In its first meeting of the semester, the Duke Student Government Senate allocated money for a new sexual health initiative and approved a bevy of funding requests.
The meeting took place without first-year senators, who will be elected later this semester. Senate Speaker Aly Diaz, a junior, mentioned that applications would likely be available by the end of the weekend.
The Senate allocated $193 for the placement of 400 birth control flyers in dorm restrooms on both East and West Campus. Senator Nehal Jain, a sophomore, produced the flyer with the Duke Women’s Center, Student Health, Peer Advocacy for Sexual Health Center and First-Year Student Programs.
The posters inform students about birth control options on campus and where to find them, something that Jain explained is not often transparent.
“Nowhere online does it tell you to go to Student Health for birth control. That connection was never made for students,” Jain said. “That was definitely a disconnect because a lot of people who don’t know anything about birth control have literally no idea where to go.”
The flyers will not be displayed in Hollows quad, which opened to students last week, or at the 300 Swift apartment complex. The bathrooms are considered private, making it difficult to put up the posters. There will be 300 flyers allocated for West Campus restrooms and the remaining 100 will go to those on East.
In Other Business:
The Senate approved more than $15,000 in funding for nearly 30 events. Funding requests that come before the Senate for a vote have first been approved by the Student Organization Finance Committee.
Duke Dance Council received $3,363 for the group’s annual fall showcase, expected to draw 500 undergraduate attendees to Page Auditorium on Thursday night. Duke Symphony Orchestra was funded $1,640.75 for their annual POPS concert, expected to draw 150 undergraduate attendees.
The Duke A Cappella Council also received $4,410.62 for their annual a cappella showcase, which took place on Monday night. The Senate also approved funding requests for 17 other student organizations, all under $1,000 each.
Five senators were also appointed to the Senate’s internal affairs committee, which oversees SOFC bylaws and regulations. The senators include Jain, junior Valeria Silombria and sophomores Christina Wang, Zac Johnson and Jackson Kennedy.
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated Duke Symphony Orchestra received funding for a popsicle event instead of their POPS concert. The Chronicle regrets the error.
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