What would you do with $5,000 to improve the lives of Rochester students?
That’s the question posed by the Students’ Association (SA) Government 5K Challenge, in which the body sets aside $5,000 to fund student-voted proposals for improvements on campus. It’s in its fourth year, and taking submissions.
What isn’t always asked, though, is the follow-up—now that you’ve voted and we’ve implemented something, what do you think?
Regarding the latest challenge winner—the swing set outside Susan B. Anthony Hall, which replaced the first-place hot water dispensers after they were deemed a fire hazard—students have expressed mixed opinions.
“Everyone I’ve talked to about it has complained,” said junior Eileen Reville.
Sophomore Amber Dostie agreed.
She doesn’t like the location or that there are only two swings.
“You feel like people are watching you,” she said.
Olivia Huey, a freshman who lives in in Susan B. Anthony, said she didn’t know the 5K Challenge by name, but remembered hearing about it in the past.
“The swings are part of that?” she asked. “They’re nice. I hope they didn’t spend $5,000 on them though.” She has only used the swings once.
When asked what they would rather see that money go toward, there was one immediate answer from a few upperclassmen.
“Bring back old Grab ‘n Go,” Reville said, with immediate agreement from Alyse Shulimson, another junior.
Huey said that she liked the sleeping pods in Gleason, and that she would like to see them in more spaces on campus.
After some more thought, Reville came up with an another proposal: “Coffee makers everywhere would be good.”
She referenced the coffee and tea available in Carlson for studying at night.
“If that was in other places, that would be amazing.”
In the challenge, SA allows students to submit proposals for what they want to see, and then narrows that list down to the most feasible options and opens voting on them to the entire student body.
Past 5K Challenge winners include the addition of sleeping pods in Gleason, printers in Wilson Commons, and lockers in the libraries to secure one’s belongings while on a study break.
This year’s deadline for new submissions is Nov. 10 and can be submitted online through SA’s website.
