By Megan Kelly
Staff Writer
Student Government discussed the Tower renovation project, renaming Loser Hall and a mascot training program at the first meeting of the spring semester on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
Vice President of Administration and Finance Chris Blakely updated everyone on the the Towers’ renovation, stating that different architectural firms have been asked to submit plans for remodeling the freshmen dorms. One of the project’s goals is to create a single entrance into the Towers instead of two to promote unity, according to Blakely.
“There will be air conditioning and Wi-Fi in the buildings… That’s a guarantee,” Blakely said. “Also the sinks… most likely they will not be coming back just because of the cost to maintain them,” he said.
One of Blakely’s goals for the semester is to get hammocks in places across campus for students to sit and relax in, although nothing is settled yet.
“I’m working with (Curt Heuring, vice president for Administration) and a couple other people right now to finalize this hammock idea,” Blakely said.
President Kevin Kim gave an update on the Loser Hall renaming initiative, saying that a commission on social justice will be formed comprising students, faculty and staff. The commission will decide how to handle the possible renaming of Loser Hall after students called for a name-change last semester after the building’s namesake, Paul Loser, was discovered to have actively opposed the desegregation of Trenton public schools.
“They’re going to discuss (the renaming), but also anything on the broader scale of social justice,” Kim said.
Vice President of Academic Affairs Alex Molder was absent from the meeting, but hopes to change the way students fill out their course evaluation forms.
“He’s meeting with (Chief Information Officer and Vice President for Information Technology) Sharon Blanton in the next few weeks to look at rewriting the course evaluation forms… He wants to make them a lot more engaging and easier for students to do,” Student Trustee Dana Disarno said as she read a message from Molder.
Vice President of Student Services Lindsay Thomas said the College is planning to start a mascot program, which would give students the chance to get paid to dress up as Roscoe the Lion. Currently, if an organization or club wants someone to dress up as Roscoe, they have to fill out a form and pick up the suit and just put someone in the costume. This program would have several students interview to be Roscoe.
“(Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life) Dave Conner is actually willing to pay for those students to go to University of Delaware’s mascot camp,” Thomas said. “If your organization is throwing an event and you want Roscoe, this person will put on the costume and actually be a mascot.”
Vice President of Community Relations Michael O’Connor said he hopes to get Adirondack chairs out on campus for students to enjoy this semester.
“They’ll go great with Chris’s hammocks,” he said.
Cassie Kriegel, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, announced two upcoming events this semester. The Black History Mobile Museum will be in room 212 of the Education Building from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Feb. 28.
In addition, actor and psychologist Mykee Fowlin will lecture on March 2 in Mayo Hall at 7 p.m.
The senior and junior class councils updated everyone on their class events. The Class of 2017 is hosting a Senior Night at Triumph Brewery in Princeton, N.J., on Feb. 21.
The Class of 2018 is hosting TCNJ’s Got Talent on April 13 in Kendall Hall, as well as a Flower-Gram from Monday, Feb. 13 to Tuesday, Feb. 14. The flowers will be sold from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Eickhoff Hall.
