Photo by Artemis Chen ‘25. At Senate, students asked Residential Life representatives about selecting and switching rooms.
Gillian Petrarca ’23
Staff Writer
After a land acknowledgment from the Chair of Senate Shula Mathew ’22, the April 26 senate meeting began. The meeting agenda included a Town Hall with Residential Life, E-Board updates and a presentation from the all-campus elections committee.
E-Board updates included Chair of Halls EJ Jankovic ’23 sharing the results from last week’s in-senate elections. Next year’s chair of senate will be EJ Jankovic ’23, Chair of halls will be Serynn Nowlin ’25 and chair of special interests will be Oumoulakyre Mounkaila ’24. Vice President of SGA Ananya Singh ’22 announced that the student activities fee will increase by $25 next year to pay for free menstrual products in the restrooms on campus and allow the E-Board to be paid.
Director of Community Standards & Housing Operations Rachel Alldis and Associate Director of Residential Life Nashalie Vasquez joined senate for a Town Hall meeting. Senators submitted questions last week with their commissions. Question topics ranged from housing selection times to room changes to accessibility in the dorms.
When asked if students can be provided with basic cleaning supplies for their residence halls, such as vacuum cleaners and dustpans, Alldis replied that she knows facilities provide trash bags for students. Alldis stated that in the past, the school provided each dorm with a vacuum cleaner; however, vacuum cleaners were often either broken or stolen. Still, she expressed that she is happy to put in that request to facilities. Next, the two were asked if ResLife and the registrar could coordinate next year so that the housing lottery and class registration are not in the same week. Alldis responded that it is hard to do both of these things before spring break because many students do not begin thinking about their living situation until after this time. However, she will talk to the registrar moving forward.
Vasquez was asked how ResLife uses the roommate preferences survey to match students with a roommate. Vasquez replied that for incoming students, she reads all of their applications and tries to match students that have similar habits. However, some students change their habits as they come to college. Vasquez reminded students that they can update their roommate profile each year when finding a new roommate. When asked what circumstances can warrant a room change, Vasquez explained that switching rooms should never be a student’s first response to a conflict with their roommate. The student should first talk to their RA or RF to try and mediate the conflict. Next, they should talk to their Area Coordinator. If going through these channels is unsuccessful, then the student can be moved.
Lastly, Vasquez and Alldis were asked about accessibility in the dorms. A concern was raised about accommodations for students who live in buildings without elevators but become temporarily disabled during the school year. Vasquez responded that ResLife would work with Health Services on an individual basis to get the student temporary housing accommodations. In a follow-up question, a senator asked why there are no empty rooms on the first floor of every building in case this happens. Alldis replied that there are first-floor housing accommodations that prohibit non-accessible buildings from having empty rooms on the first floor. Vasquez and Alldis thanked everyone for inviting them to the senate meeting.
The floor was then opened for a presentation by all-campus elections committee member Isabela Haskell ’23. Haskell stated that the all-campus SGA election did not reach a quorum. According to the SGA constitution, senate can approve the election or vote to allow the election to be open for one more week to reach a quorum. Senators had the opportunity to vote on this matter.
Senate concluded with a statement of gratitude from the senate team and a cording ceremony for senior members, where senators sang the alma mater.
