Student Senate general body meeting Nov. 4

The Student Senate held a meeting with a company examining Carnegie Mellon University Police Department's (CMUPD) practices and voted on special allocations for men's water polo and Bhangra in the Burgh last Thursday, Nov. 4.

During their general body meeting (GBM), Senate held a discussion with Former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey and Dr. Brenda Bond-Fortier of 21st Century Policing Solutions (21CP). 21CP is reviewing CMUPD's policies at the request of Carnegie Mellon. During the meeting, Senators gave input on what CMUPD could do better and shared their experiences with CMUPD.

Carnegie Mellon asked 21CP to review CMUPD to fulfill a commitment made in July 2020 as part of the university's commitments to confront racism. 21CP is holding two community listening sessions in November, where students can share their experiences with CMUPD. Students can also email their input to 21CP at voicesofcmu@21cpsolutions.com.

Senate also voted on special allocations. First, the men's water polo club requested $5,165 from Senate after a representative for the club said at the GBM that they unexpectedly doubled their membership this year. Due to the increased membership, the costs associated with competing increased, leading to the shortfall. Senate voted 24-0-1 in favor of the special allocation.

In addition, Bhangra in the Burgh, which hosts an annual Bhangra competition, requested $2,500. Representatives told Senate was due to decreased ticket sales caused by the pandemic. Senate also voted in favor of the request 25-0-1.