SGA Senate hosted Melanie Dickens, from the Alabama Department of Health, to speak about the harms of smoking and the benefits UNA could see by becoming a smoke-free campus at their Nov. 14 meeting.

“I receive three to four calls a week from UNA students wanting to know why we haven’t done anything about the smoking at UNA,’ Dickens said. “It’s not up to me — it’s up to UNA.”

Dickens explained how, if passed, a smoking ban on campus can be enforced.

“When you have a policy in place it is easier for students to ask someone to put out their cigarette,” Dickens said. “A smoking policy is more self-enforceable.”

Northwest-Shoals Community College has gone smoke-free on their campus, Dickens said.

Senate will vote on whether or not to make UNA’s campus smoke-free on Thursday, Nov. 21. If passed, it will go to Student Affairs and Conduct to be voted on.

Senators also discussed the possibility of using OrgSync to run elections and vote for candidates. Bricklin Bernard, an OrgSync representative, spoke to the senators about the benefits of using OrgSync to run elections.

“Using OrgSnyc to run elections would be more affordable, and it is a system that most UNA students are already familiar with,” Bernard said. “OrgSync is more secure than Bank of America and students can log in using their campus credentials to vote.”

Senators will continue to discuss OrgSync as a voting system at future meetings.

The Scholarship Committee voted to name the scholarship for incoming freshmen that make a 23 through 24 on their ACT the Vanguard Scholarship, said Tyrie Fletcher, budget oversight committee chairman.

Senate is discussing the idea of having a “UNA Goes Red Day” in February during Heart Disease Awareness Month.

“Heart disease is one of the top killers in Alabama, and I think that UNA should raise awareness,” said Senate Pro-Tempore Sarah Emerson.