The Student Government Association discussed a budgeting request, new scholarship criteria and approved a new senator at the meeting Oct. 29.

Vice president Eli Bohnert began the meeting with a few words and a moment of silence for the victims in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.

“Words have an impact, use them wisely,” Bohnert said.

Debbie Below and Matthew Kearney from Student Financial Services discussed the new scholarship changes that will be put in place for the incoming freshmen in Fall of 2019. They hope to increase the university’s numbers in student enrollment, retention and graduation rates by allowing superscores, stackable scholarships and tests to be optional for the incoming freshman class.

“We need to help college become more affordable for more students,” Below said.

Social Studies Educators Association requested funds for a conference in Chicago. It was briefly discussed but will not be voted on until the next meeting.

Executive board stipends were also explained by the Treasurer Caleb Ellenburg. A stipend is a fixed regular sum paid as a salary or allowance, and each member on the executive board has options to take the amount. The amounts were redistributed from the past year.

Sustainability Committee chairperson Justin Jacobs announced the Subway restaurant on campus is officially bagless, and said how they are working toward eliminating or replacing the plastic straws, as well. He said the plastic bags in Redhawk Market are also being switched over to paper.

The group went into closed session to discuss and vote on the open senator position for the Harrison College of Business and Computing. The meeting ended with junior Joshua Derrington getting sworn into the new position.