After six days of soliciting small donations in the lobby of Thayer Dining Hall and at the Kresge weight room, the Student Assembly has amassed over $400 worth of contributions toward improving the weight room.
In addition to collecting five- and 10-cent donations from students, the Assembly has received close to 1,000 students to sign letters to the administration calling for improvements in the weight room and more funding for other student life issues.
The donations and the letters are being collected as part of the Assembly's "Will to be Well" campaign, which was initiated Thursday and is scheduled to last another week.
"We've struck a chord with a lot of students," Assembly President Jon Heavey '97 said. "They're just pissed off that with the amount of money they've contributed floating around this campus," they have no say in how it is appropriated.
Josh Green '00, who was named the Assembly's vice president of communications last night, said the reaction to the campaign has been positive so far.
He said the campaign's goal is to gather 2,000 letters, which they will hand-deliver to the administration along with the money they have collected.
Students can donate money in cash or through the discretionary account of their Dash card.
Assembly Vice President Chris Swift '98 said student response to the campaign shows a marked contrast to how the Assembly was viewed two or three years ago, when it had a fairly poor reputation.
He said the Assembly is now seen as a group that focuses on issues that matter to students rather than an organization that constantly bickers over insignificant matters.
The Assembly previously donated $8,500 toward the purchase of new weight room equipment. Two stair-climbing machines and a stationary bicycle have already arrived, and the money will also go toward the purchase of a new squat rack machine.
Speaking before the Assembly at their meeting last night, College Vice President and Treasurer Lyn Hutton said the problem with the weight room is not finding money for equipment, but finding more space for such equipment.
"I think the money ... can be found in [1998] or beyond," Hutton said. "The bigger issue is: can the money be found to do it right? It's really a square footage issue."
Hutton said space on campus can sometimes be more valuable than money.
