STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION BRIEF Senate discusses Rabbit Ride, Little International, Jack’s Cupboard

JACOB BOYKO News Editor (He/Him)

At the Feb. 7 Students’ Association meeting, senators heard reports from student organizations and voted to support the dairy barn repairs.

Student Organizations

Mariah Weber, assistant director of programs and development, spoke to the Senate about Rabbit Ride. The Rabbit Ride program, which aims to help SDSU students, visitors and community members, has operated since 2006. This year, the rides are available Friday and Saturday nights from 9 p.m. until 3 a.m.

“It is a successful program on campus,” Weber said. “Last year we had over 20,000 riders. We’re projecting about the same this year.”

Weber credits the boost to the recent smartphone app.

Rabbit Ride uses funds allocated by SA to pay for student monitors on the rides and to fund the app.

Rabbit Ride used to offer Wednesday night service, but that was cut several years ago due to funding problems, Weber said. With more funding, Wednesdays could return to the schedule. The organization is also looking at ways to add a third bus.

Emmett Bickett, treasurer for Little International addressed the Senate about the 100th Little International event. The event, which will be held March 31 and April 1 at South Dakota State University, is a livestock exhibition featuring contests and shows. Ag mechanics is one of the new competition categories this year. Bickett expects to host between 1,500 and 2,000 high school students this year. Little International uses SA funds for printing, catalogs, rulebooks, posters, technology and livestock.

Students interested in showing livestock can attend a raffle Wednesday, Feb. 8 in Rotunda D at 6:30 p.m.

“There’s a raffle system … and there’s different levels from novice to experienced,” Bickett said. “So even if you’ve had no show experience, no equipment … [you] can come show expense-free and get that opportunity.”

Lexi Barbush, president of HEROH (Helping Everyone Reach Optimum Health), spoke about initiatives the club is working on.

The club, which Barbush says is the biggest “wellness-encompassing” club at SDSU, has four committees: the nutrition and physical activity committee, the sexual health committee, the alcohol and drug committee and the social mental health committee.

The club’s activities are supposed to educate students about wellness, Barbush said. Past events include 5k runs, volleyball tournaments and sexual health trivia. SA funds support these events. According to Barbush, most of the club’s money comes from care packages parents buy for students.

Jack’s Cupboard club founder Nicole Schilling spoke to the Senate about the resources the club provides for the on-campus food pantry. Jack’s Cupboard is struggling to keep food on shelves and have volunteers to run the location and had to shorten the time it’s open to two days per week.

About 80 to 90 students use the cupboard weekly, Schilling said. The pantry is also looking to become a 501 c3, which would grant some tax exemptions.

The Senate voted unanimously to approve the club constitution.

Resolution:

Last week, the Senate tabled resolution, 22-17-R to support a bill in Pierre. House Bill 1031 allocates funds to help SDSU recover after a fire last spring damaged part of the dairy facility. The Senate amended the resolution following clarification from administration to read, “House Bill 1031 would allow for the repair of the damaged facility.” Previously, the language of the resolution would have supported a replacement.