SGA Columns: Supper Clubs, Sprout Plants, and Surveys!

11/13 

• Baxter Prescott ‘27, Sprout Manager, presented a Sustainable Projects Funds proposal to buy native edible plants for the Sprout bioswale. These root plants are necessary to absorb runoff water and not let it oversaturate the fields, but also to attract pollinators, and can be used as an educational and public food resource. After the Cro renovations and changes to the road that runs next to Sprout this past summer, the bioswale needs to be built back up again, and some plants they requested were many types of berries, pawpaws, and other native root plants. The total cost of the resolution is $1,530 for plants, with a timeline of a multiple-summer investment into growing and maintaining the bioswale. We approved this proposal the following week.
• The Ad Hoc Committee on Student Representation Reformation held an open forum on changing the House Senator system and the way that representation happens in SGA. Please see my separate article on pages 1 and 3 for an in-depth discussion of the open forum.
• Work orders can sometimes take a while to be completed, but please don’t feel afraid of submitting multiple on a single issue until they’re fixed. Also– though sometimes on our end something can be marked complete without it being fixed, oftentimes this means that a specific request has been closed, but a related one has been opened on a level that we can’t see, as in for a plumber, electrician, or other specialty.
• Some professors have told students that a class was retroactively made into an SDP, MOI-something, etc., after a course has completed. This is not possible, and that professor was unfortunately mistaken. Please keep an eye on your DegreeWorks and make sure your requirements are being fulfilled appropriately.
• SAC has released the pre-Floralia survey, please be sure to fill that out.
• Athletics is hosting a winter donation drive for canned food and winter gear, boxes will be in the AC and Harris until December 5. Please donate any canned food, clothes, hats, or similar winter gear.
• Muslim Students Association has been working on a campaign for more halal food options at Harris, and to have things be properly labelled. According to Chartwells, after Thanksgiving Break, the allergy station should have labelled halal options, including proteins.

11/20

• Credo– the national consulting firm brought in by the College to gain input on the student experience at Conn, both for developing student life and working on architecture and interior design thoughts for future construction and renovation projects on campus– came to SGA to host a session with us and hear our thoughts. We discussed changes that ourselves and other students wanted to see on campus, surrounding common spaces, dining, administration and student governance, facilities, student support, and diversity.
• Maddie McDaniel ‘27, Parliamentarian, presented an updated version of the resolution to change the bylaws on mid-year Executive Board elections, including changes such as holding interviews with the E-Board before nominating candidates.
• As stated before, we approved the SPF resolution on native edible plants for the Sprout bioswale.
• Some students expressed concerns about lead paint exposure in older buildings, but lead paint, though present in some buildings on campus, is only toxic if ingested.
• As there was some confusion around campus regarding the new Supper Club option from Chartwells, the event is intended to replace off campus fine-dining options, and intended for special events and occasions, though it can also be utilized by clubs and organizations. Some concerns included a lack of communication between students and Chartwells, and concerns about affordability for the Supper Club option, with how it may put aspects of the student experience behind a paywall.
• Previously unused and underutilized aspects and activities of the graduating class celebrations, such as the breakfast, will be cut this year.
• Aleks Eikinas ‘26, Chair of Equity and Inclusion, presented a resolution on making the Chair of DEI role on the SGA E-Board a co-chair position instead, as the responsibilities of the position are too much for a single person, and the position would benefit from being shared. This would also allow for multiplicity, and the co-chairs would vote separately, to allow for disagreements and more in-depth discussion. Some proposals included having one person focusing on present-day issues and another focusing on the future, or having a DEI Chair with another person alongside them, though maybe not as a co-chair.