By Ella Prieto, Managing and News Editor
The final Student Senate meeting of the semester included the presentation of the Ralph Cavaliere Award to professor of psychology Erin Clark. President Andrew Lemon ’24 made remarks before giving the award to Clark.
“Her dedication to her students goes above and beyond a typical college experience, from her stewardship with students in the classroom to her commitment to students’ success in areas outside of academics, professor Clark is the definition of a dedicated mentor,” said Lemon.
The Student Senate Executive Board with recipient of the Ralph Cavaliere Award Professor Erin Clark. (Photo William Oehler/The Gettysburgian)
Officer Reports
Lemon alerted members that he wrote a review piece about the Student Senate in The Gettysburgian and asked them to look it over. He also wished everyone a Happy Holidays.
Vice President Geoffrey Meadville ’25 touched on the feedback they received last meeting, stating that it was mostly positive. He then welcomed the new committee chairs and thanked the members of Senate who were leaving for their time.
Parliamentarian Michael Woods ’25 thanked everyone for a wonderful semester.
Treasurer Alfredo Roman Jordan ’26 gave a budget update, sharing that the Senate has spent $19,425 and allocated $53,245.
Inclusion Officer Abby Ruggiero ’26 thanked everyone for an amazing semester and wished them a happy holidays.
Guest Speaker
Associate Dean for Inclusion and Belonging Cristina Garcia visited Student Senate to discuss the new program from College Life: the Inclusion and Belonging Peer Educators. These educators are formally trained to meet with their peers and teach them in a specific way.
Associate Dean for Inclusion and Belonging Cristina Garcia speaking to the Student Senate. (Photo William Oehler/The Gettysburgian)
This program, which will include seven students in the Spring Semester, started in Spring of 2023. They put on various events, such as Cozy Cabin, Disability Film Screening, Intergroup Monopoly and Pronoun 101 with the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center (GSRC).
The Peer Educators also have a page on GettysburgEngage with lots of information for interested students.
Committee Reports
The Academic and Career Affairs Committee met with four different administrators last week to start conversations on several different subjects regarding better connection with the administration.
The Budget Management Committee (BMC) allocated $695 last meeting.
The College Life Advisory Committee reviewed their meeting with Executive Director of Auxiliary Services Mike Bishop and set goals for next semester.
The Inclusion Committee is still meeting this Friday at 2 p.m. in Penn Hall.
Club Reports and Announcements
The College Democrats are hosting a professor panel titled “Chaos in Congress” on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Joseph Theater.
The Senior Class Gift Committee is hosting an End of Semester Winter Celebration on Friday at 6 p.m. in the Admissions Building.
The Class of 2025 is hosting a Winter Celebration on Friday from 8 to 10 p.m. in The Attic.
The Class of 2026 is hosting a Study and Sips on Wednesday from 2 to 4 p.m. in Junction.
The Center for Public Service and Casa de la Cultura is hosting a Winter Fiesta on Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. in the CUB Ballroom.
Student Concerns
Lemon provided updates on past concerns, sharing that the bad odor in Glatfelter Basement was investigated by facilities and is believed to have been caused by a dry floor stain they uncovered. That has been fixed, but if the odor continues, students should reach out to facilities or Lemon.
Lemon also shared that Musselman Library and the IT department are working to resolve the issue of the printers not working in the library. They believe a PDF document printed by a faculty member caused the issue, and are still working to resolve it.
Senator Dominic DiLuzio ’26 raised the issue of over-policing on campus. He asserted that is a complex issue that the Senate should look to address next semester.
Senator Jack Murphy ’24 shared the concern that there is a plethora of uneven grass on campus. He stated that he believes that the reseeding on Stine Lake should be replicated on Memorial Field.
A student shared that the laundry room in Colonial has only had one working washer all semester despite the multiple facility reports they filed.
Budget Requests
The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Club requested $3,114. The BMC recommended $2,064. The Senate allocated $2,394.
EMS Club presenting their budget on the floor. (Photo William Oehler/The Gettysburgian)
International Affairs and Model UN requested $2,185 for a conference next semester. The BMC recommended the full amount. The Senate allocated $2,185.
