By Ella Prieto, Managing and News Editor
The Student Senate meeting began with a moment of remembrance for the 9/11 tragedy, which then transitioned into the Senate Installation Ceremony for new members officiated by President Andrew Lemon ’24. This included:
Class of 2024 Senators
Christopher Mergner ’24
Class of 2027 Senators
Antoinette Weah ’27
Nicholas Pinto ’27
Jocelyn Duquette ’27
Victoria Angiolillo ’27
Class of 2027 Class Officers
President Jack Thompson ’27
Vice President Antoinette Weah
Treasurer Molly Bogart ’27
Senators-At-Large
Maddie Maier ’26
Jack Thompson ’27
Oliver Eckloff ’27
Maddon McNicholas ’27
Kelsey Caldwell ’27
Cameron Fleming ’27
Blair O’Connor ’27
New Student Senators taking their oath. (Photo William Oehler/The Gettysburgian)
Officer Reports
President Lemon began his officer report by announcing that the first Student Senate Newsletter was released this past week, and urged that all senators subscribe to it. Lemon also announced that he would be representing the student body for the College’s Summit on the Future, a weekend-long event to fundraise.
“I wanted to share this because this is something that is really cool that the College has not done in several years, and to embark on a major campaign like this is something that does not happen all the time,” shared Lemon.
Vice President Geoffrey Meadville ’25 then gave a welcome speech for the new members, saying “it is really nice to see that this room is almost all the way filled, I am really looking forward to the work we do this year.”
Meadville then described his role as Vice President of the Student Body and President of the Student Senate as well as encouraging senators to speak with him on any issues that arise. He stated that a business casual dress code will be employed for the body.
Treasurer Alfredo Roman-Jordan ’26 then gave a budget update, showing that the Senate had spent $465.18 and allotted $2,445 this year. He also provided graphics of 2022-2023 Categorical Expenses and 2022-2023 Senate Payments Bubble.
Secretary Grace Nelson ’26 discussed her hope of highlighting senators and doing Instagram takeovers, and said that she will be sending out forms for senators to complete for their highlight.
Parliamentarian Michael Woods ’25 urged senators to attend the Rules and Administration Committee which will meet for the first time this Thursday at 3 p.m. in CUB 206. He also asked that all first-years who posted campaign materials take them down as soon as possible and announced that the Committee Chair Applications will be released Monday night.
Inclusion Officer Abby Ruggiero ’26 also asked senators to attend the Inclusion Committee that starts this week on Thursday at 4 p.m. in CUB 230.
Student Senate Advisor and Director of the Office of Student Activities and Greek Life (OSAGL) Jon Allen and Dean of Students Jeff Foster then gave their advisor reports, welcoming the new senators, and asserting that they are a resource.
Guest Speaker
Director of Auxiliary Services Mike Bishop speaking to the Student Senate. (Photo William Oehler/The Gettysburgian)
The guest speaker for the meeting was Director of Auxiliary Services Mike Bishop, who oversees Dining Services. Bishop also brought his team from Dining along to answer questions from students.
He first addressed the complaint of the chicken fingers being smaller during Chicken Finger Friday in the Bullet Hole. Bishop explained that the production of the previous chicken fingers was going through challenges, so they made the executive decision to switch to a new chicken finger that they could consistently purchase with ease.
He also mentioned that dining services frequently reevaluate and look at new products to keep costs down and quality up, which was a part of the change.
Senator Jack Murphy ’24 questioned why there were limited options at Servo on the weekends. Bishop explained that this was due to the low amount of students eating there then, so the College has less options to be cost effective and to help with staffing.
Ruggiero then asked why the sub rolls at the Bullet Hole were smaller, to which Bishop answered that similar to the chicken fingers, they simply switched to a different product. The new rolls, while smaller, are fresh instead of frozen and there is the same volume of meat and cheese on them.
A student inquired if there could be impossible meat included in the sandwich line at Bullet. Bishop explained that while they are open to trying this, there have been issues in the past when this was attempted, as they found that the products were going to waste.
Another student asked if the Bullet Hole would be providing more Indian cuisine and other culturally diverse dishes. Bishop explained that they have worked on including more foods, especially in Roots which will have a special of the week and an opportunity to order bowls along with salads.
Roman-Jordan, who is also a Bullet Hole employee, posed questions he had been frequently asked, such as why prices have increased. Bishop answered that products in general have increased between 9%-11% in price, causing dining to increase their prices as well.
A student then asked if dining services has ever decreased prices from finding a better deal from vendors. Bishop said no, as when they search for new products it has only been to combat higher prices. This is also not done because they want to provide high quality food for students.
Senator Dominic DiLuzio ’26 asked for the reasoning behind the number of meal swipes offered in each meal plan. Bishop answered that there is very complicated math to decide on the meal swipes, but that it is mostly chosen to ensure that students will eat consistently throughout the year. He also shared that Dining Services is hoping to make a student committee to possibly alter the meal plans offered.
Ruggiero then questioned why all chicken was not halal. Bishop answered that it was due to costs, but that all chicken breasts and thighs are halal and any breaded chicken is not.
Woods asked when The Dive would be reopened for the school year. Bishop announced that Dining Services is working to have Gettysburg Smoothie Company operate The Dive, which he hopes to be opened in October.
This prompted many questions of if the College would partner with various off-campus restaurants and companies. Bishop replied that creating contracts with those off-site options can be very difficult, but that Dining is open to look at these other places. He also explained that the College does not partner up with other restaurants to use meal swipes or dining dollars because those companies do not have the technology to do so.
Senator Cameron Fleming ’27 questioned why Servo closes at 7:30 p.m., citing concerns of First-Year students that may not be able to eat by then. Bishop answered that Servo closes then because they have found that very few students eat after 7:30, so they do not wish to spend money and force staff to stay for only a handful of students.
Other highlights of the discussion included a new app coming that will tell students the calories of products in the dining venues and the continual training of dining staff. Meadville also informed the body that any follow up questions for Bishop could be sent to Lemon.
Committee Reports
The committee reports consisted of a reminder that the committee chairs application will be released Monday night and a reminder of the times for committees. The Executive Board also stated that each senator must attend at least one committee a week, and if someone has to miss a meeting they should email Nelson.
Club Reports and Announcements
Senator Alex Rosado ’24 shared that the Gettysburg Film Club has been restarted, and will meet Sundays at 8 p.m. in Joseph Theater.
Additionally, the activities fair will be held on Wednesday from 4-6 p.m. on Stine Lake and the Fall Carnival will take place on Friday from 4:30-7 p.m. on the field between the Dining Center and the Jaeger Center.
The E-Sports Club announced that they are accepting team sign-ups for future competitions and Alpha Phi Omega stated that their rush week will be from Sept. 18-23.
Finally, Pub Trivia starts this Thursday in the Attic at 8 p.m. It is co-hosted by OSAGL and the Office of Multicultural Engagement.
Student Concerns
Diluzio asked for clarification of the new Student ID scanning policy at the fraternities from Allen. Allen explained that it was a joint decision from various offices on campus after the College saw an increase in risky behaviors at fraternity parties. There are also now cameras to view the entrances and exits of the houses owned by the College. Allen emphasized that these measures were done to be reviewed if a report was made to garner more information, not to monitor students.
A student then asked when Stine Lake would be closed for the grass reseeding. Allen answered that an email would be sent out in the next week to clarify the dates for students.
Director of OSAGL Jon Allen speaking at the 9/11/23 Student Senate Meeting. (Photo William Oehler/The Gettysburgian)
Budget Requests
No budget requests.
Old Business
No old business.
New Business
Meadville reiterated that the Student Senate will continue to follow Robert’s Rules, and urged senators to look over the document they were given regarding those rules.
The Student Senate Executive Board 2023-2024. (Photo William Oehler/The Gettysburgian)
