The 17th Assembly of the University Park Undergraduate Association met Wednesday evening for one of its scheduled weekly meetings. During the meeting, some positions were confirmed and funding was awarded to several initiatives.

The meeting began with a mindfulness workshop presented by Blake Colaianne, a faculty member in the College of Health and Human Development. Following this, UPUA President Sydney Gibbard and Vice President Carter Gangl gave their reports, and then the 17th Assembly revisited some old business.

Old Business

Before addressing any new business, the assembly needed to pass Policy #03-17, which concerns the writing of the election code and intends to uphold checks and balances between the branches of UPUA. The bill passed unanimously in last week’s meeting but didn’t reach the required 3/4 majority due to the absences of multiple UPUA committee members and needed to be revoted on in order to reach the required majority.

Policy #03-17 passed unanimously.

New Business

Wednesday’s new business began with the swearing-in of the Multicultural Greek Council Representative, Xavier Viala.

Two bills and one UPUA resolution were brought forth this week. The first was Resolution #07-17: Supporting the “We’re a Culture, Not a Costume” social media campaign.

Resolution #07-17 recommends the use of the UPUA social media accounts to remind students to be mindful of the Halloween costumes that they choose. It also recommends the release of a statement further explaining the campaign and the reasoning as to why students should make culturally aware decisions over the Halloween holiday.

Resolution #07-17 passed unanimously.

Next up was Bill #16-17: Funding for “Energize with Ezra” (Mayoral Office Hours). The Energize with Ezra event will give students an opportunity to speak with Ezra Nanes, the mayor of State College, in a casual, office-hour-style setting. The event will take place on November 2.

The bill proposes $84 for various snacks and refreshments that will be provided during the event.

Bill #16-17 passed unanimously.

The last bill was Bill #17-17: Funding for ReachOut Editions Awareness Campaign. ReachOut Editions is a mobile application developed by the Penn State Gender Equity Center. The app connects users to sexual violence resources on campus and within State College.

Bill #17-17 asks for UPUA’s assistance in raising awareness of the ReachOut Editions app. The bill proposes $218 for promotional materials such as posters and social media advertising. UPUA will also randomly provide a monetary prize of $50 to three people if they prove that they have downloaded the app.

Bill #17-17 passed unanimously.