Attendance:
Paul Wang
Anyi Sun
Brandon Lozano Garay
Mundo Ortiz Alvarez
John Donoghue
Abigail Martin
Alejandro Ramos
Angelica Gordon
Elliott Ewell
Sadie New
Chase Lenk
Zahren York
Kaya Patel
Alex Kruse
Vincent Chen
Sachin Maharaj
Niña Ramores
Eleanor Donahue
Ollie Tannahil
Timmy Ignacio
Kelly Shi
Eisa Rafat
Liliana Restrepo
Call to Order
Committee Announcements
Facilities and Sustainability (Brandon and Elliott)
- Laundry sheets have been distributed to laundry rooms and are now available for use
- Bike share program – abstract right now but working with Sustainability to develop this system much like UNE and Bates have
- Sachin: Timeline for bike program?
- Brandon: Possibility that Yellow Bike Club would become this; want to start with at least 10 bikes; waiting for now
- Sachin: Timeline for bike program?
- Sent out new dining survey; meeting with dining on April 2nd; goal is to change things that he sensed were possible to change last semester; meeting was poorly attended last time so hoping to get greater turnout
Student Organizations Oversight (Alex)
- Working on the club wall – each club will have a card advertising themselves used to compile a wall in Smith going up on Friday
Student Affairs (Mundo)
- Working on a College House project to see how BSG can help to improve the current system
- Abigail: Recommends contacting Alex Gates and Sara Binkhorst
- Paul: Will this project include discontent with Bowdoin parties?
- Mundo: Yes. Met with Dean Lohmann about this. Going to write a series of op-eds on what he thinks the problem is
- Paul: Could send out a survey to serve as a bridge between students and administration
- Kaya: Interviewed alumni about experiences with college houses for an Orient article. Could be useful to get in touch with some of them.
Diversity and Inclusion (Sachin)
- Student Belonging Survey has been sent out; please fill it out; the College is looking for representative data; worked with class presidents and club leaders to develop it last semester
Russworm Renaming Initiative (Nyla)
- Talked with Benje about the initiative, and he said more conversations need to be had.
- Considering putting a plaque inside Russ
- Will contact the library about updating the website
- Mundo: What were his specific qualms?
- Nyla: Alumni may not be in favor of this initiative
SAFC project update (Niña and Eisa)
- Have been talking about ways to support affinity groups through SAFC structure; making information about SAFC more known through outreach and promotion to club leaders
- Affinity group leaders had a meeting with Eduardo and Katie talking about affinity group leaders’ feelings about the SAFC; more and more leaders want the SAFC as a resource, especially at the volume they’re having events
- Talked about initiatives to have an open channel between SAFC and groups, such as office hours
Publicize conference
- Paul: Please fill out the form if interested in attending the NESCAC & BIG Student Gov Conference that Tufts is hosting in Boston on March 30th
Elections (Paul and Anyi)
Two potential models for how elections will function this year
- 1st model: Designed for if lose president/VP position first week, then rest of exec board elections the next week, as well as class council elections and applications
- 2nd model: just all elections then applications, with a second round of applications in the fall
Harper: Greater clarity and voter engagement with second model
Elliott: Favors second model; special advisor role and applications exist; role doesn’t limit potential for participation and contributions
Abigail: So many people from BSG last year didn’t continue this year; no one from exec board; worried that with the 2nd model, people won’t continue if lose
Melissa: Should prioritize BSG retention over voter turnout
- Ollie: Agrees with Melissa. 2 weeks isn’t that drawn out of a process
- Sadie: Always easier to get more people to vote
- Angelica: 2 weeks gives more time
- Mundo: We’re not taken as a representative govt, so voter turnout is irrelevant
- Zahren: What is special advisor position?
- Eleanor: For study abroad juniors
- Paul: Has opened it to anyone who has previously been involved in BSG and lost an election
Voting on the model: 2nd model wins
Junior participation is historically limited, so proposing having 2 elections – spring and fall
Nate: This is how BSG was before 2018; number of juniors dropped dramatically after the option to run for a semester went away
Anyi: For exec positions except president and VP; have to run with partner who would be here the opposite semester
Mundo: Special advisor is where juniors should be; doesn’t think should be two people for executive positions
- Eleanor: Agrees; gets wanting to increase junior participation, but thinks would decrease productivity
- Zahren: And people could have very different leadership styles
Alex: Counter-arguments: creates more continuity; good to have position filled if no one else runs; and if someone else is running, they still have to win
- Mundo: But people will be voting on who they know. Plus now have two people to garner support
Kaya: Makes sense if the person has previously been on BSG, but not if they’re coming in in the spring with no experience
Sachin: How effective would be for positions that go to trustee meetings?
Elliott: Going abroad is a trade-off. Adopting this only accommodates those who want to go abroad and maintain position; already have advisor position available
Voting to change junior class council elections: passed
Voting to change executive team elections: did not pass
Adjournment