Purdue Student Government Senate Approves First Bill and Resolution

The Purdue Student Government (PSG) held a Senate session on Wednesday night, featuring Chris Hanes, assistant vice provost for student well-being and senior director of Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Hanes highlighted the critical work CAPS performs in supporting Purdue students' mental health and emphasized the collaboration between PSG and CAPS.

During his address, Hanes underscored the value of promoting positive mental health messages on campus. He stated, "Promoting positive messages around well-being, the importance of mental health, the importance of taking care of yourself and helping out others... can go a long way to support campus." Hanes also discussed the accessibility of CAPS resources, noting that students can call or schedule appointments online, and he encouraged self-enrollment in workshops. He reassured students about the 24/7 crisis support available through CAPS.

Additionally, during the session, Elisa Drouhard was sworn in as a senator representing the College of Pharmacy, becoming the 27th senator in the organization.

PSG also engaged in an informal discussion via Teams with two newly sworn-in senators from Purdue in Indianapolis: Edwin Lee and Nebras Alam. Lee, a freshman in industrial engineering, expressed his goal to connect Indianapolis students with events on the main campus, ensuring they feel part of Purdue student life.

Senator Nicholas Beaver introduced an internal PSG Standing Rules Amendment, which passed without debate. Beaver explained that the bill codifies an annual award for Senate Associate Members in honor of a senator who passed away last year while serving. The legislation also established a dress code for senators and addressed absentee notification for committee members.

Moreover, Senator Shivam Dave proposed a resolution to annually illuminate the Unfinished Block P in purple in collaboration with the Center for Advocacy, Response and Education for the CARE Honor Walk, supporting victims of domestic and relationship violence. This resolution passed unanimously, marking the first resolution of the school year.