Senate Unites Residential & Commuter Students

Story by Broadside Correspondent Rachel Palting. Photo by Danny Jackson.

The 29th Student Senate met Thursday to discuss upcoming events such as Witch Watch and Night Walk. Student Body President Zack Golden also presented the Student Government Strategic Plan, which covered possible improvements for the George Mason community.

Golden presented a series of proposals which included strengthening relationships between residential and non-residential students through a university life hour, during which students could unite daily, and more study rooms in residential areas that are accessible to non-residential students. Due to the increase in residential students, Golden also proposed a 24-hour library and dining area as well as more outdoor tables.

“I think it’s important for us to have several key goals that we want to accomplish here, stuff to improve the Mason community,” said Jeremy Miller, Speaker of the Senate. “We want students to be able to look back and see what Student Government has done for them than before they came here,” said Miller.

Golden suggested an improvement in graduation advising because students have trouble understanding general graduation requirements. He proposed working with the advising offices to make sure faculty advisors are well versed and able to assists students in graduate on time.

“I’m a big fan of changing academic advising,” said Anthony DiCarlo, Speaker Pro-Tempore of the Senate. “Personally, I’ve had trouble with academic advising and being a double major. The coordination isn’t always there between the two different schools,” said DiCarlo.

Senate members who had not had negative experiences with advising were equally eager about reforming advising.

“I’m excited about the academic advising. I have some friends whose advising, sometimes, isn’t the greatest. And I want them to be able to enjoy the same thing I enjoy with my advisor and I think that’s great that you can have someone to go to. We’re all students here, that’s why we came here first, to go to Mason and get an education,” said Miller.

After Golden’s presentation, the Student Senate discussed two bills concerning the allocation of funds for Witch Watch and Night Walk. The Senators passed Bill 9, concerning Night Walk on Nov. 6. Bill 13, concerning food for Witch Watch, was also passed.

“The most pressing issue was just trying to get these bills passed. Witch Watch is two weeks from Friday, and it was important to get Bill 13 passed now so we aren’t allocating funds at the last minute,” said Miller.

“Witch Watch is more for the Mason community, and Night Walk is more for students at Mason,” said Mhehvish Khan, a junior majoring in psychology and the Clerk of Student Senate. “What Night Walk does is that we walk around campus and see unsafe spots, things where it’s too dark at night or lights are out. We walk around with the police department and show them areas that are unsafe and put a call box there. Both are really important. Just one is inside campus and one is outside campus.”

DiCarlo proposed Resolution 10 at the end of the meeting, which states that the Student Senate support the efforts of Student Activities and University Life for promoting the upcoming Lewis Black and the OneRepublic Concert. The resolution was passed.

“It’s important we recognize that the university is trying to do stuff better for the campus, for the people that live here and the non-residential students,” said DiCarlo. “We can’t always say that the university doesn’t do stuff for us. I just want people to know that the university is doing stuff for us, and they should be recognized for it.”