CC State of the Union: April

Posted on by Amy McKenna

Hey Campus!
 
Phew! Talk about crazy times. But, as Lady Gaga once said: when the going gets tough, the tough get coffee.
 
Ifiok and I are excited to continue this College Council tradition: a monthly email to the campus letting you know what your student government has been able to accomplish in the past month. Our first two months in this office have been exciting, productive, and very very full. (I could use a donut, though)
 
Your council has been working hard for you everyday because we love this place. This council  has had to deal with an intense period of transition for the school and the students. Our response has been to do our best to make sure that both students and their groups have the support they need to continue making Williams frothy and fabulous.    
 
This is The CC State of the Union: April. Please feel free to reply with comments and/or ideas. Also if you are interested in being apart of the new Implementation Committee (description below) please reply to this email explaining why you want to be on it. Also, don’t forget to check out the resolution attached to this email about making Greylock a reservable programming space.

Enjoy!
 
Dining:

  • Implementation Committee
    • In response to the closure of Dodd and Greylock Dining Halls, College Council has established an Implementation Committee, which will meet starting now and over summer. It includes Steve Klass, Dining Services, CC, the Neighborhoods, ACE, and at-large students.
    • Council passed a resolution to support the use of Greylock as a reservable programming space. It is attached to this email.
  • Snack Bar
    • Reinstating of the Potato Chip/Celery-Carrot Stick Option at Snack Bar
  •   Whitmans’
    • Installing faster condiment dispensers for Whitmans’
  • Change Machines
    • The school has agreed to install two cash to change machines. One for Paresky and one for Mission. This will provide quarters for multiple uses including laundry.
  • 82 Grill Furniture
    • We met with Architects, Dining, and Operations to nail down the exact furniture and layout of the 82 Grill and Luetkemeyer Lounge. The plan includes dark wooden high and low bar tables and chairs, the removal of bolted oval tables, comfy couches and long wooden tables in the Luetkemeyer lounge, along with Ms. PacMan and Pinball machines.

     

Facilities:

  • Picnic Tables
    • Negotiated the purchase and placement of additional picnic tables in Paresky Lawn and the Science Quad
  • Student Art
    • Installation of hanging and display materials for Student Art in Paresky
  • The Log
    • Installation of the Williams College Purple Building Sign for the Log
    • Working on getting the space swipe card accessible for students

 
Institutional Changes:

  • Greylock Parking Garage
    • The Bottom floor of the Greylock Parking Garage will be open for students to park in from 5 PM to 5 AM
  • The Record
    • Successfully negotiated the absolution of The Record’s $16,000+ debt by the College.
    • Working on a viable solution whereby The Record would be under Council oversight and receive some monetary support to keep it sustainable.
  • ACE
    • Currently working with ACE to improve their ability to serve the school. Their plan includes moving the big concert of the year to Homecoming instead of Spring Fling. What do you think?
  • Sawyer Shelves
    • Starting next year, there will be ten reservable shelves set aside with priority given to residents of “distance dormitories” including Tyler, Tyler Annex, Thompson, Wood, Agard, and Garfield. This way they won’t have to lug their books home every night!
  • SophomOrientation
    • Successfully brought back the SophomOrientation program through the new SophomOrientation committee led by Krista Pickett’13. Over 375 current first-year students have registered for the 2nd Annual SophomOrientation.
  • Student-Faculty Committees
    • Collected over 100 self-nominations for students wishing to be appointed to student-faculty committees for next year. In an epic meeting, the Appointments Committee has selected all of the student-representatives and chairs. Congratulations.
  • Williams History Plagues
    • Per the work of a CC/Student-at-large taskforce, there will be bronze plaques in every dormitory with the history and fun facts about that residence.

     

Funding Changes:

  • Getting funding
    • Set up new system of funding groups and events at Williams by combining Office of Campus Life Grant Committee, Co-Sponsorship Committee and Financial Committee in one meeting at one time starting next fall.  By-laws changes have been made.
  • Transportation
    • Completely rehauled how CC funds transportation. The system now requires student groups to try to utilize a college car/van, if none available then a personal car, if none available then we will fund $20 a car and gas for the Enterprise Rental car system, if those are not feasible then we will fund 80% of hourly cost of Zipcar up until a full day.
    • We will now also fund student groups who use a bus at $20 a person two times a year and toll charges.

     

We understand that the above list is extensive, but it is only the beginning…
The Council and its Presidents want your input! Our office is located on the second floor of Paresky in the Student Activities Resource Center. If we are ever there, feel free to come in!
 
The College Council meetings are open to everyone. They are held Wednesday nights from 7:30-9:00 PM in the basement of Hopkins. Every week there is a new agenda and the fun never dies. Never.
 
Make sure to add your two cents in the new CC Updates section on WSO, check out the new college council website art collegecouncil.williams.edu for answers to all your questions (ALL of them hehe), and, if you ever see either one of us, please stop us and tell us what’s on your mind. We like it like.
 
Your College Council Presidents
-Ifiok Inyang ‘11 and Emanuel Yekutiel ‘11