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ASG discusses a position for Secretary for Sustainability Initiatives

Kathleen Clyburn, For The Miami Student

The Associated Student Government met Tuesday to discuss the creation of a new position in their cabinet: Secretary for Sustainability Initiatives.

Elections for this position will be held next Tuesday. The person who is elected will hold the position in the cabinet for the spring semester.

In the spring semester, Student Body President Charlie Schreiber and Student Body Vice President Courtney Bernard will oversee the position. It will be unpaid so the members of the cabinet and the senate can decide if it is a position that is valuable to ASG and to the university.

"We see an extreme need for the position," Bernard said. "Not only is it coinciding with the push for sustainability that the administration is making, but we want to make sure that students are involved in this conversation and if we just let them go on and do whatever they want without some of us designated to hold responsibilities, then we are going to be squeezed out of these conversations."

Senior senator Liz Beumel spoke about the Stars Program, which measures the university's sustainability practices.

This academic semester, the university participated in the Star Program and received a silver rating, according to Beumel.

Senior Secretary for On-Campus Affairs Cole Tyman spoke about how the cabinet position could help with the Stars Program.

"We are still trying to get that grade up, and to have a student in a 24/7 position, we will be able to help the university increase their sustainability initiatives," Tyman said.

Schreiber, the author of the bill, discussed how the position would be brand new to the senate and to the university.

"This will definitely be a learning curve for all of us," Schreiber said. "With Courtney and I overseeing the position next semester, we will be able to see if we find it valuable or not."

The senate went into executive session, a period where they debate and then vote on a bill or other piece of legislation, and passed the Amendment Calling for the Creation of a Secretary for Sustainability Initiatives unanimously. 

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