The Student Government Association plans to discuss a potential replacement of the almost 40-year-old Sentinel, otherwise known as the “Green Man,” statue in the center of campus with a more “multicultural” statue.
Sen. Frank Burns authored Resolution No. 33, which recommends the replacement of the statue and presented this legislation at the April 6, SGA meeting.
The sophomore class senator’s legislation points to APSU’s need to express the university’s image of diversity as the reason for the replacement.
“Other Universities have and support the culture, history and diversity of their school through various monuments and statues on their campuses to show school history and pride,” Burns’ legislation reads. “This would progress the image of diversity here at APSU, drawing more multicultural students.”
The “Green Man” was unveiled in Spring 1980 as a public art installation crafted by Tennessee artist and APSU Professor Emeritus Olen Bryant, according to “A History of Austin Peay State University 1927-2002.”
Burns’ resolution will be discussed at the next SGA meeting on Wednesday, April 13.
At the same meeting, Lane Chisenhall was appointed as the new chief justice of SGA for the 2016-17 academic year.
This appointment completes the roster of the 2016-17 Executive Council with Ryan Honea as president, Dylan Kellogg as vice president and Blaine Gundersen as executive secretary.
Chisenhall was previously a tribunal justice for the 2015-16 year with Honea and current Chief Justice Lucas Bearden.
SGA also heard College of Arts and Letters Sen. Austin McKain’s Act No. 13, which defines “constituent” in the SGA Constitution.
The definition of “constituent” was called into question in late March when College of Education Sen. Jay Alvarez, who has since been voted back into his senate seat in the SGA elections, was removed from his seat because he was found to not be a constituent of his college by a special SGA Internal Affairs hearing on March 28.
Under McKain’s act, “constituent” will be defined as anyone who has a major or minor of the academic college or classification that a senator is looking to represent.
Currently, “constituent” is defined by the most current SGA Electoral Act in accordance with the SGA Constitution and associated bylaws.
According to SGA President Will Roberts, the definition of “constituent” is decided each year by the chief justice.
When Roberts was chief justice during the 2014-15 academic year, he defined “constituent” as any person whose major or minor falls under the umbrella of the college they represent.
Roberts said current Chief Justice Bearden made the decision to keep Roberts’ defintion for the 2015-16 year.
SGA will hear discussion on McKain’s act at the next SGA meeting on Wednesday, April 13.
SGA will also recommend pictures of babies be installed in the lactation stations around campus to help breast-feeding mothers lactate.
SGA passed College of Education Sen. Lydia Bullock’s Resolution No. 29, which recommends the pictures’ implemenation.
SGA Vice President Ankit Patel said seeing pictures of babies helps the lactation process by helping women produce oxytocin.
Oxytocin is a chemical in the body that aids in child birth and milk production, according to Daniel Chiras’ book “Human Biology.”
SGA also passed Resolution No. 30, which will recommend the installation of a blue light call box between the Sundquist Science Building and the Morgan University Center.
College of Science and Mathematics Sen. Dominic Critchlow authored this resolution.
It will send a letter of recommendation to the Physical Plant requesting they install the call box by the beginning of Fall 2016.
SGA also passed Behavioral and Health Sciences Sen. Gundersen’s Resolution No. 31, which looks to replace the speed bumps on Hand Village Avenue with speed humps to make walking safer for pedestrians.
In addition to these resolutions, SGA passed legislation to have paperless agendas at future meetings.
Gundersen’s Resolution No. 33 was passed, and it aims to better align SGA with the recently implemented Pharos Printing Services plan by cutting down on paper use during meetings.
The next SGA meeting will be on Wednesday, April 13, at 4 p.m. in MUC 307.
