NOV. 21 — I couldn’t start this article any better than how Parliamentarian Emi Camero Cortez ‘25 started the General Assembly meeting: “Please pay attention. Thank you.”
The Assembly was joined by Elias Espinosa ‘26 and Associate Athletics Director Kaylyn Smith who presented a new resolution for a student athlete representative. Student athletes are organized in two major governance collectives that currently operate separate from SGA: the Athletes of Color Coalition (AOCC) and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). It is from these two groups that Espinosa and Smith propose a student athlete representative would be selected for the Assembly.
Espinosa and Smith explained that student athletes make up a significant portion of the student body at 35% and they face unique challenges. Representation on SGA could strengthen student engagement, bridge gaps between athletes and non-athletes, and improve advocacy for comprehensive wellness on campus.
Though there are students on the Assembly who already happen to be athletes, a specific position would ensure they always have representation.
This resolution will be voted on at the next and final Assembly meeting of the semester.
The previous week’s Sustainable Projects Fund (SPF) proposal for $5,000 to help with transportation costs for the second annual Black History Month Retreat to Washington, D.C. was approved with a majority vote. (Yay!) Students interested in the SPF should reach out to Chair of Sustainability Grace Webb ‘27.
On rainy days, your sneakers will become squeaky. When your sneakers are squeaky, they are particularly loud. When your sneakers are particularly loud, please don’t walk unnecessarily through quiet housing. Through no fault of their own, the students who selected quiet housing were placed in the highly trafficked and naturally loud environment of first floor Smith House. Please do your best to limit noise in this location.
In the favorite of all committee reports, the Dining Committee reported, once again, that Resident District Manager Peter Johnson is still aware of the labeling problem. Also, everything bagels will not be returning to campus since they contain sesame seeds, a major allergen. Amid rumors and concerns, Johnson explicitly clarified for the committee that beloved Dine at Conn employee John Triandafillou is allowed to wear his Mickey Mouse hat (if he wants to).
Importantly, some students and potentially some employees have been told that nothing in the dining halls—excluding peanut butter—contains nuts. This is not true. Please inspect the ingredients of foods when possible and ask an employee before consuming food you are unsure about if this is a concern for you.
The Parking Appeals Committee announced, for the good of the order, that claiming to “not know” parking regulations is not a valid reason for appealing a ticket from Campus Safety. Mistakes do happen and appeals can be valid, but everyone should have received an email from Campus Safety Director Mary Savage at the beginning of the semester containing campus parking information. It is the responsibility of anyone with a car on campus to be aware of these rules.
In an interesting conversation between Chair of Communications Timothy Friend ‘25 and Presidential Associate Abdou-Latifou Dare ‘27, it became apparent that Friend is quite knowledgeable about the heating systems for dorm buildings across campus. If you are interested, I recommend reaching out to him.
As Class of 2025 President, I announced in the Assembly and I would like to announce to all readers that the senior celebration of 100 Days (100 days before graduation) will be on Feb. 15. Please mark your calendars. Please prepare for an epic and very enjoyable celebration.
In closing remarks, animals like alligators may come on campus at some point in the future. I look forward to such excitement.
