Before Thursday’s Student Government Association senate meeting got underway, senior vice president Katherine Davis broke the senators into groups so they could pray for each other and help each other discern what burdens to give to God at the halfway point of the semester.

It would set the tone for a meeting which laid the final groundwork for the fall semester’s new SGA Chapel on Oct. 24. The chapel will aim to address and bring to light school-wide concerns about mental health.

CHAPEL PLANS FINALIZED

SGA will oversee next Wednesday’s AfterDark chapel, its first time running an AfterDark. Senators were assigned to open and close the chapel with announcements and prayer while three speakers, including McCoy, are slated to speak on the topic of mental health.

McCoy hopes to use the chapel in part to market what SGA does and how they want to serve and celebrate students. She submitted an internal proposal for $340 to be used to cover some of the costs for the chapel. $240 will go toward scholarships to the Biola Counseling Center, covering five sessions each for two students. Alpha Senator Corinna Magness is still finalizing the details of the scholarships with the BCC.

The other $100 will fund an after-party in the courtyard near Sutherland Hall immediately following the chapel. The party is designed to show love to students and will feature popcorn, cookies, streamers, balloons and posters. Senators also hope it serves as a way for students to continue the conversation about mental health after the chapel. Hope senator Gabrielle Morris will oversee the party.

Hart senator Noah Love moved for a same day vote, which passed unanimously, 11-0. $10 was added to the proposed budget for gluten-free options, after which Bluff senator Lauren Sutter moved to pass the proposal. The $350 proposal passed with another unanimous vote.

OUTSIDE PROPOSAL SEEKS FIRSTGEN CELEBRATION

The senate also hosted an outside presentation for junior elementary education major Leslie De Quiroz, who spoke on behalf of Student Enrichment and Intercultural Development’s FirstGen division. De Quiroz submitted a proposal asking for $4,000 to be used for an on-campus version of the First-Generation College Celebration on Nov. 8.

The event aims to be a way that first-generation students, which make up 20% of Biola’s student population according to De Quiroz, can connect with a community of others like them.

The celebration is tentatively scheduled to start at 11 a.m. and last for 2-3 hours, with plans to feature speakers, activities and Chick-Fil-A sandwiches catered for free. All students will be welcome to attend.

The cost of the proposal will mainly go towards the catering as well as T-Shirts for FirstGen faculty, staff and students to wear at the event.

SGA MAILBOXES TAKE ANOTHER STEP TOWARD REALITY

After informally discussing the concept in several previous meetings, vice president of community relations Katy Hendricks submitted an internal proposal to fund the construction and use of 13 SGA-specific mailboxes around campus. Hendricks wants the mailboxes to serve as a more direct line to SGA, as improving communication with the general student population is a major agenda of McCoy’s administration.

Hendricks’ proposal asks for $572.62 to cover the cost of 13 mailboxes, 20 stickers and golf pencils and memo pads for writing notes to SGA. Facilities management will install the mailboxes in key spots around campus.

Seven are currently slated to go in the seven dorm halls on campus, along with one each in Thompson Hall, Tropicana Apartments, the Collegium and the Student Union Building. Resident directors and coordinators of the residential buildings will determine the exact location of the mailboxes in their respective halls.

Two more locations are to be determined, although Hendricks hopes one can be placed in the Caf and the other in another, unspecified spot on campus with heavy foot traffic. Senators can open and check the locked mailboxes once per week to go over questions and comments from their constituents.