BY ANNABELLE SHEA ‘23
The third meeting of the Student Government Association (SGA) Senate took place on Tuesday evening in the Blanchard Great Room. The meeting opened in the routine town hall format; senators had the opportunity to share any issues, concerns or updates with the rest of SGA.
Several senators took the opportunity to remind community members of upcoming events, sports games and fundraisers. During the evening, senators took a vote on a data-sharing proposal submitted by Northwestern University.
The proposal was shared with Mount Holyoke because of the school’s membership in the Consortium on Financing Higher Education (COFHE). Should Mount Holyoke participate, the school would share demographic data and other general information with Northwestern and other COFHE schools. Senators voted in favor of the proposal, committing to future collaboration with other COFHE schools.
Later during the event, senators met with their working groups to discuss goals moving forward.
Members of the Environmental Sustainability Committee expressed frustration over Mount Holyoke’s food waste and the school’s slow transition from reliance on fossil fuels to divestment in 2021. Senators in the committee proposed announcing a state of emergency, in hopes of prompting a response from the administration. Senate leaders plan on holding a vote on the issue in the near future.
Members of the Dining Committee expressed willingness to collaborate with Sustainability Committee members in the implementation of reusable “to-go” boxes for the Blanchard Dining Commons. Many students believe that such an option would drastically decrease food waste, but have been met with resistance from members of the dining hall staff.
The Campus Safety Committee also brought forth suggestions to make Mount Holyoke’s campus safer. The issue of student relations with campus police remains a concern and more transparency in campus police diversity training is desired by many. Additional concerns from community members include the malfunction of dorm chip readers and the need for campus blue lights.
Senate meets weekly at 7:30 p.m. in the Great Room of Blanchard Campus Center.