Amir Gilmore, president of Graduate and Professional Student Association, urged the ASWSU Senate to take a stand regarding the recent controversy in which members of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity were accused of cultural appropriation.

The criticism came after a video surfaced of members wearing grass skirts, which is considered to have cultural significance to the Pacific Islander community.

“Our constituents are looking to us,” Gilmore said. “You were elected into these positions to get things done in the community.”

ASWSU will be posting a press release within the next few days regarding the cultural appropriation incident and sexual misconduct allegations that led to the resignation of Jason Gesser, the former assistant athletic director for the Cougar Athletic Fund.

Voter registration

Quinton Berkompas, deputy director of Legislative Affairs, has been focusing on voter registration the past few weeks.

“It is important to get students to register to vote,” said Berkompas. “There is 13 school days left before the October deadline. Our goal was to get 5,000 students registered.”

So far, Legislative Affairs has roughly 1,500 students registered.

Senate passes bill

ASWSU also passed a piece of legislation regarding the checks and balances of the executive branch.

This bill would put a check on the Senate surround resolutions. In the past, the ASWSU president was the only person with the power to veto a resolution. With the proposed legislation, the vice president will also have the ability to veto resolutions.

This bill was passed by the Senate and will await signature or veto from the president.

Senate confirmations

Cassandra Lynch, a strategic communication major, was unanimously confirmed as the new public relations liaison for the ASWSU Senate.

Lynch said she plans on expanding the reach of information from not only The Daily Evergreen, but other social networks in Pullman as well.

“My motivation is my love for communications and public relations,” said Lynch. “I want to make sure that what ASWSU is doing is being heard and seen.”

Jimmy Myers, a fellow student at WSU, was also unanimously confirmed into the Senate as the All-Campus senator.

“I’ve seen hatred,” Myers said, “and I want to help make sure the students at WSU know these values of hatred are not permitted on campus.”

Myers said he hopes to accomplish policies regarding discrimination on campus in his time on the ASWSU Senate.

Armando Valenzuela, a recent transfer student, was unanimously voted into the ASWSU Senate as a transfer delegate.

“I am not doing this for the esteem,” Valenzuela said. “I am doing this because I want to help people.”

Valenzuela said he hopes to speak to faculty and staff in the coming weeks to discuss the struggles transfer students face.

“I think he will give us a new perspective on transfer students,” Senator Camille Naputo said.