Thursday, April 5, 2018, the Elizabethtown College Student Senate met in Hoover 212. The meeting began with a call to order from senior Senate president Sean Fiedler, which was then followed by a roll call by junior Senate secretary Tara Young, who also approved the previous meeting’s minutes.
When there was a call for student comments and announcements, senior Colby Scweibenz started by asking if non-students, such as church groups, can help with move in to which Fiedler responded that Director of Student Transitional Programs Professor Jean-Paul Benowitz would have to be consulted before they had an answer.
Next, sophomore Alexis Trionfo asked for an update on the library room request system. Fiedler said he would check on it.
Senior Gaia Lazzarini then brought up the issue of trash bins over the summer by the apartments and said that there will be many bins.
Sophomore Paige Oustrich asked about how to get the keys to the rental cars. Campus Security Director Andrew Powell responded that students will get a key card in the mail which will open the car when a reservation is active. Assistant to the Dean of Students Amy Berra is the point of contact for further rental car questions.
A guest then asked if students could start using leftover meal swipes as guest swipes when they run out of guest passes for the Marketplace. Fiedler told them that he would bring it up to Dining Services.
Following the student comments and announcements were the administrative reports. Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Marianne Calenda started by saying that the construction on the Bowers Center for Sports, Fitness and Well-being has started and dispelled the rumor Nelson heard about the track being expanded, saying it was untrue.
Powell was next, and he spoke about how there is now limited parking near the Vera Hackman Apartments. Campus Security has been lenient with parking for sporting events but will not continue to be lenient in this way. Campus Security is looking for transport drivers and a transport coordinator to help Campus Security with this issue.
He then said that there is a new part of the EC Alert system that will send out severe weather alerts whenever Lancaster County gets one. A senior communications major has been working with Campus Security to make a video for Campus Security, and he wants to have a few focus groups for his project. Powell needs six to eight volunteers for the week of April 16.
First-year Rachel Freed asked if the transport services will be active over the summer and whether or not students can still leave cars on campus over the summer. Powell said the transport service will not be active but students can still have cars on campus.
Senior Jeff Gamble then asked whether or not it has been considered to make the Ober loop a parking area, to which Powell responded no, because it is a fire lane.
Office of Student Wellness Director Bruce Lynch was asked by Lazzarini about a follow-up to her comments about the Hershey Medical Center in a previous meeting, to which Fiedler said that there is a 24/7 triage line, and that the number is on the website. Powell said that students can also contact Campus Security.
Following the administrative reports were the executive cabinet reports. Fiedler began these reports by congratulating sophomore Margaret Fix and first-year Matthew Smith for being the ACORN nominees. Student voting rights were also brought up to the academic counsel and will be put on the agenda for the Faculty Assembly.
Killen was next and she spoke about the end-of-year dinner for Senate, which will be at the Alumni House April 19. Baker told the Senate that the travel fund form is online and that there are 60 applicants so far. Junior Sarah Conway said that the winner of the donation race was Mad Cow. Sophomore Emily Perry then said that Blue Jay Day went well and that they are now discussing senior gifts. The February Senator of the Month was Lazzarini and the March Senator of the Month was junior Matt Van Pelt.
Finally, as for class updates, the first-years started with Smith, who brought up the laptop stickers and class shirts being sold by the first-year class senate.
Sophomore Holly Francescone said that Etown’s Got Talent was Friday, April 6. Kiss-a-Senior will be sold the week of SCAD and TGIS.
Junior Brendan McDonough then spoke about Junior/Senior happening Saturday, April 7.
Lazzarini finished the session by saying that the t-shirt design contest is on Canvas and that April 13 is the last day to donate to get a shirt.
