On Wednesday, Nov. 20, the Associated Students at the University of New Mexico met not just to deliberate 10 appropriations and three bills — all of which eventually passed — but also to celebrate the semester and elect a new president pro tempore.
In his opening address, Vice President Mutazz Jaber congratulated the senators on their individual and committee accomplishments.
This semester, the Finance Committee awarded over $420,000 to student groups across UNM through appropriations, outgoing President Pro Tempore Hope Montoya said.
The committee’s chair, Sen. Bailey Rutherford, was elected to the position of president pro tempore for next semester after winning against his opponent, first-term Sen. Josiah Ward. The president pro tempore presides over the senate when the vice president is absent. Appointments made by the president also go through the president pro tempore, according to the ASUNM Constitution.
Rutherford was nominated for the position by Montoya, while Ward was nominated by Steering and Rules Committee Chair Sen. Jackson Zinsmeyer.
The senate also ran an unofficial election to determine who should be recognized as the term’s Outstanding Senator. While the first round of ballots narrowed the competition to Zinsmeyer and Sen. Alexa Lucero, the results of the second round will not be known until the title is awarded at the April Recognition Reception.
There were two guest speakers absent from the meeting: UNM President Garnett Stokes and Provost James Holloway, who were set to speak and answer questions from the senate on behalf of the student body and the respective organizations the senators advocate for.
The senate passed Bills 16F and 17F, which sought to protect the integrity of ASUNM elections. Bill 16F prevents physical coercion or intimidation by representatives of campaigns. Bill 17F restricts the use of University resources for the promotion of a campaign.
Bill 20F, which will establish the role of “student advocate” within the ASUNM judicial system, failed during the last senate meeting due to policy around witness cross-examination that made it unpopular among the legislature.
After that policy was removed from the bill during this meeting, it was passed by the senate, creating the student advocate role. The goal of the role is to make the ASUNM legal system more accessible to students who don’t feel comfortable representing themselves or aren’t eligible for representation by the attorney general, according to Alex Adams, governmental affairs executive director.
All 10 appropriations in Wednesday’s meeting passed.
Eight of the appropriations passed were submitted for the purpose of enabling student organizations to attend conventions or events. The organizations included UNM Robotics Club, College Democrats, the Art History Mentorship Initiative, Diné Club, Mountaineering Club, the Muslim Student Association, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the Arnold Air Society.
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The final two appropriations were requests from the Delta Sigma Pi sorority and Brothers Leading & Cultivating Knowledge (B.L.A.C.K.) to help pay the various fees involved in hosting their own events, like renting a space, purchasing supplies or catering for meetings.
ASUNM proceedings will resume in 2025.
Elliott Wood is a freelance reporter and photographer for the Daily Lobo. They can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
