Student Senate: Bike Trips and The Environment

By Broadside Staff Writer Rachel Palting

The 29th Student Senate, in the recent weekly meeting, heard two campus organizations propose their ideas and passed a resolution in support of Witch Watch and Haunted Happenings.

Bike & Build is a non-profit organization that raises awareness for affordable housing. Each year, young adults bike across the country for nine weeks to help build housing areas. The members presenting are planning to bike from Virginia Beach, Va. to Oregon. However, each student must raise $4,000, so the group came to the Senate for help and support. Senator Vaibhav Bist was especially supportive and offered assistance with fundraising.

“Any time the community needs help, I want other organizations to come to me and be like, ‘Hey, how can you help?’” said Bist of the Committee of Advocacy and Outreach.
Most student senators were familiar with the organization and were supportive.

Others saw merit in the group’s involvement in causes outside of the university.

“I think it’s really nice that students at Mason are getting involved in community service aspects outside of Mason,” said Krista Muise, a junior, of the Government and Academic Affairs Committee. “They serve as examples for the rest of the Mason community to get out there and do something that’s really cool.”

After Bike & Build, the George Mason University Environmental Awareness Group presented their ideas. The organization seeks to leave a legacy to make the campus more sustainable through a two-part Mason Green Fund and instituting a small fee for Mason undergraduates.

The plan consists of a Green Endowment fund in which the majority of the money goes toward sustainable investments. The second part is made of capital investments. This money goes immediately toward campus projects, such as a bike-sharing project, a campus garden or farm, a better recycling program and grants for students doing research. The group also suggested renewable energy sources such as solar panels to help the school save money and reduce dependence on foreign oil.

Another source of monetary support for the project would also include charging undergraduates a nominal fee. Full-time undergraduates would pay five dollars and undergraduates taking one class would pay two dollars.

“Our end goal is to make Mason the most environmentally friendly school of its size in the country,” said Bob McMurty, vice president of the GMUEA.

Most of the student senators were positive about the GMUEA’s ideas.

“It’s definitely something Mason is putting a priority on,” said Muise. “With Southside being a sustainable building, I think it’s really cool. I think in the long run it’s going to save us a lot of money. It’s something I’m definitely really excited to work with.”

However, student senators had mixed feelings concerning the small fee.

“I’m a little hesitant on charging students even a minimal fee because of state budget cuts and they’re freaking out about tuition going up anyway. But I think [the GMUEA] have a positive spin on it,” said Amy Durbin, a senior, and Chair of the Finance Committee.

Before concluding the meeting, the senators passed Resolution 11 in support of Witch Watch and Haunted Happenings. Senator Bist insisted his fellow senators to help set up and participate in the event.

For more information on Bike & Build, visit bikeandbuild.org. For more information on GMUEA, click here.