Now holding its meetings at barbeques instead of in Rockefeller Hall, the Summer Student Assembly avoids making decisions with long-term effects and focuses on providing student services.
Summer Assembly President Matt Shafer '97 said the Assembly has left in-fighting by the roadside this summer and is moving toward accomplishing its goals.
Less policy-making
Summer Assembly Vice President Scott Rowekamp '97 said the Summer Assembly does not take up "policy-type issues" because those issues usually do not arise in the summer. The Summer Assembly does not see its role as dealing with policy issues, he added.
Bill Kartalopoulos '97, a member of the Assembly since the fall of his freshman year, described the Summer Assembly as project rather than issue oriented.
Summer Assembly "can not do anything that's going to have an affect on the next year's assembly," out of courtesy to next year's assembly and president, Kartalopoulos said.
Shafer said he does not see Summer Assembly's agenda as determined by the previous year's Assembly.
"The [Summer Assembly] is more a beginning of next year than a continuation of last year," Shafer said. "We're basically setting up a whole new assembly here."
Rowekamp said the Summer Assembly was given direction by next year's Assembly President Jim Rich '96 and Vice President Kelii Opulauoho '96. He said they have stuck to the goals they worked out with Rich and Opulauoho in the spring.
Shafer explained Summer Assembly's strategy for avoiding infighting.
"As long as we keep our focus on being a united voice on issues where the overwhelming majority of the student body agrees, we'll be fine," Shafer said.
Shafer said the Assembly has run into problems in the past when students are divided on issues, but has been effective when students were united.
The Assembly's legitimacy will increase as the Assembly increases its number of student services, Shafer said.
Meredith Epstein '97 said the Summer Assembly is a lot less political and very positive.
She said she is excited by "a lot of membership which has never been involved in [Student Assembly] before."
Shafer said the role of the Student Assembly is to be a "student service organization," but that it should also act as an advocate for student interests for campus-wide issues.
Projects
Shafer said the Assembly is working on its two traditional summer projects--the student advantage card and the course guide.
Rowekamp said the Assembly is working on better publicity and distribution of this year's student advantage card.
The Student Advantage card is issued by a national business. He said it usually costs $20 per student, but the assembly passes it on to students for free, Rowekamp said.
He said many students think it is just a local program, but it can be used in Boston businesses and is the "only student discount program that Amtrak accepts."
Shafer said Bill Kartalopoulos is currently working on getting the Assembly's course guide on the World Wide Web.
"It's going to be on the Web or there isn't going to be one at all. And, there is going to be one," said Shafer.
"By next Monday, I'll know exactly what the course guide is going to look like," Shafer said.
"With any luck, we'll have it set up by the time the freshmen get here."
Kartalopoulos said "Once we finalize the format and initial structure, it will just be a matter of data entry."
Shafer said putting the course guide on the Web will make it easier to update. "We're saving future assemblies a lot of work."
The Summer Assembly is working on a few new projects which will continue into next year-- a student-organized Saferides program, a Scholastic Assessment Test preparation course for local high schools, and a new advising system, Shafer said.
Saferides would provide students with a ride home independent of their level of intoxication.
Shafer said the Assembly is looking into Saferides at Dartmouth. The program is currently at the research state, so it will not be instituted this summer, he said.
He said Sarah Johnston '97 is working on developing an SAT preparation course for local high schools.
He said she had spoken to Education Professor Binswanger who was very willing to allow the program to use his department's resources.
Shafer said Johnston will continue her work on the SAT program in the fall in her role as vice president of community service committee for the Assembly.
Epstein said she has been meeting with administrators to brainstorm about Dartmouth's advising system.
She said since advising involves faculty, administration and students, they want to "try to work towards something that everyone is really happy with."
"It's a slow process," she added.
One other difference between the summer and other term's Assemblies is how often it meets.
Kartalopoulos said this term's Assembly meets less frequently but he added "The bottom line is we don't need to meet as often."
