On May 24, at the eighth weekly Dartmouth Student Government meeting of the spring term, senators discussed funding first-year health kits, supporting Muslim student association Al-Nur’s Eid al-Adha Gala and expanding a reusable cup initiative at Novack Cafe.
North Park senator Issa Allison ’29 proposed contributing $1,000 to support Dick’s House’s first-year student wellness kit program this fall. Dick’s House currently offers the kits — which include Tylenol, band-aids and a thermometer — for free to all first-year students during the second week of fall term. The program is currently only funded by Dick’s House and is facing a funding shortage, according to Allison.
South House senator Abbie Deng ’29 said the funding “could be better used by an initiative that we make ourselves.” In response, Allison said the additional funding would allow the existing health kit program to have greater “reach” across campus.
“This funding … [will] be able to ensure that we are reaching more LLCs, reaching more dorms in a more uniform manner,” Allison said. “... The lack of funding will just make this harder.”
Student body president Sabik Jawad ’26 agreed to organize a meeting between Dick’s House and DSG’s health and wellness committee to discuss how Dick’s House could ensure first-year health kits reach more students before voting on a funding decision.
General senator and treasurer of Al-Nur Taha Tariq ’28 proposed $1,000 in funding for the annual Eid al-Adha Gala hosted by Al-Nur. Eid al-Adha, which translates to “festival of sacrifice,” is an Islamic holiday and is a time of reflection, gratitude and unity. Tariq said he believed it was “especially necessary right now” to highlight the event after three people were killed in a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego on May 19. The killings are being investigated as a hate crime, according to the New York Times.
The Eid al-Adha Gala is “one of the events that we do once a year that brings in the community and gives back, which is especially necessary right now,” Tariq said.
DSG voted unanimously to fund the event.
In a presentation to DSG, Sustainability Action Program leader Sofia Uribe ’29 said she hopes to work with DSG to bring more attention to the reusable cup discount program at Novack Cafe and “increase publicity” of sustainability initiatives on campus. According to Uribe, students save approximately 70% on hot or iced coffees if they bring a reusable cup; a medium cup of coffee would cost $0.99 with the discount.
According to Uribe, on an average weekday, approximately 650 cups are thrown away at Novack Cafe.
“I think the best way to go about [sustainability] is to go right to the source by bringing your own cups and reducing the outputs,” Uribe said.
Jawad agreed to discuss potential opportunities to expand the reusable cup discount with Dartmouth Dining at an upcoming meeting.
DSG Senate meetings are held weekly on Sundays at 7 p.m. in Collis 101 and are open to all students.
Kailyn Holty ’29 is a news reporter from Redwood City, Calif., and is majoring in economics and quantitative social science.
