The 20th Assembly of the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) met on Wednesday to pass two bills, confirm and swear in Representatives, and pass one resolution.

The meeting opened with two presentations. First, the South Asian Student Association (SASA) presented its history and organizational goals to the assembly. The SASA representative also highlighted the association’s upcoming events, including Navaratri on Friday, September 26, its “Beat the Grandmaster” event on Sunday, October 5, and Diwali on Friday, October 24.

Next up was a presentation by McKenna Schrenk from the Faculty Senate, in which Schrenk described the functions of the organization at Penn State and the role of student representatives. Schrenk described the typical day in the life of a student senator, which included committee meetings, student caucus, and plenary. She ended the meeting by explaining the significance of the Faculty Senate to the UPUA assembly in terms of crafting legislation and initiatives across Penn State.

Following reports from President Rasha Elwakil and Vice President Noah Youcheff, the assembly moved into Confirmations and Swearing-Ins. 

Confirmations and Swearing-Ins

The only confirmation of the night was for Parliamentarian Anthony Khuc. In his speech, Khuc discussed his interests in parliamentary procedure and his past experiences in model UN. He shared that he is most looking forward to ensuring that the procedure is being upheld during assembly, in addition to sitting on the internal works board for the UPUA. Khuc explained how he plans to continue fulfilling his Programming Director role and the Parliamentarian role simultaneously, as both positions have different demands and applications to UPUA. Following debate from the assembly, Khuc was confirmed by a vote of 26-3.

Following the confirmation, the assembly swore in Ashlynn McKinney.

New Business 

The first piece of new business for the night was Bill #16-20: Sponsoring South Asian Student Association’s 2025 “Beat the Grandmaster.” Through this bill, UPUA will provide funding for chess grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi’s international flight to State College for the South Asian Student Association’s (SASA) “Beat the Grandmaster” event. 

The event itself is a collaboration between SASA and the Penn State Chess Club, in which the two organizations will be inviting top chess grandmasters to State College on Sunday, October 5. The event will provide a unique opportunity for students to play games against the chess grandmasters, with an overall goal to foster interest and community around the game of chess. In addition to getting to play against the grandmasters, attendees can also participate in a Q&A section and take photos with the grandmasters following the event. 

UPUA’s partial sponsorship of the event showcases the assembly’s dedication to providing opportunities to build community on campus, as well as their dedication to supporting and promoting cultural events. 

 Bill #16-20: Sponsoring South Asian Student Association’s 2025 “Beat the Grandmaster” passed 27-1. 

The second bill of the night was Bill #17-20: Funding for Suicide Prevention Tabling Event. This bill allows UPUA to create a “tabling experience” that raises awareness around suicide prevention. September is Suicide Prevention Month, and UPUA plans to honor this month by conducting a tabling event to raise awareness and show students that they are valued and supported at Penn State. 

The assembly will have purple ribbons to hand out, as well as a “reason to stay” interactive pin board for students to participate in. The tabling event will also have informational pamphlets and a Jellycat raffle.

Bill #17-20: Funding for Suicide Prevention Tabling Event passed unanimously.

The last piece of new business for the night was Resolution #04-20: Know Your Resources for Underage Drinking & Sexual Misconduct Instagram PSA. This resolution details the course of action for the assembly to create an Instagram post to highlight the emergency contacts available to students in a situation of underage drinking and sexual misconduct.

A university misconduct survey cited in the resolution showed that in 2022, 19.6% of undergraduates were victims of sexual violence. Higher statistics were reported for drinking patterns among students, showcasing a need to publicize emergency resources for these topics to ensure the safety of all students on campus. 

The resolution details a variety of contacts both on and off campus, from which students can utilize, including Penn State Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Penn State Safewalk, and Title IX. These tools will help educate students on how to navigate these heavy and difficult topics and how to take appropriate, productive action. 

Resolution #04-20: Know Your Resources for Underage Drinking & Sexual Misconduct Instagram PSA passed unanimously.