By Alyssa Sanford
Staff Writer
T-shirts featuring Eickhoff worker Eve Cruz, a senior cooking class and a discussion about the positives and drawbacks of life at the College are just some of the highlights from the Student Government general body meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 11.
Sarah Drozd, vice president of advancement, announced that a panel of the College’s alumni will appear before the general body on Wednesday, Feb. 25. Additionally, representatives from the College’s Career Center will speak to the general body on Wednesday, Feb. 18, to “talk to us about networking and how to market yourself when we’re networking with the alumni,” Drozd said.
Drozd also mentioned that there will be a meet-and-greet prior to Student Government elections at the end of spring semester. The meet-and-greet will be held in early April to “generate a positive response” and interest in running for a Student Government position.
Casey Dowling of Academic Affairs advertised a Washington, D.C. trip that is co-sponsored by the Career Center. On Wednesday, March 4, students will take a bus to D.C. and spend the entire day networking with a variety of business contacts. Availability is limited to 50 students and the trip costs $25 per student.
Academic Affairs is also organizing mock job interviews with professors on Saturday, April 18, to provide students with the opportunity to work on their interview skills.
President of the senior class council Brian Garsh announced that the Student Finance Board has approved a cooking class that is only open to seniors. For a $5 deposit, up to 40 seniors will learn to make baked mac & cheese, roasted chicken and other recipes that students “can use after graduation.” The event will be held on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 5 p.m. in the 1855 Dining Room and will be both a cooking demonstration and a hands-on experience.
The junior class council is holding further auditions for TCNJ’s Got Talent on Wednesday, Feb. 18, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and on Wednesday, Feb. 25, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The event is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, March 11, at 8:30 p.m.
Robert Kinloch, president of the sophomore class council, previewed the sale of Eve Cruz and Dave Muha T-shirts. They’ll be available for purchase online at a later date.
Kinloch also announced that Mr. 2017, an event scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, is still seeking participants. The sophomore class council needs eight people from different organizations across campus to participate.
The freshman class council is organizing a Mental Health Awareness Walk, which will be held on Friday, May 1.
During the open floor session, President Matthew Wells stressed the importance of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, which is working toward eventually changing the College’s accreditation policies.
The Middle States Commission is visiting the college from Saturday, March 9, through Monday, March 11, to meet with students and faculty to discuss how the campus community feels about the College and this upcoming change to accreditation.
“I can’t put into words how important Middle States is,” Wells said. “It makes your degrees worth the money you pay for them. It makes your education valuable.”
Next, Wells called upon the senators from each school to discuss pressing issues.
The School of Humanities and Social Sciences is forming a search committee for a new permanent dean, as Dean Benjamin Rifkin is leaving the College this summer for a new position at Ithaca College. The search committee will consist of faculty, staff and students and will convene in August and work through the fall semester.
Finally, the meeting closed with a discussion about what general body members like about the College’s campus life and about what they believe needs to change.
Notable campus highlights included Sodexo worker Eve Cruz, AVP for Communications Dave Muha, the overall “community feel” and Campus Town.
General body members cited a lack of school spirit, particularly with the College’s athletic programs, as a major problem. A lack of cultural diversity on campus and in student leadership positions is also a significant issue that Student Government hopes to address.
“We want to work towards the advocacy aspect of student governing,” Wells said.
