Wesleyan Student Assembly — Wesleyan University

Minutes: October 10, 2004, No. 3

WSA Officers

President: Emily Polak
Vice President: Jeremy Abrams
Coordinator: Ali Gomer
Treasurer: Pacho Carreno

Meeting Agenda and Business

1. Approval of last week's minutes
2. Committee Reports
3. Discussion about short and long-term safety initiatives
4. New business and announcements

Opening of Meeting
The meeting was opened at 7:10 PM.

Committee Reports

COCo

• Individual initiatives were discussed at last committee meeting
• Group assignments for contacts
• Nora will meet with Marianne Wiggins about the AWARE meeting

EC

• Only two students came to the first WSA conversation sessions, but they were productive. The students spoke mainly about the escort system.
• The committee is working on drafting a proposal about addressing safety issues on campus (mainly in relation to transportation.
• Emily Polak wants us to talk more about gender neutral housing

EPC

• The EPC will start library committee. Anyone, WSA members and non-members, can apply for it.
• There will be a grace period for those who want to travel to swing states to turn inhome work. The committee will be going to Bennett to talk about the proposal soon.
• Requests that we talk to our friends about what issues are on students' minds.

FiFaC

• Met with Manny to talk about the RIDE. Walking escort will be advertised more.
• Next step for the transportation is to publicize more.
• Laundry card will be transferred onto WEScard soon. Students will be to check available washing machines online. Students can go to the One Card Office in North College or use the internet to transfer their money from one card to another once the system arrives.
• Prototype housing (senior woodframe replacements) will be discussed soon. Student Residential Services will probably revamp interiors of the old houses.
• Usage numbers on the RIDE are given by Nathan. The special services van will be in operation soon. Vans are being painted to distinguish each one. There has been talk of creating another stop at Williams and High and having both lines stop at Vine Street.

SLC

• Dean Patton has streamlined the search committee for the new dean.
• The committee talked about bias harassment incidents. It suggests that students with problems talk to the office of affirmative action. The committee will further publicize how to get information on the issues.
• Gender-neutral housing was discussed. Senior staff was unaware of the situation, decided it was not something Wesleyan was ready for. Meeting was a little confrontational. Committee decided that URLC and queer task force would look at the proposal created last week. Issue will go back on agenda two weeks from now.
• Committee assignments were made.
• Dining questions can be directed toward Dan or Elaine.

SBC

• Asks for feedback about SBC or WSA office. SBC masterplan will soon be created.
• Meetings are on Friday at 1 PM.

CC

• Hung up posters for the WSA conversation hour and hope to make it a regular task.
• New guidelines for meetings. Presentations: 15 minutes. Each person on stack: 3 minutes for themselves and others to respond.
• Requests that assembly members come sooner.
• There will be no meeting next Sunday because of Fall Break.
• Excused absences are excused when the chair knows prior to the event.

Stack

• Arijit Sen asks if Manny is aware of the decrease in number of student escort services users this year with the new RIDE. Nathan Victoria says that Manny believes use will increase soon once the weather gets worse.
• Zach Kolodin requests more info about the RIDE and requests that yielding process be more formalized. We should officially yield time.
• Anda Greeney asks about the laundry card. Also asks about a GSP system for the shuttles whereby the shuttles could be tracked online. Brian Brotman requests a washer in the van. Ben Evar says that school is researching GSP technology and that he will ask questions of ITS.
• Rabs Hutchful asks if student groups can still get money. Brittany Mitchell responds that SBC will talk about the issue. Rabs suggests that we change the time for the SBC meeting time can be changed. Pacho Carreno says it would not be possible.
• Elaine Garven asks about 15 minute time limits. Ali Gomer says that there is no formal change but 15 minutes will be a rough limit. Karen Courtheux says that the new policy will be beneficial in consideration of long-winded speakers. Arijit Sen questions the effectiveness. Ali Gomer says she will cut off speakers if she needs to.
• Nora Connor requests that frosh on financial aid be made aware that they can apply for 100 additional points when they run out before the end of the semester; asks Ali Gomer about tardiness. Ali Gomer says that tardiness should be considered five to ten minutes after meeting starts.
• Anda Greeney asks how students' opinions will be addressed. Emily Polak says that she will follow through about their opinions.
• Danielle Krudy says she will follow up on Rabs comments.
• Ali Gomer asks if the new CC rules are acceptable. Pacho Carreno requests that the resolutions are sent to assembly members earlier. Ali says that it is possible but that she needs to receive them in their correct form earlier. Jeremy Abrams requests that we also receive hard copies of resolutions. Brittany suggests that this would not be a good idea. Changes will not be made to constitution.
• Emily Polak thinks WSA is in a good position to be a strong voice for the student body; says that Ali Gomer suggested we have an online survey vote from students.
• Arijit says that Peter Patton does not care what the students think and that he's more concerned about what parents think. Nathan Victoria says that there are other people above Peter; requests that we keep working on the project
• Ali Gomer suggests that we conduct the poll next week.
• Brittany asks if there is a copy of the gender-neutral resolution online. Emily says we can put the resolution online.
• Brittany says that the students who voted will not represent a significant number of the student body. Josh Ente says that we should ensure a high voter turnout; agrees that most students are in support of it and that it would do better. Rabs Hutchful suggests that we create an easy version of the proposal for students to read. Danielle Krudin requests that we push the vote through the Argus. Jacob Mirsky requests that we should ensure that the voting system works; stresses that students must show other schools, parents, alumni that the issue is monumental on campus.
• Anda Greeney says that there is a lackluster interest in voting; we should increase publicity. Nathan responds that we could table or create student initiatives. Elaine Garven suggests that we can campaign by making the voting page the homepage in campus computers. Arijit Sen says that we should get stats on the alumni and trustees' distaste. Ali Gomer says that we could extend the voting times during the alumni weekend because it would stimulate debate. Elaine says that we should have petitioning parents and alumni effort. Nora Connor says we should be cautious because many parents and alumni may not support the resolution. Evan Simko-Bednarski Requests that we should increase advertising efforts. Jacob Mirsky comments that he will work to publicize more.
• Karen Courtheoux suggests that we should have an extra question on the initiative to see if the issue is important to students. Evan Simko-Bednarski Says that sympathetic press would be very helpful. Zach says that we should be careful with Karen's request. Elaine Garven says we should include a comments section. Mike Donnella says that press, talking with alumni would be better. Brian Brotman brings attention to the idea that Peter Patton is only a temporary dean. We can focus on possibly making things better under the next dean as a "nightmare" option.
• Josh Ente says that a petition would be more visible. Jeremy Abrams says that we could use a petition and a poll. Evan Simko-Bednarski and Arijit Sen express be concern about splitting the vote. Dave Woo asks about the signatures, says that it would be swaying voters. Evan says that the petition would not be useful for us. Brittany Mitchell says that parents and alumni could be involved in a survey about supporting students' opinions.
• Zach Kolodin motions that Emily Polak, Jeremy Abrams and Ali Gomer should be responsible for creating an online referendum. Passes.
• Jacob Mirsky says that we should take into account the student opinion on the issue. Brittany responds that it is not our decision to represent only certain students.
• Anda Greeney requests that we have only the online referendum; get more publicity. Emily Polak requests that we vote on how to create the referendum that would be available for voting from Tuesday 12:01 a.m., Oct. 12, to next Friday, Oct. 22, at 12:01 a.m. The motion passes.

Discussion of Short and Long-Term Safety Initiatives

Emily Polak has been talking with Manny Cunard and Maryann Wiggin about lighting, timing and other matters about the RIDE. Within the next three weeks, the university will have another van. Emily wants to know if there are other things that can be added to this proposal on safety issues. The transportation department's leadership (instead of Public Safety's) of the RIDE might be detrimental to its effectiveness.

Stack

• Nathan Victoria brings up lighting and public safety presence. Brittany Mitchell requests that Public Safety Advisory Council takes on a greater leadership role; requests that Manny sits on PSAC council meetings; Nathan Victoria says that another representative who works for Manny sits in on the meetings.
• Zach Kolodin and Arijit Sen say that fluid committees or ad hoc committees would be beneficial. Brittany Mitchell suggests that a Safe Community Committee might overlap with PSAC but would focus on students feeling safe in the community and would work to get student issues addressed. Evan Simko-Bednarski requests that we reach outside the WSA for student opinions.
• Brian Brotman say that the creation of a student safety network might be able to create a student escort system. Brittany Mitchell responds that we experienced problems with that last year. Elaine Garven states that the problem with creating such a committee is that it would be too broad (wouldn't know where to start).
• Jeremy Abrams says that it is unfortunate that the only time we see police is when they break up parties; suggests that the Middletown Police participate in safety committees.
• Zach Kolodin motions to create a Safe Community Committee. Amended. Questions asked. Brittany clarifies that PSAC is not proactive enough. What is needed, she says, is a venue for student voice over which Public Safety has little control. Rabs Hutchinson suggests that we increase size of PSAC and increase its power.
• Jeremy Abrams responds that he thinks Public Safety has done a fine job in the last two years; comments that Coco can and should fulfill its duties. Zach Kolodin says that we need to bring in people from outside this body. Evan Simko-Bednarski says that there presently is student involvement in making the campus safer and the WSA should lend a helping hand. Rabs Hutchful remarks that students don't respect public safety. Jeremy Abrams says that these problems still fall under responsibilities of Coco, says that muggings are related to weather.
• Nathan Victoria says that this year's crimes are more serious because they are hate crimes; asks Zachary Kolodin who should be more involved in PSAC. Zach says that queer groups and minority groups are more affected. Brittany says that the RIDE is a big reason for the unsafe campus; says that we should have an ad hoc committee composed of people who have the time and energy to do something about these issues. Arijit Sen motions in favor of a straw poll to create a discussion group about a proposal to create a safer campus. Motion passes.
• Dave Woo comments that we should just revamp the Coco. Pacho Carreno motions to limit stack. Jeremy Abrams reiterates Dave's statement. Arijit Sen says that we should see how the discussion session goes.

New Business and Announcements

• Jacob Mirsky announces that he would be interested in being a liaison to EON. Nathan Victoria remarks that FiFac will later offer the position.
• Arijit Sen asks about WESU shut down. Emily clarifies that the students wanted to allowed to employ a non-Wes student station manager. The administration is looking to bring in an NPR affiliate station to share some of the radio station hours. WSA wants to show that WESU has been upping the ante. Emily Polak says that President Bennett is listening to what the WSA and WESU are saying. Zach Kolodin comments that there are already protest movements in the works.
• Jacob Mirsky asks what people think about the Argus article that criticized the gender-neutral housing resolution. Karen Courtheoux says she agrees. Jacob says that we should continue to do things like the student gender-neutral poll. Zach Kolodin says we might lose a lot of power as a student body.
• Nathan Victoria says that WSA has come far; little things are not recognized because we do not advertise them. Arijit Sen says that the WSA is viewed as more open this year; the Argus's article was actually positive.
• Nora Connor recommends that the administration respond to each resolution formally.
• Ben Evar requests that the third floor of the Campus Center be reopened. Daniel Rubin says that the decision was made last year because more students were in favor of Summerfields. Nora comments that it was nice to have student musicians; suggests that we could use it a few times a week; will work on the issue. Mike Donnella comments that Summerfields closes at 1:15 a.m. Evan Simko-Bednarski comments that there is a big difference between student spaces and eating spaces.

Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 9:21 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,
Arie Eernisse, WSA Secretary