SGA to fund new fencing for softball field

The Student Government Association is set to purchase new fencing for the softball field at a total of $5,373.49 through the passing of one of 19 motions discussed at its meeting.

The fencing will cover the area from the dugout to the outfield. The current lack of fencing is proving to be a safety hazard and is failing to meet field standards, said Senator Markaylen Wiltz, the motion’s author.

“Right now we have a makeshift fencing of a road barricade and some rigged up fencing that we placed [there]. There have been a few kids hit by foul balls going out into the parking lot,” said Wiltz. “In fact, our officials who officiate the game are now bringing it to the coach’s attention that we actually shouldn’t be playing on the field because it’s considered unsafe for the standards of our team and other teams.”

Moriah Strother, a senior catcher for the softball team, said that the makeshift fencing poses safety issues to players who could potentially fall over the barricades or receive head injuries from the metal poles.

“The main issue that we have is that it’s a huge safety hazard…The metal poles that stick out like protrude out, so if [a player] was to dive for a first baseman or a third baseman, they could easily get head injuries,” Strother said.

The organization also passed three previously-tabled motions including funding for the concert choir’s trip to perform at Carnegie Hall, new cymbals for the music department and new Z-Cards.

The passing of the concert choir motion will allow for SGA to allocate $800 toward assisting 14 students in traveling to New York to perform at Carnegie Hall.

The music department cymbals motion will provide for SGA to contribute $1,081 toward purchasing seven pairs of cymbals that total $2,081 for the music department. The band will fund the remaining $1,000.

Senator Landon Woolridge, the motion’s author, said that the band is in need of new cymbals because its current ones are outdated.

“Our marching cymbals, they don’t match. They’re severely outdated, and they need to be replaced,” said Woolridge.

In addition, SGA passed motions to purchase various scientific models for the library that would allow students to study for their anatomy and physiology classes. The models include a heart model, a sagittal human skull model, a circulatory model, a digestive system model, a larynx model and a skeleton model.

Senator Emma Bourgeois said that the new models will benefit students studying for anatomy and physiology classes. She said that some of the models are starting to fall apart.

The organization also passed a motion to split the funding with the Student Programming Association toward purchasing an SGA and SPA sign to go in front of the SGA and SPA office. Each organization will be required to pay $1,050.

Additionally, SGA tabled and differed several motions to committees for further reviewing.