The Resolution Regarding Residence Hall Cleanliness Upon Move-In was passed by a unanimous vote at the Nov. 15 meeting of the Student Government Association (SGA). The resolution was drafted by Chris Rindosh, vice president of Student Services, with the help of Nora Wentworth, sophomore class secretary, to call needed attention to the soiled state of rooms throughout residence halls at the College on move-in day.
Rindosh said that the issue was originally brought to his attention while taking part in an SGA outreach program that included meeting with freshmen floors as part of an "SGA Road Show." A survey determined the full extent of the problem.
"Most students were dissatisfied with the state of their rooms," Rindosh said.
The resolution also states that members of the College's Building Services staff may have been shirking their responsibilities or not following standard room-cleaning procedures.
The resolution says "there has been documented evidence of Building Services staff not fulfilling their duties by taking frequent and extended breaks, not working during hot weather and not upholding the expectations that Building Services administration presented to SGA."
By passing this resolution, SGA members hope to ensure cleaner rooms on move-in day by recommending better supervision of Building Services staff, as well as promoting the prompt cleaning of rooms in residence halls as they are vacated.
Meagan Terry, dining services liaison, discussed circumstances surrounding the broken dishwasher in the Eickhoff dining hall. The 14-year-old dishwasher has been out of order for the past two weeks, and disposable plates, cups and utensils have been used.
Terry said a replacement dishwasher would cost $75,000, and there are hidden costs associated with the installation process. A new dishwasher would require plumbing work and renovation of the ceiling and floors in the dishwashing areas. Additionally, Sodexho would like to see the installation of a conveyer belt system for more efficient transport of dirty dishes. These factors bring the associated costs closer to $500,000.
This financial burden would not be Sodexho's responsibility. Sodexho is only obligated, according to its contract with the College, to pay up to $2,500 for repairs and renovations. In spite of the costs, SGA members voiced support for the new dishwasher.
"We ought to make this top priority for next year," Terry said.
Steve Viola, junior class treasurer, said that he was unhappy with the litany of four-letter words that appeared in the Letters section of the Nov. 15 edition of The Signal.
"It is the editor's job to ensure that what is published should have merit to be published," Viola said.
Viola asked SGA members to consider some sort of official rebuke for The Signal. Viola defended the First Amendment, but said that the choice of words in the Letters section was offensive and uncalled for.
Two student organizations were granted official club status. The first was Phi Alpha Theta - a chapter of a nationally recognized history honor society. The chapter was founded at the College to replace the defunct History Club. Phi Alpha Theta will serve as "an academic and fun environment for history majors," Doug Patalano, senior secondary education/history major, said.
Although the club is an honor society for history majors, its events will not be exclusive to history majors at the College. One meeting per month will be devoted toward appealing to the collective campus body, and events will be publicized with fliers and by e-mail.
The Entrepreneur Club was also granted club status. Flamur Rama, junior political science major, said that the club hopes to promote entrepreneurship by serving as a small consulting company to local businesses. Club members will offer their services, such as Web design, to local businesses in order to gain experience as well as generate revenue for club operations.
Rama said that other business-related clubs at the College tend to emphasize corporate business and postgraduate employment. Rama's intent is to help students gain experience in building small businesses "from the ground up."
Michael Strom, vice president of Legal and Governmental Affairs, spoke regarding legal services at the College. According to Strom, the Dedrick and Dedrick law firm serves as the counsel contacted when students at the College request legal assistance.
Strom said that in the past, there hasn't been much contact between the College and the law firm. Additionally, students haven't taken advantage of the service, largely because the extent of the services provided by the law firm isn't widely publicized. Strom is working to gather more information to provide students at the College with better legal resources.
