Students, administrators, and members of Student Assembly convened in Collis Commonground last night for the Assembly's Illuminations dinner to discuss a wide range of topics, including how to facilitate communication between different campus groups.
Participants grouped themselves at tables, each of which had a designated topic. Topics included the College alcohol policy, the Student Life Initiative, campus hate and prejudicial incidents, gender relations on the Greek scene, the addition of an Asian-American studies major and the proposed race and ethnicity distributive requirement.
Student Body President Molly Stutzman '02 said that one purpose of the dinner was to bridge a perceived communication gap and between students and administrators.
"I think a lot of issues on this campus really boil down to personal interactions, to coming together and communicating about these issues," Stutzman said.
Students at the SLI table agreed that the administration needs to do a better job of communicating the concrete changes brought about by SLI.
"Everybody's just waiting for what the Trustees are going to drop on them next. Students don't feel like they have any control over it," Will Fang '05 said.
Assistant Dean of the College Mary Liscinsky said that the administration faces a paradox: some students complain that they are badly informed, while other complain about the incessant mailings they receive hailing the success of SLI.
"Any mail from the College that isn't about choosing a major or going abroad, people just toss directly into the recycling bin," Munish Dayal '04 said.
Participants discussing campus alcohol policy voiced similar concern over misunderstandings between students and the administration.
"People agreed that the alcohol policy needs to focus more on the safety of the students and less on monitoring and punishment. It should be perceived as a safety net, not a police system," Assembly representative David Wolkoff '05 said.
At the table marked "Gender Relations in the Basement," participants discussed why many women feel objectified at fraternity parties and whether other potentially less-threatening social options exist.
Some suggested that the lack of sorority parties and the perception of exclusivity leaves unaffiliated women few other options.
Dean of Student Life Holly Sateia and Assembly members stressed the importance of using what they learned from the dinner to achieve positive results.
"It gave the SA a chance to assess where we are with these issues, to look at the progress we've made, and to get suggestions from students for what we can do in the future," Stutzman said.
