By Emmy Liederman
Correspondent
Student Government held its first general assembly meeting of the semester on Wednesday, Sept. 6, where it welcomed new members, discussed resolutions and presented governance reports.
Executive President Chris Blakeley, a junior civil engineering major, and the rest of the cabinet members introduced themselves and outlined their specific responsibilities for the year. Perhaps the most significant is Blakely and Student Trustee and senior history deaf education double major Priscilla Nunez’s role on the Presidential Search Committee to replace College President R. Barbara Gitenstein in time for the fall 2018 semester.
Resolutions discussed included welcoming Don Trahan Jr. as the new director of Student Diversity and Inclusion and outlined the College’s official support of the New Jersey Assembly Bill for a student gross income tax credit. The credit ensures that full-time students at the College will receive $500 off their income taxes, while part-time students will receive $250.
The governance reports opened with a discussion of this year’s freshman summer reading, “No Apparent Distress” by Rachel Pearson, from the Cultural and Intellectual Community Program Council. Pearson will be visiting campus on Friday, Sept. 22, to discuss her book.
“This year’s book was very well-received and there was a 98 percent response rate on the essays,” said Justin Lewbel, a history major and sophomore class council member.
The Diversity Committee council discussed an initiative to increase the number of college-ready students from Trenton and Ewing public schools and the idea of the College’s liberal learning requirements working more cohesively with a student’s major.
The Dining Services Governance initiated a conversation about the lack of options for people of varying dietary needs.
“If you’re a vegan and eating at (Eickhoff Hall), you can either eat a salad for the rest of your life or go screw yourself,” said Justine Wilson, a senator for the School of Science and a junior biology major.
There was also an uproar about the changes made to the Traditions menu this year, such as the lack of meal equiv on Sundays and fewer food options for the to-go window.
SG already has a full calendar of events that include local volunteer work, Hurricane Harvey and Irma relief efforts and a voter registration drive.
“Our goal for this year is to make sure the campus is represented by the student government and that the students are comfortable coming to us with any of their needs,” Blakeley said.
