SGA deliberates plans for coming year

Author: Adam Dede

The Student Government Association (SGA) held its first meeting on Sept. 23, discussing an initiative to add a public speaking requirement to the College curriculum, a proposal to consolidate the multiple card systems on campus and improving SGA's accessibility to the public. Newly-elected SGA senators were told by SGA President Max Nardini '08 that the Senate "is meant to combine the voices from different constituencies and to really get things done on campus."

Chester Harvey '09, who was reelected during the meeting as Speaker of the Senate, pledged to get more students involved in SGA. Senator Katie Hylas '09 suggested using Facebook to encourage support.

"It's a new medium," said Hylas, "and it works - we saw with the whole new logo thing how much it works."

Nardini, however, appeared more reluctant to employ Facebook as a new strategy.

"It is a medium people seem to [have] become a bit obsessed with," said Nardini.

After a laugh at Facebook's expense, the Senate moved on to a discusion of Hylas' public speaking initiative.

"Just like we have the college writing requirement," said Hylas, "we can get a public speaking requirement."

According to sophomore senator Vrutika Mody '10, who has been working with Hylas on the public speaking initiative, "the administration seems in favor of it, so I think if we keep pushing, we can get it in." Hylas and Mody went on to say that they anticipated the speaking requirement to be more of an "end goal" with more immediate ideas including a presentation element in the first-year seminar program or a possible Winter Term course focused on public speaking.

Senator Bobby Joe Smith '09 was next to take the floor, suggesting that the College change from a four-card system to a one-card system. Under the plan, one card would be used as a building access card, a laundry card, a library copy card and a bookstore debit card. Smith also added that there is a need for "better toilet paper."

Senator Nicolas Sohl '10 pointed out the need for more printers on campus. The Senate discussed the idea of printers in the dorms, but security concerns could prove to be a problem.

The last initiative discussed was the institution of a dish drop spot so that students who remove dishes from the dining halls can return them.

Senate meetings, held weekly in the Robert A. Jones '59 House, are open to the public. Nardini encouraged ordinary students to attend.

"The more people we get involved the better," he said.