  Director of Communications Danielle Jarosz has continued to work with Flaherty as they try to recruit more senators. 

Standing Committees:

The Membership Committee has been continuing talks with Wyles about the senate retreat. The merchandise order for the senate has also been placed. The Committee of Policy and Procedure discussed and voted on amendments that recognize international student organizations as official in their constitution. There is also an investigation underway to find out why that wasn’t already the case. 

Representative Board Reports:  

The Board of Commuter and Non-Traditional students said that the Black Bear Exchange shopping trip went very well. They plan on making another trip in about two weeks. The Honors College Student Advisory Board is trying to get approval for in-person office hours or a hangout space for Honors students to enable more interaction. They plan on doing a resume building workshop near the end of the year. Interfraternity Council will be holding elections soon for a new president and will coincide with the election for Panhellenic Council on Nov. 19. The Panhellenic Council is wrapping up interviews for the upcoming executive board. The Senior Class Council reports that the class of 2021 Instagram has been created and urged senators to follow it.

Community Association Reports:

Wilde Stein is working on a vigil for the Transgender Day of Remembrance. The club is hoping to make this an outdoor event.

New Business:

The senate passed an act to modify financial policy for funding apparel for organizations. 

The senate then entered executive session, and shortly after, the senate adjourned.

The General Student Senate meeting on Oct. 13 began with roll call, and the Pledge of Allegiance given by Vice President Zachary Wyles.

General Good and Welfare:

The minutes from the Oct. 6 meeting were approved by the senate, and Vice President Wyles brought up his Robert’s Rule item of the week, which was tabling an item. Tabling is used to move a discussion or decision on a topic to a later date. When an item is effectively tabled by the senate, it can’t be brought up before the date decided upon. 

Executive Reports:

President Harrison Ransley spoke again on reinstating the director of technology position. He also informed the senate that this will be his second to last meeting before he takes his leave of absence.Wyles was pleased to announce that most people have filled out committee sign up forms for the semester. He has also been working closely with the membership committee about organizing a retreat for the senate. On Oct. 27, costumes would be allowed at the meeting. Vice President of Financial Affairs Jacob Tauke announced that the student government has a total of $224,809.04 in unallocated funds. This number is increased from previous meetings, because there was a transfer from a projected number to an actual number. The student activity fee is now in the system and up to date. He also spoke on the director of technology position, who will be responsible for ordering equipment and managing the senate website. Vice President of Student Organizations Emmeline Willey announced that all club update forms are due Oct. 16. Vice President of Student Entertainment Chase Flaherty announced that the Aces are the next artist after Rico Nasty on the Maine Event tour. There has been a large social media campaign to announce the events as well. Homecoming events are also coming up as well, held by the alumni association. The university will be streaming the 2018 homecoming football game, which was the University of Maine vs. the University of Albany. Advisor to Student Government Lauri Sidelko called attention to early voting in the field house on campus on Oct. 17. 

Periodic Reports:

The Student Legal Services Liaison Camryn Hamil advocated for Sean O’Mara, who has provided great legal advice for students and faculty alike. The Orono Town Council Liaison Camryn Hamil announced that a town council meeting will be held on Oct. 19. Absentee ballots can be requested until Oct. 29. These ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. on election day.  Director of Communications Danielle Jarosz has been working closely with student entertainment. The leadership scholarship is still open for applications, so senators should try and spread the word. 

Reports on Standing Committees:

The Membership Committee is meeting with Wyles this week to discuss the senate retreat. The Committee on Policy and Procedure has worked on making an amendment that will allow university staff to have office hours count virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions. The Services Committee had a Q & A session with administrators, and there will be a report on that soon. They should also be having a meeting with UMaine Dining.

Reports on Special Committees:

The student mental health committee will be meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Representative Board Reports: 

The Board of Commuter and Non-Traditional Students has gotten their discord server working. The Black Bear Exchange is still looking for volunteers. The Honors College Student Advisory Board elected a new treasurer, and they are holding their first executive meeting this week. Forum Friday this week will include a talk with Professor Brewer on the importance of voting. The Interfraternity Council put up sign up forms to run for president this week. The Panhellenic Council held their circle of sisterhood workshops and they reported that the event went well. Some chapters have reached capacity, and many chapters are completing event management forms. The Board of Sustainability and Environmental Action presented an internship opportunity available through the Mitchell Center, and they are continuing their efforts with Transportation for All. 

Community Association Reports:

Wilde Stein has elected a new president and secretary. They are also going to request funding to put on The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The International Student Association will be hosting their coffee hour again outside of Stodder Hall. 

New Business:

An amendment was passed by the senate to allow virtual office hours to be held over Zoom due to COVID-19 and for this to be added to job descriptions. The senate then had a discussion on saying the Pledge of Allegiance before meetings. They voted and decided that the pledge will no longer be said going forward. It will be replaced with something new, that is currently to be determined. 

The senate adjourned shortly after.

On Thursday, Oct. 15, water filter entrepreneur and University of Maine alumni Dr. Eric Roy gave a virtual talk over Zoom about his experience from scientist to entrepreneur. He spoke to his experience with the TV show “Shark Tank” and the many lessons he learned along the way. The talk was given in conjunction with UMaine’s Young Entrepreneur Series. 

Roy began his presentation by talking about his background. After graduating from UMaine in 2009, he was already working at One Step Systems (OSS), which is a company that specializes in high performance modules and systems, including customized servers, compute accelerators, expansion systems, flash storage arrays and Ion Accelerator storage software. Roy worked for OSS up until 2014 when he went to work for Rigaku, which is a company that functions as an international manufacturer and distributor of scientific, analytical and industrial instrumentation specializing in X-ray related technologies. In 2016, Roy then went to work for Cobalt, which was later acquired by Agilent. This experience is what gave Roy a glimpse into the world of business acquisitions. However, in 2015, Roy had been working on Hydroviv in the background. Hydroviv, is a brand of water filters that work to filter out Lead, Arsenic, Chromium 6 and various other chemicals. Roy created Hydroviv as a reaction to the Flint, Michigan water crisis, where the entire town’s water supply was contaminated and became undrinkable.

It was Roy’s innovation, along with some advice from some trusted individuals, that brought him on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” a show where business startups try to get investments from wealthy investors, or “sharks.” According to Roy, the entire “Shark Tank” process was a nine month affair. It began in June 2018, when Roy applied on the Shark Tank website. 

“Actual in-person open casting calls were way too far away, so even though the likelihood of getting picked was even slimmer online, it was our best bet,” Roy said. 

When it came to filming Roy’s episode on Sept. 12, 2018, he had an hour and a half meeting with the sharks. In the end, he was offered a deal with Mark Cuban for $400,000 dollars for 20% of the company. After many months of working with Cuban’s team, Roy and his associates decided that the deal might not be the best thing for them, and after five months of negotiations, they dropped the deal. However, this was all beneficial for Roy in the long run, as monthly revenue for the company soared when the episode was aired. 

Roy spoke of many lessons that he had learned along the way. He says, “I learned that it’s important to be financially honest with yourself. You have to ask yourself ‘Do I have enough money to do what I want to do?’ If you’re looking to emulate a big player’s business model, like Elon Musk or Bill Gates, you have to make sure that business model works right for you”. 

Roy shares if  you need to adapt to another business person’s playbook, make sure that model works for you as well. Roy also stressed the importance of networking and self evaluation. If you aren’t honest with yourself, success will be difficult to find, and often lead to messy mistakes. Hydoviv has found great success in adapting its formula to various cities and towns, and it looks that it will find even more success going forward.