This Wednesday, Joint Board celebrated Senator Appreciation Day with Chinese food and a light schedule, as business concludes at the end of the semester. Once Presiding Officer Peter Aldrich ’15 confirmed that Robert’s Rules of Order does not forbid eating during the meeting, the members of SGA shifted their focus from the fiery Kung Pao chicken to an ice rink.
The Student Initiatives Committee informed Joint Board that an ice rink on the north end of campus should be completed by the end of the weekend. After the conclusion of finals, it is expected to stay intact over winter break, as long as a tarp is put in place. Although there are currently no ice skates available, Joint Board believes that students will still find plenty of ways to have fun. Senator Max Farrell ’12 suggested that students attach butcher’s knives to Nikes. Senator Ron Chiu ’13 advised all students to experiment carefully.
In the midst of hell week, VPAA Wadzi Motsi ’12 said that students should talk to their professors if they are overwhelmed by stress, instead of resorting to academically dishonest practices, saying, “Strategize, don’t plagiarize.” She also reported that Grinnell’s faculty voted to approve the Midwest Conference’s new rules, allowing coaches to more aggressively recruit student athletes.
President Gabe Schechter ’12 discussed the College’s plans to begin work on an image overhaul. Schechter specifically illustrated Grinnell’s problem by pointing out that Macalester calls itself as a school with an international outlook, when “Grinnell has more international students than them, but we struggle to advertise it.” A firm will be hired to do research on opinions of the school, which will even include a survey of perspective students. Schechter stressed that they would be using “the most powerful statistical tools” to deliver results for Grinnell.
The only budget was for the SRC’s trip to Ames for workshops and events on gender identity and social justice as part of the MBLGTAC Conference. The ridiculously long acronym had a ridiculously approvable budget—it was passed unanimously.
Senator Sam Mulopulos ’14 withdrew his sponsorship of a resolution against Bob’s Underground after declaring that Bob’s had actually stayed in the black this semester, defying years of debt.
VPSA Chris Dorman ’12, who was celebrating his birthday by wearing a snappy pink dress shirt with a neon pink cowboy hat, reported that the dining hall will create a better “sauce station,” thanks to buffalo sauce fans Holden Bale ’12 and Eric Mistry ’14. Dorman also added that the Grille will begin selling eggs to students, so that bakers do not need to make the trek to McNally’s.
To conclude the meeting, Presiding Officer Aldrich was forced to leave the room for the vote on his confirmation for next semester. His presence was the only thing restraining the beast that is Joint Board. Immediately, Mulopulos bolted under the table (for reasons that are still unknown to this reporter) and Senator Joe Engleman ’14 “moved for a state of anarchy.” Schechter, who had assumed Aldrich’s responsibilities, stated that the chair would only entertain “comments or questions made in a suggestive tone.” Somehow, Aldrich was eventually confirmed in a vote of 15-2-2, and the meeting was adjourned.
