UNC Student Congress inducts 11 new members

Student Congress held a special meeting Tuesday evening to induct its newest representatives and nominate them to three committees: Rules & Judiciary, Oversight & Advocacy and Finance.

UNC medical student Caitlyn Whitson was among the 11 new members sworn in to office.

“I’m excited to be representing District 10,” Whitson said. “There’s only three representatives from our district, so I’m really excited to be one of those three.”

The Student Congress Finance Committee met afterward to hear from organizations asking for the last pieces of the fall congressional budget — only $819.10. The student activity fee contributes to the money that Student Congress allocates to organizations based on what they need the money for and if it will positively affect the student body.

The organizations scheduled to meet were Carolina Conscious, Carolina TropicalClinics for Rural Health, Modernextension Dance Company and UNC’s men’s rugby club. Modernextension Dance Company and the rugby club did not show up to the meeting.

Carolina Conscious, a new organization committed to preventing sexual assault through compostable cups, was one of the groups present Tuesday evening. Seniors Asher Lipsitz and Ben Director asked the Finance Committee for $387 to put toward facilitation of composting the cups.

“Basically the idea is that we want to eventually change the way that the Solo Cup is seen at UNC,” Lipsitz said. “Currently we use 80,000 Solo Cups a semester, on average, estimated by Orange County Waste. We want to eventually change that by the end of next year so that one in every two cups is a Carolina Conscious cup.”

Lipsitz and Director said Carolina Conscious cups would be cheaper and compostable. Each cup would have the words “Carolina Conscious” on it so that each person holding one would see the organization’s message. The target audience for these cups would initially be fraternities.

Carolina TropicalClinics for Rural Health was also present at the meeting. Sophomore and treasurer Marie Smoak asked the committee for $40.50 to cover the cost of their face-painting event for the UNC-Duke football game on Saturday. Their event raises funds for TropicalClinics, an organization dedicated to promoting health access to women and children based in Kenya.

The committee reported both groups’ requests favorably. The full congress will vote on the allocations at its next meeting.

Craig Amasya, vice chairperson of the Finance Committee, said he enjoyed listening to the two groups pitch their ideas.

“We’re always happy to fund events that have a great impact on the student body,” Amasya said.

“Two of the organizations that we saw today kind of proved to us that they are going to have a really positive impact, and the money that is coming from student fees is going to be put toward a positive end. And that’s always our ultimate goal.”

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