On Thursday, September 24, the Chatham Student Government met in the Conover Room for their weekly meeting. The CSG discussed embracing the new male undergraduate student population on campus which is a major historical point for the University.
To start off the meeting, CSG Executive President Sarah Jugovic said that she will meet with University President Esther Barazzone to get the reasoning behind her stepping down. The CSG meeting also discussed the topics of women requesting financial assistance for studying abroad and of trying to grow the shuttle committee for the University the goals of which are more drivers and more vehicles.
During the meeting, the CSG discussed the undergraduate dinner that will take place on Monday, September 27, in the Athletic and Fitness Center at 6:00 p.m. This dinner is not only meant to open a new chapter as the University becomes co-educational, but also to get students who usually do not participate involved in campus activities.
This dinner is meant to alleviate a problem that Dean Waite pointed out in the meeting: that classes tend not to integrate. She said that many students think like this: “There are the new students and there are the current students, and we are different.” Many of the current students view first-years as high school freshman who are immature and the “new kids on the block.”
“I don’t think there is going to be a lot of junior/senior population going on,” said Phoebe Armstrong, a representative for the Class of 2016. All of the members of CSG agreed that not many juniors and seniors go to events because they believe they are geared towards first-year students.
However, in order to promote class integration, the CSG has decided to have an event that will allow all classes to paint pumpkins with their class colors to display outside of the Library.
“People get closer when they do weird and awkward stuff,” said Nicole Lyons, a representative for the Class of 2016. Such an event will allow not only for class integration but also for relationship building within the classes as well.
Before the meeting was adjourned, the CSG also talked about trying to make sure that every voice is heard so that all students feel a level of acceptance. However, Armstrong objected, saying, “It’s like this, it’s college. If you have to be forcing relationships, you’re silly. Relationships happen over a period of time.” Nonetheless all members agreed that they would put at a committee into effect that would allow all voices to be heard, and that would acknowledge campus issues.
The CSG meets every Thursday at 11:30 a.m. in the Conover Room, and all meetings are open to the student body.