By John Towey, Staff Writer
Officer Reports
President Michael Woods ’25 and the other officers wished the Senate a belated happy Halloween.
Vice President Abby Ruggiero ’26 and Inclusion Officer Oliver Eckloff ’27 reminded everyone to vote Tuesday.
Parliamentarian Carl DeMarco ’25 mentioned that committee attendance has been low and that there have been conversations about assigning members to committees.
Treasurer Jack Thompson ’27 shared that the Senate has $52,031.01 in cash on hand, which is a similar amount to last year.
Director of Student Activities and Greek Life Jon Allen reminded the Senate about the joint watch party for election night in the CUB Junction.
Guest Speaker
Jon Allen provided an update on the announced facilities upgrade projects, specifically for the Plank Gym. He said that the plans for the Plank Gym were created based on feedback on its 2023 basement upgrades.
The school plans to have Plank a 24/7 building and add an eatery and bar that would offer free beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and popcorn. Food like nachos, soft pretzels, and chips will be available for purchase . He said the goal of this is to break even, not make a profit off of students. Allen explained that it is unlikely that dining dollars will be accepted, instead students will have to pay using cash or card.
There will also be a beer garden with outdoor seating as an additional space for students. Alcohol will be allowed outside in the seating area.
This upgrade project hopes to create more campus spaces for students and more student hiring opportunities.
Committee Reports
The Outreach Committee shared their tabling results. Most concerns were about the Gettysburg Police Department. They also shared that students have a generally favorable opinion of the Senate.
The Wellness and Safety Committee stressed the need for first-hand reports of police encounters. They hope to build a better working relationship with the local police.
Club Reports and Announcements
Conversations for Change is having an election night watch party Tuesday night in the CUB Junction from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Running Club has returned to campus and they shared that they created a new Instagram account.
College Republicans and Democrats put out a joint statement asking students to put country over party.
Inclusion and Belonging Peer Eds will be hosting a cozy cabin in Glatfelter Lodge on Nov. 8 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Bridge Gettysburg will be hosting an election debrief on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in Glatfelter 104.
Friday night, Sketch Comedy will be hosting their end of semester show at 8 p.m. in the Attic.
Students for Sexual Justice will be having a meeting Friday at 3:45 p.m.
Student Concerns
President Woods gave updates on some concerns from previous meetings. The Wi-Fi network called “gbcwifi 2” was confirmed to be safe to use. Additionally, washer concerns have been resolved, Woods said that steam should not be able to set off the fire alarms and a broken Paul Hall ID scanner has been fixed.
New concerns include continued issues with the Gettysburg Police Department harassing or being disrespectful to students, steam is continuing to set off fire alarms and the lack of full-time staff at Bullet Hole was reported to be negatively impacting students.
New Business
The Senate discussed potential rule changes so that members are assigned a committee. Members would be free to go to as many committees as they like, but they would be required to attend their assigned committee meetings. The issue was remanded to the Rules and Administration Committee.
The Senate also discussed concerns with the GPD. They discussed solutions such as working with the GPD on a community policing initiative. The issue was remanded to the Wellness and Safety Committee.
