Senate rejects plan to ditch 'I Voted' stickers

A bill that would replace the “I Voted” stickers handed out during student elections with an "I Voted" rubber stamp to the skin failed during Tuesday night’s Student Senate meeting.

The “Election Improvement Act” would have saved SG thousands of dollars over the long run since the stamp would have infinite use, according to its authors.

“We should keep SG responsible with the funds we are entrusted with,” said Jonathan Ossip, a sponsor for the bill.

Senators opposing the bill raised concerns over skin irritations students could develop if they receive a stamp to the skin. They also pointed to the fact that students voted down a referendum getting rid of the “I Voted” sticker during fall elections.

Meanwhile, about 30 students from a variety of student human rights organizations including Human Rights On Campus came to voice their disapproval over a proposed resolution supporting Israel.

Organizers were worried the resolution did not look into both sides of the issue between Palestine and Israel.

Over 140 signatures have been collected against the resolution, according to organizers, who believe the Senate should stay out of international matters that do not directly affect the student body at UF.

“I strongly urge the UF Senate to not put the University of Florida in the middle of this controversy that will only polarize us and separate us,” said Husam Wahban, president of Students for Justice in Palestine.

Gators for Israel’s President Rafael Yaniz, a supporter of the bill, disagreed that the matter did not affect the student population, citing the 7,000 Jewish students at UF.

The resolution will be up for debate in the next couple of weeks, according to its authors.

In other action, students voiced their support for a proposed renovation of the Reitz Union.

Student leaders from organizations like Volunteers for International Students Affairs, the Hispanic Student Association and the Board of College Councils talked about cramped quarters and overflow on the third floor, where the Center for Student Activities and Involvement is located.

The Reitz Union was first built in 1961 for a student body of 19,000, according Nicolle Vasquez of IDEAL, a student organization promoting campus involvement.

There are currently 52,000 students at UF and over 900 student organizations, she said.

"We don’t have enough space to rent rooms to the different organizations,” Vasquez said. “We’re clearly overcrowded.”