When I agreed to cover this week’s UPUA meeting, filling in for the illustrious Dan McCool, I was told this should be a short meeting. However, as I should have assumed, there was some lengthy debate on a few of the proposed resolutions, as UPUA representatives are wont to do.

The beginning of the meeting was simple enough, as several new liaisons, representatives, and board members were confirmed and/or sworn in. Of note was the introduction of Sally Chia as the first International Student Council liaison to UPUA, a position approved at last week’s meeting.

Discussion then moved to the approval of “Sexual Heath Awareness and Guidance Week” with the goal of promoting dialogue about sexual health on campus. The main event would include participants from University Health Services, Keep A Child Alive, The AIDS Project, Plan Parenthood, and The Women’s Resource Center. Several representatives took issue with the proposed events, as they believed only doctors would be qualified to speak about health-related issues. This lead to a fascinating debate over the definition of “sexual-health” and “speaking”. In the end, however the resolution passed, so be on the lookout for SHAG Week events February 15 and 17.

Considering it was supposed to be the highlight of the evening, the resolution for UPUA’s contribution to Movin’ On moved on rather uneventfully. With no major objections being raised, the resolution – allocating $16,950 for the purchase of the stage to be used at the event – passed without debate. Let’s hope that UPUA isn’t solely responsible for stage set up, if it means the tardy trend established at last year’s Last Stop will continue.

As someone not well versed in the finer intricacies of the UPUA constitution and by-laws, the next resolution regarding the appointment procedure for UPUA’s representatives on the Student Activity Fee Board went over my head. If you figure this one out, let me know.

The final piece of legislation for the evening regarded a trip to Harrisburg as part of UPUA’s involvement in PASS. The trip is officially not about state appropriations and tuition, but if someone were to, say, happen to mention their high tuition bill…you get the idea. After lengthy discussion regarding the motivation and purpose of the trip, UPUA approved two buses for 100 students to travel to Harrisburg on the 15th for a day long PASS event. Interested students can sign up on the UPUA website.

In summary, here’s what UPUA accomplished tonight:

• Approved SHAG Week
• Agreed to buy a stage
• Slightly changed their bureaucratic structure
• Decided to have a “not-about-tuition” rally in Harrisburg
• Made me miss the mid-season premiere of Modern Family

I don’t know about you, but I’m really excited for SHAG Week.