Spring 2008 Minutes
April 9, 2008
· Meeting begins at 7:05 pm
· 38 members are in attendance
· Chris Chambers reviews debate vs. College Republicans
o 185-200 people were in attendance
o Also discusses future club plans regarding the fall semester
· Sam Sanders discusses club events
o Hard Knocks event is taking place tonight; we will be carpooling after the meeting
o End of the Year Banquet will be April 25th, tickets will be $7 ahead, $10 at the door; please RSVP with Sam as soon as possible
· Miki Hirama discusses IM sports
o Football playoffs are taking place tonight
o Last softball game was won by forfeit
· Brendan, the president of NORML speaks to the club
o Presents the referendum passed during the SGA elections and proposes additions regarding the punishments for student possession of marijuana
o Club voted to endorse the referendum alterations
· Dominique from SDS speaks about workers rights
o Asks club to sign petition regarding the exploitation of fast food workers
o Presents information regarding toxic chemical currently used on crops; please see UCF Dems website for information regarding how to contact the USDA about the issue
· Julia Senecal discusses upcoming events
o Please join the CD’s Universal Knights Facebook group if you wish to carpool with the club on Friday
o March of Dimes will be taking applications for next year’s Collegiate Council, which is the group that organizes Knightwalk
· John Miniello leads discussion on the Democratic election delegate count
o Delegate predictor: www.slate.com/id/21885378
· Kris Krause says farewell to the club
· John Martino closes meeting
· Meeting ends at 7:45
March 26th, 2008
· 49 members are in attendance
· Meeting begins at 7:05 pm
· Chris Chambers begins meeting by discussing debate:
o Our debate with the College Republicans will be next Wednesday at 8pm
o Debate team members will be making posters Friday at 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm at Ben King’s house; anyone is welcome to join
o The club will be handing out fliers in front of the Union next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (3/31 – 4/2)
o The club will be playing “Punch Pong” in front of the Union in order to promote our club
o Practice debate will be on Tuesday at 8 pm in front of the Library; attend if you are interested in helping the debaters
· Ben King speaks about GLBSU:
o GLBSU will have the Union stage tomorrow, and we will be allotted time to announce our petition regarding the healthcare bill HR 676
· GLBSU guest announces “GAYla”:
o 2nd annual “alternative prom” will be next Thursday, April 3rd
o Tickets will be on sale this week and next week for $10 each
o GLBSUatUCF.org for more information
· Jacob Gardner reviews club IM sports:
o If anyone is interested in playing kickball or whiffle ball, please talk to Jacob
o We need floor hockey players for our Friday games – it is not co-ed
· Sam Sanders discusses End of the Year banquet:
o Members will sign an RSVP sheet
o Hard Knocks event will be April 9th
· Sarah Martin discusses philanthropy events:
o SOAR (Speak Out Against Rape) is collecting pillowcases in order to make skirts to sell at retail value to raise money for rape counseling
o There will be a ‘Historical Figures/Don’t Skirt the Issue’ party on April 18th ; admission will be one pillowcase per member
o ‘Invisible Children’ regarding the conflict in Uganda on Saturday from 12 – 6 pm on Memory Mall; learn how to become involved in different related organizations
o ‘Best Buddies’ will be hosting a Field Day on Saturday, March 29th from 1 – 4 pm at the Lake Claire Pavilion
o ‘Allies Advance’ will be hosting an event from 6 – 8:30 pm in order to inform people regarding being supportive of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students at UCF
· Ben King and Ariel Dansky review March 20th War Protest events:
o Violence broke out at the March 20th Iraq War 5th Anniversary protests between the College Republicans and Progressive Council
o Club discusses future involvement in Progressive Council
o Club votes on leaving Progressive Council for the rest of the semester
· John Martino discusses officer elections:
o All candidates are required to turn a paragraph regarding why he or she is appropriate for the position
o Candidates are strongly encouraged to help out the club with flyer-ing in front of the Union this week
· Meeting closes at 8:00 pm
March 12th, 2008
Spring Break!
March 5th, 2008
· Meeting begins at 7:10 pm
· 37 members are in attendance
· Kris Krause begins meeting
o Reviews primary results; draws opinions from members
· Jacob Gardner discusses intramural sports
o Dems won their first 4v4 football game vs. Kappa Sigma
o There are 10 spots open for the camping trip
· Chris Chambers discusses debate with College Republicans
o Will take place on April 2nd
o Club will adopt “pro” side on HR 676 and “con” side on Florida Marriage Amendment
o Please see Chris if you are interested in participating
· Sam Sanders discusses club social event at Hard Knocks
o Please see Sam are you interested in being in the dodge ball team in the Hard Knocks dodge ball tournament on March 9th
o We are still collecting money for the ‘Rock Paper Scissors’ philanthropy event
· John Martino discusses officer positions
o Please speak to John if you are interested in running for any position
o Deadline is next meeting, March 19th
· Ariel Dansky discusses Hillary Clinton campaign
o There will be a meeting on Thursday in the gazebo by the bookstore
o ‘Lobby Days’ is an event in Tallahassee the week following Spring Break (Monday through Thursday) in which college students will be lobbying for Gay Rights; please see Ariel if you’re interested
· John Martino discusses other upcoming events
o See John if you’re interested in designing the new College Dems t shirt
· Meeting closes at 8 pm
February 27th, 2008
· Meeting begins at 7:05pm
· 50 members are in attendance
· Kris Krause begins meeting:
o Shows SNL video and Today Show interview regarding the Democratic debate on Tuesday, Feb. 26th
o Introduces Jim Martin as Democratic candidate for Orange County tax collector
· Orange County tax collector candidate Jim Martin presents his platform:
o The club will be signing petitions in order to get his name on the ballot in August
· Ben King discusses out support for HR 676 and Progressive Council Events:
o We will have a letter writing party next week for the club to write letters to a legislator regarding HR 676
o CFA will be hosting a debate – Intelligent Design v. Evolution in the Pegasus Ballroom on March 19th
o VOX is having a fundraiser at Cheeburger Cheeburger on March 3rd
o BARC is having a “meat out” in front of the Union next week
o NORML will be having an event tonight at 8pm
· Speaker from ‘PIRGS’ speaks to club:
o PIRGS is ‘Students Public Interest Research Groups’
· Sarah Martin discusses Philanthropy Events:
o Vagina Monologues will be this Saturday; participation is $8, and goes to benefit rape victims
· Greg Goddard discusses KnightWalk:
o KnightWalk is this Sunday from 2pm-5pm; sign up online
· Jacob Gardner discusses camping and intramural sports:
o Our sports teams were 0-3 last week
o 15 spots left for the camping trip
o The club will be tailgating before the UCF baseball game on Friday around 4:30 near the Jay Bergman Field
· John Martino discusses officer positions for next semester:
o Please see John if you are interested in any position
o Also, see John if you are working on t-shirt logos or graphics for the club
· Sam Sanders discusses College Democrats end-of-the-year banquet:
o Event will be in April
o A decorations committee will be put together after Spring Break
o We need 10 players for the Hard Knocks dodgeball tournament which will be Sunday, March 9th
· Jobs With Justice leads discussion on our weekly topic of *Workers at UCF*
o Jobs With Justice is a group of several unions and coalitions that works to advocate for workers’ rights at UCF
· Ariel Dansky discusses Student for Hillary Clinton
o First meeting will be next week, Thursday at 5pm
o Fairness for All Families – there will be a potluck to benefit the group; see Ariel for details
· Greg Goddard announces Students for Barack Obama event:
o There will be a Debate Watch party at Wackadoo’s, Tuesday, March 4th at 6pm; everyone is welcome
· Meeting closes at 8:10pm
February 20th, 2008
· Meeting begins at 7:05 pm
47 members are in attendance
· Kris Krause begins meeting:
o Reviews results of Wisconsin and Hawaii primaries
o Barack Obama won both; he has now won ten in a row
o Texas and Ohio primaries will be March 4th
· John Martino reviews SGA results:
o Logan and Brandon defeated Giery/Smith
o Adam and Austin thank the club for all of their hard work in their campaign this week
· Topic of the week: Global Warming
o Video excerpts shown from National Geographic and ‘An Inconvenient Truth’
· Miki Hirama discusses HR 676 and GLBSU:
o There will be a letter writing campaign directed toward one of the U.S. legislators in South Florida regarding our support of the bill
o Club unanimously moves to endorse the ‘Fairness for all Families’ bill
· Sarah Martin discusses philanthropy events:
o Knight-thon will be this weekend (2/23); fee is $5 to participate for an hour, or $75 for the whole night
o The ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament’ will be hosted by Hard Knocks on March 21st (time is TBA); proceeds will go to giving game consoles to children’s hospitals
· Joe Martino discusses camping/IM sports:
o Camping is $5 for due paying members; sign up with Joe
o The club will be playing flag football, softball, and field hockey; please sign up with Joe or John
· Sam Sanders discusses club banquet:
o There will be an ‘end of the year’ banquet held in a student union ballroom
o Please see Sam if you are interested in assisting in the planning of this event
o There will also be an ‘Officer Appreciation Committee’ in order to show the clubs’ thanks to John, Sam, and the other officers that will be leaving the club at the end of the year; please see Sam if you are interested in joining this committee
· Chris Chambers discusses debate with Republicans.
· John Martino presents future club opportunities:
o Officer nominations will begin in March
o Please see officers to discuss your interest
o T-shirt logo competition is being held for the club t-shirts next semester
o Will be held for 2-3 weeks; then club will vote on submitted designs
· Greg Goddard discusses upcoming events:
o There will be an Ohio/Texas Result Watch party will take place from 6pm to midnight on March 4th
o KnightWalk will be March 2nd; please see Greg or Julia to sign up to be on the College Democrats team
o Dr. Dupuis, the author of ‘Barack Obama: The New Face of Politics’ will be speaking at the Burnett Honors College on Thursday, February 21st at 3pm
· Meeting closes at 7:50 pm
February 13th, 2008
· Meeting begins at 7:05 pm.
· There are 40 people in attendance.
· Kris Krause opens meeting:
o Reviews results of the Potomac Primaries
· Representative from VOX speaks about Reproductive Rights:
o VOX is ‘Voices for Planned Parenthood’
o The group advocates for awareness for safe sexual practices, as well as reproductive rights
o Currently pushing for the ‘Rape Emergency Act’ (would require hospitals to provide emergency care for rape victims)
· John Martino discusses HR 676:
o The bill needs 12 more Representative signatures in order to be debated in the House
o Club will be taking further action in support of the bill by writing individual letters to Congress, as well as promoting the bill on campus
· Sarah Martin discusses philanthropy events:
o Knight Walk for March of Dimes will be March 2nd; see Greg or Julia for info on joining the Dems team
o Knight-thon will be held the 23rd-24th; sign up to participate or volunteer
o The next Waterway Clean-Up will be held on March 3rd
o Let Sarah know if you’re interested in any of these events; Facebook events will be created
· Jacob Gardner reviews camping and IM sports:
o There are plenty of spots open for the camping trip; sign up with Jacob
o The club will be participating in several IM sports; if you are interested in softball, football and floor hockey please see Jacob
· Courtney Sanders presents social event for the club:
o We have approached ‘Hard Knocks,’ a gaming center, about holding a College Democrats game night
o In order to get an hour of gaming for 20 to 30 members, we will be required to raise $50 for their philanthropy event, and there will be a $75 registration fee
· Chris Chambers discusses debate with the College Republicans:
o Republicans proposed two topics: The Iraq War or Marriage Amendment
§ Democrats favor the Marriage Amendment
o Democrats would like to debate health care; HR 676 specifically
o Speak to Chris about being on the ‘debate team’
· Ben King discusses Giery/Smith campaigns
o Ben, John Martino and Scott Gold will be campaign captains for Giery/Smith
o Each will be stationed at different campus locations; please contact them if you are interested in helping out
· Meeting closed at 8:05 pm.
February 6, 2008
· Meeting begins at 7:10 pm.
· 45 people are in attendance.
· Kris Krause welcomes members.
· John Martino begins meeting, discussing Super Tuesday:
o Reviews results watch party
o Barack Obama 4 delegates ahead
· Representative from SDS speaks on “All Out Against the War”:
o Anti-war event is being held on March 20th
o SDS meetings are at 7 pm on Tuesdays in the gazebo (Between Colbourn and the fountain)
o Code Pink, CPA, Progressive Council, VOX have endorsed it
Samantha Sanders speaks on next week’s topic: “Reproductive Rights”:
o VOX = Voices for Planned Parenthood
o Planned parenthood supplies will be at the table all week
o Blogs are welcome on the topics of sex education, reproductive rights, etc.
· Miki Hirama leads discussion on this week’s topic of “Healthcare”:
o Members voice their opinions on the country’s healthcare system
o Video shown from the heath care forum, regarding “HR 676”
· Jacob Gardner speaks about IM sports:
o Co-ed softball on Monday nights
o Dodge ball play-off game Friday night (Feb. 8th) at 6 pm in the gym
· Treasurer Joe Martino speaks about dues:
o $20 for new members, $10 for fall semester members
o Camping trip is $5 (first come, first serve)
· Chris Chambers discusses semester-ly debate with Republicans:
o Come to Chris about participating and planning topics, style, etc.
o Pegasus ballroom is reserved for debate
· Greg Goddard announces Knightwalk:
o College Democrats will be forming a team; contact Julia Senecal or Greg if you are interested in joining the team
o Knightwalk will be held on campus, March 2nd at 2pm
· Meeting closes at 7:55 pm
January 30th, 2008
Meeting begins at 7:05 pm.
39 members are in attendance.
Kris Krause welcomes members:
o HEC 104 will be the permanent meeting room for spring semester.
John Martino discusses current events:
o Significant South Carolina victory for Barack Obama.
o Ted Kennedy endorsed Obama.
o Hillary Clinton won Florida.
o John Edwards dropped out of the democratic race.
o Hulk Hogan endorsed Obama.
o Amendment 1 passed (64% to 34%)
§ Will affect education (including hiring of UCF professors)
Election for Director of Philanthropy:
o Ariel Dansky and Sarah Martin give election speeches.
o Members vote via paper ballot.
o Results to be announced at the end of meeting.
SGA presidential candidate Logan Berkowitz speaks about platforms:
o Rec and Wellness center expansion
o Athletics rights (tailgating, etc.)
o Improvement of shuttle system
o More teachers and increase in class availability
o Shuttle system to run to local bars and clubs
o Increase in amount of members on Transportation Committee
o Inexpensive and healthy food choices
o Energy conservation plans
o Overall – 17 promises for the year
Jacob Gardner discusses group activities:
o Camping trip is changed to only one night (Friday, March 21st).
o There is room for 40 due-paying members to attend.
o We need volunteers to drive and supply tents.
o Players for intramural floor hockey and football are needed; contact Jacob.
o UCF Intramural dodge ball game Friday, February 1st at 6pm in UCF Gym.
Miki Hirama and Ben King discuss canvassing:
o The club will be canvassing every weekend 10am-2pm on Saturdays and 12pm-2pm on Sundays for local candidate Tony Sasso.
o Incentives for canvassing are being decided upon.
Kris Krause announces health care seminar:
o Monday, February 4th at 11am in the Union
SGA candidate for presidency, Adam Giery and Austin Smith speak:
o Promotes student advocacy
o Use of My UCF to let students vote on referendums.
o Smith asks members what issues are important to address:
§ Ben King: Student-teacher ratio
§ Chris Chambers: Free speech zones
§ Jacob Gardner: SGA student accessibility
Members vote for Director of Philanthropy position and SGA election endorsement
Kris Krause and Chris Chambers invite club members to their apartment to watch Super Tuesday election results:
o February 5th, 8pm
o Pegasus Landing, Building 32, Room 303
o Call Chris for details
Election results announced by Joe Martino and Courtney Sanders:
o Sarah Martin will be the new Director of Philanthropy
o The club will be endorsing the Giery/Smith ticket.
Meeting ended at 8:05 pm.
