Tuesday night's Student Assembly meeting focused on the passage of three funding proposals: the Thanksgiving and winter break New York City bus service, the laptop voucher program and the Pangea program.
According to Neil Kandler '09, co-vice president of the Assembly's Student Services Committee, the aim of the New York City bus service has been to provide a more affordable means of public transportation for the hundreds of Dartmouth students heading to the city during the Thanksgiving and winter holiday seasons. Through the Assembly, students can purchase one-way bus tickets for $40. According to Kandler, alternative modes of transportation can cost upwards of $75 dollars each way.
In the past, the program has been very popular. According to Tuesday night's Assembly agenda, last fall, the service sold enough tickets to fill 5 buses within 2 hours. This year, the Student Services Committee plans to charter eight buses.
"We are basically using the amount of demand from last year to gauge the demand for this year. We're ordering the buses far enough [in advance] that we can cancel the buses if we don't have enough demand for just a small fee," Kandler said. "We're also doing it far enough in advance where we can be able to order a few more buses. That's the great thing about having a zero-cost program. We can order as many buses as we need to fit demand."
The laptop loaner program, sponsored by Zach Mason '10, Kandler and the Student Services Committee, is intended to usurp the cost of loaner laptops for students in need of computer repairs. It is a continued response to many students who approached the Assembly about the high cost of renting a computer through Computer Sales and Services during repairs. Rates are currently $15 for the first day of loaners and $10 for each additional day.
"The students don't have to pay anything, not for the vouchers," Kandler said. "Since [the Assembly is] paying for them in bulk, Computer Sales and Services dropped the price to $10 instead of $15. What basically happens is that we're subsidizing it. We're buying the vouchers for the students."
Student Assembly pledged to allocate $2,500 for the Laptop Voucher Program.
According to Kandler, the program has been in effect at least since last year and students are entitled to up to three vouchers.
The approval of $3,000 funding for the Pangea program, sponsored by the Diversity and Community Affairs Committee, will support the program in its continued aim to promote unity on the Dartmouth campus, according to the Assembly's agenda.
Anne Kasitaza '08, co-vice president of the Diversity and Community Affairs Committee, said that the goal of Pangea is to bring together organizations that don't necessarily interact otherwise, but share common interests, by having them co-sponsor events. According to Diversity and Community Affairs Committee Co-Vice President Nafeesa Remtilla '09, Pangea is a "fairly new program," though it has received good feedback, especially over the summer, when it facilitated the collaboration of eight organizations on campus.
An example of past Pangea success was the collaboration between Kappa Kappa Kappa fraternity and La Alianza Latina in fund-raising for DREAM.
Funding for the aforementioned proposals will be drawn from the Assembly's non-designated funds -- a sum which, as of the beginning of Tuesday's meeting, was $37,963.56.
Appearances of the Dartmoose during Homecoming activities were also discussed at the meeting.
"Many students have supported the Dartmoose both historically and currently. It is the mascot that SA supports," Student Body President Travis Green '08 said. "Having a tangible mascot really brings the idea to life for alumni, students, and the Dartmouth community. Homecoming is a celebration of the community and we want to bring the moose into that."
