SA increases publicity efforts
The Students’ Association Public Relations committee, chaired by senior and SA Senator Alex Brody, is working to improve awareness of the student government and its projects.
“The overall goal … is to raise awareness about what is going on in student government and basically organize students around it,” Brody said. “The more people aware of and involved with student government, the more effective it can be as an advocate for students.”
Some of the new initiatives already being implemented by the PR committee include their weekly table in Wilson Commons every Wednesday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. where students can ask questions and discuss concerns.
In addition, later this month the SA will revive the SA Informer, a monthly newsletter telling students about the undertakings that the government is currently pursuing. This past Monday, senators also ate and visited with constituents in Danforth Dining Hall. An overhaul of the SA’s official Web site, the Hive, is also planned.
Some other ideas that the PR committee is pursuing include forming a Security committee to better facilitate communications with students, surveying of students, SA government apparel so that people can be identified more easily and others.
“Since we were basically starting from square one with this committee, a lot of time during the first few months had to be spent on figuring out how things would work – now the committee is in full swing,” Brody said. “Most people have no idea what senate is or what its purpose is … By the end of the year, every single student should know what senate is, who is on it and the issues it is pursuing.”
RTS bus routes now available to student groups
With the introduction of the new Rochester Transit System bus routes in the fall on campus, the Students’ Association did not need to spend approximately $15,000 to run the UR Special bus on its old Wegmans route.
The funding originally allocated for the UR Special will soon become available for student groups – both SA-recognized and otherwise – in the form of busing supplementals.
The money can be used to subsidize the cost of a bus for students who want to go to a varsity sports playoff game, as has been done recently during the basketball teams’ trips to the playoffs.
“This is a great opportunity for students to take advantage of,” Director of Wilson Commons and Student Activities Anne-Marie Algier said. “We’ve already heard students express interest in running a trip to an Amerks game and running a bus to the airport before Thanksgiving break.”
“This is an experiment because of when this money became available,” senior and SA President Pete Nabozny said at Monday’s senate meeting. “After this year, we will make a determination to see if this is a good use of money and should be continued in future years. This resource should reduce costs for groups and make it possible for more people to participate in off-campus activities.”
On Monday night, the senate approved a motion to create the transportation committee which will decide whether or not a group’s request for transportation funding is approved.
The process to receive funding includes filling out an application from the Student Activities Office. Then, Algier and at least one of two students on the transportation committee must approve the request.
D-Day committee to review quality and safety
A new Dandelion Day Student Committee was recently formed by the Campus Activities Board to explore ways to improve the quality and safety of D-Day and its associated programs.
“We are really concerned with the direction D-Day is headed in,” senior and CAB Administrative Chairperson Anna Lessenger said. “We want students to make sure D-Day includes what they want. We want everyone’s input.”
The committee will hold its first meeting Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m. in Wilson Commons 121. All students are invited to attend.
Reporting by Jeff Keesing
and Sandeep Madhur.
