Wesleyan Student Assembly — Wesleyan University

Minutes: February 2, 2003, No. 12

WSA Officers

President: Joey Wender Vice President: Yaw Agyenim-Boateng Coordinator: Sara Mirsky Treasurer: Adam Lachman

Meeting Agenda and Business

1. Meeting Opening
2. Approval of Minutes
3. Discussion with Senior Class Officers
4. Committee Reports
5. Coffee Resolution
6. SBC Midyear Report
7. Public Safety Committee Discussion
8. United Way Discussion
9. New Business and Announcements
10. Adjournment

Opening of Meeting

The meeting was opened at 8:08 pm.

Approval of Minutes

The minutes were approved unanimously.

Discussion with the Senior Class Officers – Mike Lewis, Senior Class President

Seeing as the past senior class treasurer, Adam Diamond, graduated last semester, the senior class officers would like to replace his position with Zoe Levy. Ms. Levy is currently the chair of the Social Committee. She attends all meetings, and therefore knows all the issues with which the officers are dealing. She is the "Acting Treasurer" at the moment. Mr. Lewis asks the WSA to appoint her to the position of treasurer.

Stack

• Adam Lachman asks why they do not hold a general election. He asks if it is for the sake of continuity.
• Mr. Lewis responds that it is mostly because of continuity, but also because of the dedication and enthusiasm of Ms. Levy. They do not one someone who wants the position so that they can put it on a resume.
• Nathan Victoria asks who will fill the position of Social Committee Chair.
• Mr. Lewis answers that Adam Diamond will be the unofficial social chair, seeing as the position was not an official one to begin with.
• Sohana Punithakumar suggests passing a resolution stating that the Senior Class President can replace any officers no longer capable of serving by appointment.
• Colleen Galbraith points out that not all Senior Class Presidents are responsible and trustworthy.
• Joey Wender reports that according to the WSA Constitution, it is the coordinator's decision on how to proceed with filling the position.
• Mr. Lewis mentions the fact that Adam Diamond ran unopposed; no one else said that they wanted the position.
• Ms. Punithakumar thinks that the President should be able to make the appointment under the supervision of the WSA.
• Sara Mirsky instructs the Assembly to vote on whether the WSA should vote on Zoe Levy becoming Treasurer.

Vote: Ayes win by a majority vote.

Ms. Mirsky now instructs the Assembly to vote on Zoe Levy becoming Treasurer.

Vote: Ayes win unanimously.

Committee Reports

1. Community Outreach Committee (COCo)
   Jeremy Abrams, COCo Chair, reports:
   Each COCo member has been assigned a specific task for this semester. Joe McGuire is working on a booklet on group recognition, Rafael Medrano is talking to Frank Kwan, Tu Chi Nguyen is working on a roller night for Wesleyan students. Anay Shah is working on PSaC.

2. Educational Policy Committee (EPC)
   Colleen Galbraith, EPC Chair, reports:
   The EPC's first official meeting was cancelled.
   The Assembly's EPC met and discussed their plans for this semester. They plan to work on course registration, the University Major, reading week, the school calendar, and especially student involvement in the EPC. Member Jesse Watson will be getting opinions on the school bookstore.

3. Student Affairs Committee (SAC)
   Emily Polak, SAC Chair, reports:
   Ms. Polak asks for feedback on the grand opening of late night dining, which was held the past weekend.

   Stack

   • Matt Lerner reports that the performances were very good, and the area was nicely set up. The free food giveaway didn't work that well. He believes that publicity should be more of an issue.
   • Anay Shah states that he heard only good things about the event.
   • Gabe Tabak went on Saturday night. There was not a lot happening, but a lot of people were there.
   • Karen Courtheoux thinks that there should be more food. A big profit could be made off of it.
   • Jesse Watson suggests that advertisements make it consistently exciting. He also recommends that board games be set up.
   • Colleen Galbraith informs Ms. Polak that the workers there seem to think that it'll only be open five days a week and recommends that she looks into that.

4. Independent Projects Committee (IPC)
   Yaw Agyenim-Boateng, WSA Vice President, reports:
   The IPC is working on getting a computer expert to work on the WSA website.
   The new appointed member of the IPC will work with the Social Committee.

   Stack

   • Adam Poswolsky insists that a survey be sent out to the student body concerning which bands are being considered for Spring Fling.

5. Coordinating Committee (CC)
   Sara Mirsky, WSA Coordinator, reports:
   All Committee Chairs should send their reports to Monica Arduini at marduini@wesleyan.edu.
   Appointments will be held this week. IPC and EPC will take place on Wednesday, and FiFac and COCo will take place on Thursday.
   The Members of the Week are Selina Ellis and Ali Gomer.

6. Finances and Facilities (FiFac)
   Ali Gomer, FiFac Chair, reports:
   Gabe Tabak has gone around looking at blue light phones. The Committee has decided to put one behind North College, one near 365 Washington, and one near the CFA parking lot. Ms. Gomer asks for any other suggestions.

   Stack

   • Selina Ellis asks if it is possible to move a blue light phone because she feels the one at Intown should be nearer to the parking lot.
   • Joey Wender points out that there are none near the woodframe houses. Sam Franklin stresses that a freestanding blue light phone at Intown is very important.

   Ms. Gomer takes note and continues.
   The campus planners are having another meeting, this time focusing on student life activities. If people would like to go to the meeting, email Ms. Gomer at agomer@wesleyan.edu. The meeting will be help on February 19th from 1-5.
   FiFac and the EC are going to meet with the architects for the University Center on Monday to discuss WSA space in the new Center.
   Adam Lachman and Ms. Gomer met with Marcia Bromberg to discuss Atticus. They are going to form a task for on a new bookstore. Another important concern that was brought up was that students are trashing Clark. If it continues, it will affect the renovation of other buildings. FiFac is working on ideas to renovate WestCo. Matt Lerner and Selina Ellis are looking into ideas for the WestCo Cafe.
   FiFac is also working on card/key access around campus.

   Stack

   • Joey Wender informs Assembly members that it costs the University a lot of money to replace property. As representatives, members of have to take a stand around campus.
   • Colleen Galbraith points out there has also been a lot of littering around campus.
   • Sam Franklin heard that students put out a pamphlet to "get Clark back to the way it used to be."
   • Ali Gomer responds to everyone by saying that it isn't just students who are stealing things. A lot of campuses in Connecticut are having similar problems.

7. Executive Committee (EC)
   Joey Wender, WSA President, reports:
   (see attachment 12A)
   There are six areas of concern with the CRC. A committee will be meeting on the issue during the week. If people have further suggestions, they should email President Wender at jwender@wesleyan.edu. ITS wants to informally meet with members of the WSA. If anyone is interested in working on this, email President Wender.
   President Wender thanks everyone for coming to dinner.

8. Student Budget Committee (SBC)
   Adam Lachman, WSA Treasurer, reports:
   Mr. Lachman defers to the SBC's Midyear Report.

Coffee Resolution – Emily Polak and Meredith Cowart

(see attachment 12B)
Dining Services have agreed to buy all fair trade and organic coffee. The whole campus will eventually be switched over, but the agreement does not include catering. This resolution explains why the switch is important and commends dining services for making the switch. The policy will be in effect, the resolution should just be passed to show student support and have the switch secured for the future.

Stack

Joey Wender points out that the resolution should go out tomorrow so that it can receive full press and impact.

Vote

The resolution passes.

SBC Midyear Report – Adam Lachman

(see attachment 12C)
Mr. Lachman highlights a few items in the document:
Page 3 lays out the remaining funds. The surplus from last semester may be due to continuing contact with student groups and helping them figure out their budgets. The speaker/music requests have increased a lot. Allocations have also increased; since the Committee came in with a surplus, it had more flexibility. Activist groups seem to be more vocal by planning more events. There has also been an increase in on-campus musical groups. More requests create more competition for money, making student groups put together the best possible budget.
Page 11 maps out the supplemental fund, which includes supplies, etc. There has been a 172% increase in this area. Allocations have also increased.
Next semester, the SBC needs to continue being careful with allocations so that the surplus can be maintained. Mr. Lachman thanks his committee members from last semester.
The Treasurer's Statement: The SBC is still in a strong position and will try to make sure it continues over the next five years. Mr. Lachman hopes to post student groups' accounts online so that they can easily check their funds. This will prevent underspending and overspending, both of which take funds away from other groups. With the request level rising at such a rate, Mr. Lachman suggests that we increase the Student Body Tax so that we can accommodate most of them.

Stack

• Joey Wender congratulates the SBC on such a tremendous document that speaks very well for our organization. Karen Courtheoux asks if the SBC factors in the fact that many groups overshoot when requesting budgets.
• Mr. Lachman informs her that they cut the budget down to a bare minimum and tell groups to come back if they need more money. Groups rarely come back.
• Sam Franklin has always heard that it is easy to get money from the SBC. He asks Mr. Lachman if increasing money will eventually lead to decreased requests due to initial increased requests leading to increased competition.
• Mr. Lachman answers that the amount of money that we are budgeted is far behind the amount of our peer schools. The Committee was able to get money easily this year because of the surplus, but it is important that this is true for future years as well.
• Sara Mirsky inquires how much the Body Tax would be raised.
• Mr. Lachman responds that although we would need to vote on it, he recommends $10.00 per semester.

Public Safety Committee (PSaC) Discussion – Jeremy Abrams
PSaC will be meeting on Tuesday. Mary Ann Wiggin is bring many items to the agenda. Mr. Abrams would like to know if people have issues that they feel should be discussed at the meeting.

Stack

• Joey Wender complains that the door between PAC and Olin won't open.
• Matt Lerner brings up the shuttle issue.
• Mr. Abrams informs him that Anay Shah is in charge of shuttles; all complaints should be brought to him.
• Sara Mirsky asks about the status of Public Safety updates.
• Mr. Abrams responds that the issue will be discussed at the meeting.
• Colleen Galbraith points out that there seems to be an increase in drunk driving at Wesleyan. She suggests that this might have to do with shuttles and access.
• Adam Lachman says that in his meeting with Marcia Bromberg, they discussed having a shuttle drive back and forth to Main Street all the time, especially for the bars.
• Mr. Abrams tell him that another department needs to be found for shuttles because Public Safety doesn't want to put more money into it. Mr. Shah is going to meet with other departments to find one that the issue can fit in.
• Nathan Victoria points out that there needs to be more available parking.
• Emily Polak states that when shuttles were brought up at an SLC meeting, Dean Hill promised to draft letters concerning the issue to Ms. Wiggin.
• Joey Wender articulates the three issues involved in drunk driving: educational awareness, support for the shuttle to Main Street, and support for a student bar on campus.

United Way Discussion – Melinda Coro

John and Gina Driscoll, people at University Relations, contacted Yaw Agyenim-Boateng recently. They were originally interested in doing something post-9/11 to encourage Wesleyan students to help out New York City. This idea led to the project of helping out the United Way. Later, however, it was realized that the United Way supports the Boy Scouts, which is adamantly against homosexuality. The National United Way doesn't sponsor Boy Scouts; they leave it up to the local chapters. The United Way that we would be working with does sponsor the Boy Scouts, though. The IPC started looking to United Ways that don't sponsor the Boy Scouts, but the LBGTQQ is trying to get them totally off of the campus.

Stack

• Kevin Hall informs the Assembly that the faculty and staff can have money taken out of their paycheck to give to the United Way, which supports the Boy Scouts and the Salvation Army, both of which are openly against homosexuality. If people want to do something post-9/11, there are many other organizations that they could work with.
• Jeremy Abrams asks if we are looking into other organizations to which faculty and staff can donate their money.
• Mr. Hall responds that though students are trying to get rid of the option available to faculty and staff, it will not happen for a long time.
• Joey Wender reads that the WSA Constitution bans discrimination in all policies and programs. The WSA's actions need to reflect the Constitution.
• Emily Polak points out that if the Assembly supports the United Way, it would be contradicting itself, seeing as the LBGTQQ subcommittee of the SLC is working against it.
• Karen Courtheoux asks why we would want to affiliate ourselves with a private organization.
• Ms. Coro explains that it was a suggestion from the Driscolls to help a post-9/11 cause. They are active in the United Way, so it was their first choice. The IPC has not talked to them about an alternative charity. She is not sure if they suggested the United Way because of their love of the organization or because of their desire to have Wesleyan students involved in charity.
• Mr. Agyenim-Boateng reminds the Assembly that there is no pressure to decide one way or the other. Members should speak on the part of the students.
• Kevin Lohela insists that there is no point to discussing the topic any further. The WSA inherently cannot do this due to our constituents and our constitution.
• Adam Poswolsky suggests having speakers come in to discuss teachers' salaries.

Voting

The WSA will not affiliate itself with the United Way.

New Business and Announcements

Jesse Watson announces that the Freshman Committee will hold its Freshman Forum within the next two weeks.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 9:37 pm.

Respectfully Submitted,
Monica Arduini, WSA Secretary