Future SGA president, SCOCC make plans

The votes are in: Riley O’Rourke ‘12 will assume office as President of the SGA for the 2010-11 academic year, and rising senior Raymond Queliz ‘11 will claim the position of student co-chair of Community Council (SCOCC). And already, both have big plans for the future of the school.

O’Rourke, who was born and raised in New York, claims as his main policy goal the establishment of a free shuttle service to transport students to Burlington Airport in the days before school breaks. Student drivers will drive classmates to the airport in Middlebury’s fifteen-passenger vans, O’Rourke says, running multiple trips each day and receiving compensation for their time by the SGA. The free rides will book by reservation, and surplus money from the Student Activity Fund will cover the costs of transportation. O’Rourke continually stresses that he hopes never again to see any student pay a dime to get to the airport.

“This measure will work in tandem with a bill I wrote for the SGA this year to significantly lower the rates on buses back to New York City and Boston during breaks, making transportation to and from campus much easier,” he said.

He also hopes to expand MiddRide hours, simplify party regulations and finance committee guidelines, streamline the housing system — especially where super blocks are concerned — and explore re-opening the Juice Bar.

“It was an honor to be elected,” O’Rourke said, “and I am looking forward to making some policy changes that I believe will make student life a lot better. I love this school and can’t wait to work with the student body and teachers to improve it.”

Matching O’Rourke in enthusiasm, Queliz’s policy goals draw upon just as much ambition as O’Rourke’s. He will turn his attention first to the housing system.

“It’s time for all students to have a fair chance at a great housing number,” he said. “Students should not be scrambling around at the last possible minute to find housing.”

He aims to streamline the system and to level out the playing field, though as yet he remains unclear as to how he will accomplish this. In addition, he proposes a procedure of self-evaluation for all social houses during Social House Reviews, as well as the abolition of required gender indication for members of social houses on campus.

Additional goals include a dining hall revamp (with more variety in food options, as well as a system in which students do not have to wait in line for a “tremendous amount of time” to eat); creation of a committee “similar to Community Council,” in which faculty, students and staff discuss ways to lower the out-of-pocket cost of living at Middlebury; incorporation of a range of student groups in decisions concerning individual nonacademic issues at Middlebury; and increased “visibility” of existing college policies.

Queliz, like O’Rourke, also does not hesitate to thank his adamant supporters throughout the election. “I could never have done it without your help,” he said. “So thank you very much.”

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