By Benjamin Strawbridge
Staff Writer
March 29, 2018
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Following a two-week hiatus, the UNH Student Senate met up on Sunday to tend to a light legislative load coupled with a guest speaker aspiring to improve internal support for mental health advocacy.
The speaker in question, a Non-Resident Senator, sought to both criticize the assembly for not doing enough of its part to raise awareness for on-campus events regarding mental health, specifically concerning the “Don’t Suffer in Silence” awareness walk, and to suggest ways in which the Senate could do more to make that awareness happen.
“I’m really frustrated with this body right now because for months, since last May, in fact, I have been working really hard, sending hundreds and hundreds of emails…spending easily four hours a day sometimes on these emails about this walk,” the Senator said, who also expressed that they had been “working really hard to get it through SAFC,” as well as to garner and maintain support from numerous organizations, Greek organizations and hall councils that had previously decided to aid in the walk, which, compounded with a full-time job, have cost the Senator sleep and academic performance as a result.
In their speech, the Senator aimed to address the “complete lack of knowledge that this walk is happening,” as well as the lack of support from the Senate. While the Senator did not want to “call out” specific individuals, they received silence and blank stares when they asked whether or not they knew the name of the walk that was listed on the submitted SAFC form, for an event that was, according to the Senator, cosponsored by Student Senate.
The Senator called the lack of awareness and knowledge of the details of the walk a “problem,” as they wanted to have the organization that they have been “passionately involved with” to take an active role in spreading proper awareness of events concerning mental health, adding that the frustration stress has begun to threaten their mental health.
“I’m not a superhero, I can’t magically go to three places at once…that’s just not possible,” the Senator said as they called for more active involvement from the Senate regarding spreading awareness for mental health issues and events, urging them to volunteer and take up meetings with different organizations about the walk that they potentially cannot find time for.
Following the Senator’s speech, the body proceeded with its routine legislative schedule, which this week included one major resolution in “other business.” The motion in question, entitled “Opposing House Bills 1264 and 372,” introduced by Community Development Chair Elena Ryan, sought to oppose HB 1264 and urge NH Governor Christopher Sununu (R-NH) to veto House Bill 372, which, along with HB 1264, “change the definition of a resident of New Hampshire,” which, per the resolution, could “alter the interpretation of domicile and infringe upon the voting rights of college students” in the Granite State.
The resolution passed the Senate unanimously with no abstentions.
With no other resolutions on the table, a number of appointments were made on Sunday, starting with Gordon Guilmette being approved as the next Senate Parliamentarian for the remainder of Session XXXIX; in addition, Health and Wellness Chair Emily Cochran and Payton Taylor were approved as SAF Chief Financial Officers for Session XL.
Regarding the 2018 Election Season, External Affairs Chair Hayden Stinson was officially removed from the assembly’s Election Committee for the remainder of the Session, while the referendum question “Do you believe that administration effectively communicates with students?” was passed with unanimous approval.
Originally published in The New Hampshire in Vol. 107, No. 22, on Mar. 29, 2018.