It was business as usual for most of Wichita State’s Student Government Association on Wednesday, up until a resolution was read late in the meeting.

The resolution was designed to create Wichita State Inspire, an initiative partnering the university with the Boys and Girls Club. It would allow WSU students to mentor and tutor children in the club, and in turn, educate the children about the university.

The resolution was an effort of Student Body President Joseph Shepard and SGA Chief of Staff Kiah Duggins. Shepard said the resolution was an important one.

“It’s pretty much a reason for us to get back into our community,” he said.

Shepard added that the Boys and Girls Club serves district one of Wichita, which he said primarily consists of low-income residents. As a resident of district one, located in northeast Wichita, Shepard said he sees firsthand what children in that area want out of higher education.

“They want to know what resources and tools are available to them, but oftentimes, they don’t have an individual in front of their face giving them the information they need in order to succeed and reach that higher education,” he said. “This program is going to allow us to do that.”

Once the resolution was read, At-Large Senator Paige Hungate expressed concerns with the resolution’s wording. She said she was worried people could interpret the resolution as only serving minority groups and exclude Caucasian individuals.

A debate then unfolded regarding the language of the bill. Some senators were in favor of the bill as is, while others suggested possibly amending the language to address Hungate’s concerns.

After several minutes of debate, Student Body Vice President Khondoker Usama called for a vocal vote from each senator. All but two Senators voted in favor of the bill, with Hungate one of the dissenting votes.

Shepard said debates such as these are encouraged in SGA.

“There’s not really a purpose for Senate if you’re not going to challenge anything, if you’re not going to debate something that’s on the table,” he said.

Shepard said he anticipated a debate during the meeting and was happy Hungate expressed her views. He said having debate is healthy.

“I was very happy to see that senators challenged it because that’s how we create the best product, through trial and error and challenge,” he said.

SGA will meet again at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Ulrich Museum.