During a short nine-week period that saw few upperclassman leaders on campus, the Student Assembly's winter focused on three projects that look to last far beyond this term and benefit the student body as a whole. Assembly members launched projects to expand Kresge gym space and instate a peer academic advising system, in addition to creating a student Bill of Rights and privacy cards.
Julia Hildreth '05, chair of the Student Life Committee, plowed through many projects, most based on student input on various College programs, as presented in the recently-released Visions report.
The report, in which Hildreth and Stella Treas '05 presented student complaints about the debilitated state of Kresge Fitness Center, prompted the Committee to look into an expansion of the current gym space. Hildreth and her committee members wasted no time in presenting Athletic Director JoAnn Harper with 1,000 student signatures petitioning for improvements.
After meeting with athletic administrators, the committee secured the gym's Berry classroom for additional fitness equipment. The space had been used for occasional yoga classes and other miscellaneous functions.
Assembly budget constraints seemed to impede any further major developments on the gym issue, as initial plans called for $150,000 to expand the outer wall of Kresge fitness center. Next term the Undergraduate Finance Committee will decide on the upcoming year's funding allocations, which will most likely increase the Assembly's current budget.
The Student Life Committee also planned a peer academic advising system that looks to be in place this fall for the Class of 2008 and will utilize some 150 upper-class students as advisors to first-year students.
To the delight of students hungry for a nightly campus study spot, Assembly President Janos Marton '04 worked to bring back the Big Green Bean, albeit in a different format. Under the compromise plan Marton worked out, Collis Cafe will remain open for a few nights during the week, and students will serve themselves.
Under the leadership of Ralph Davies '05, the Student Organizations Committee focused on fostering awareness of student rights and privacy issues. Davies' Bill of Rights enumerated student rights concerning academics, personal electronic information, discipline, finance and protection from excessive use of force. At this point, the Bill appears to be largely a symbolic accomplishment.
Perhaps serving as more of a tangible statement of student rights, Todd Rabkin Golden '06 revised wallet-sized students' rights cards and will distribute them to the student body by the beginning of next term. Safety and Security, Hanover Police Department, Dick's House and the Undergraduate Judicial Affairs Office have all endorsed the cards.
The question of improving general student quality of life versus attending to specific student organizations often arose in Assembly meetings. In the final Assembly meeting of the term, Davies introduced a resolution to allocate Assembly funds to organizations in need. In particular, this fund would have served club sports teams that lack the funds to participate in national tournaments. While the resolution failed to pass, it sparked discussion on the purpose of student government at the College.
Come Spring term, it appears as though this debate will play out in the arena of student elections. Hildreth and Davies are poised to run for Assembly president, as well as Blake Johnson '05.
Other Assembly projects included: a new fax machine in the Assembly office that is available for use by all students and a grant to provide free CPR and first-aid classes to students and Dartmouth community members.
