Catching up on student politics

By Dan Henson
Reporter

Student government hosted two prominent Baylor figures during the weekly meeting Thursday.

Dr. Kenneth L. Hall, senior vice president for university development and strategic initiatives, spoke in depth about his life and his role at Baylor.

“We live in a totally different world,” Hall said, as he reminisced about growing up in rural Louisiana and seeing the world change so much.

After retiring from Buckner International, Hall was asked by Baylor President Ken Starr to join his leadership team. Hall accepted the position in October 2012.

“I have the most unique job at Baylor,” Hall said. His position did not exist before he was appointed to it by Starr. “My job now is to try to figure out ways, with the leadership at the university, and various decision committees how we can do things that not only need to be done, but can be done and be sustained long-term.”

Student government also hosted Chris Holmes, the assistant general counsel at Baylor. Holmes sought to clarify what the current laws in Texas say regarding concealed carry on Baylor’s campus.

“It’s a fairly complicated area,” Holmes said. Senate Bill 182, if passed, would make it legal to carry a concealed weapon, provided the carrier has obtained a CHL through the proper legal channels, on public and private college and university campuses. Baylor, as a private institution, would be allowed to opt out of the law, Holmes said.
Student government passed four bills Thursday as well.

Senior Blessing Amune briefly discussed a bill that she had authored that would allocate $696.90 from the student government allocation fund to help the Delta Epsilon Psi fraternity fund the reception costs for the third annual Juvenile Diabetes lecture.

Fort Worth sophomore Dallena Nguyen discussed a bill that she had authored that would allocate $5,162.37 to fund the Relay for Life at Baylor, which also passed.

The student government also voted in unanimous favor of allocating funds for Stepping Out 2013.