On Monday, the 48th student senate held its weekly meeting in the Senate Chambers to discuss upcoming events that deal with sickle cell awareness, as well as confirm the new chief justice on the student supreme court.
The initial topic of the meeting covered the importance of being aware of the growing epidemic of sickle cell. Sickle cells are the abnormal blood cells that cause disruption to the blood flow due to the curved shape.
Senator Janay Green, a fourth-year nursing student, provided the senate with a background of sickle cell, its symptoms, and statistics of how African-American communities are negatively affected everyday by the sickle cell trait and disease.
“I just want to do my part for the FAMU community by continuing to educate students on sickle cell awareness,” said Green. “So many students find out that they have sickle cell and never knew they were suffering from it for years, so we must keep the awareness going.”
Student senator Solomon Lamar, a second-year business administration student, concluded the discussion of sickle cell by providing students with tips on how to continue a healthy lifestyle with the trait or disease. Lamar informed students on local Tallahassee clinics that can assist with treating sickle cell.
During the meeting, there was a motion to confirm the new Chief Justice Audri Salter, a senior political science student.
The Chief Justice serves as the keeper of the Judicial branch consisting of two courts, the student supreme court and traffic court. Along with delegating tasks to the various justices, the position also includes first speaking rights and presides over all student supreme court hearings.
Chief Salter plans to fulfill this honorable position with a heart of helping each student on campus become aware of their rights as students.
“I expect to gain really nothing for myself from this position,” said Salter, “I plan just to give as much as I can within my term. It’s my fourth year and I want to leave FAMU with something positive.”
Salter realizes that the student court system is an unutilized tool that should be emphasized more for students to practice exercising their rights provided by the Student Government Association student amendments. Salter plans to mandate that every justice has a program or event to get students involved and keep the judicial branch visible for student access.
Salter was confirmed with a unanimous vote of 12 in favor of and 0 abstained. Students were filled with excitement and plan to support Salter throughout her reign.
“As a transfer student I never knew FAMU had a court system,” said Jackie Woodruff, a senior healthcare management student. “But after seeing Audri tonight I’m excited to get involved and find out more resources that the court system has to offer me.”
The next SGA meeting will be held next week in the Senate Chambers.