Joint Board shifted in focus from last week’s budget discussions to social justice Wednesday. Senators voted on a resolution sponsored by Joe Engleman ’14, which limits SGA spending at Walmart and another sponsored by Senator Sam Mulopulos ’14 which would add facilitating discussion concerning social justice to Joint Board’s duties.
“Grinnell is a really special place,” Engleman said, “and to see the small businesses in town crushed by a corporate entity like Walmart is just wrong. We, as students, have an obligation to invest in Grinnell, because it has given us so much.”
Senator Ope Awe ’15 spoke against Engleman’s resolution, saying that some foods are only available at Walmart, and Mulopulos suggested that supporting local workers at Walmart is just as important as supporting businesses located downtown. After a difficult debate, involving multiple amendments to the language, Engleman’s resolution was approved.
Mulopulos voted against Engleman’s proposal, despite his own resolution on social justice. However, after many senators voiced disapproval about Mulopulos’s slightly vague legislative language, which instructed Joint Board to “create, promote, and facilitate a discussion concerning the state of social justice on the Grinnell College campus,” Mulopulos decided to shelve his proposal.
“People talk about how we’re supposed to be socially just,” Mulopulos commented after Joint Board, “but [SGA is] saying, ‘Let’s just ignore it. Why don’t you just do this on your own?’ And I am going to do it on my own. I just would like SGA to back me up here and actually agree that the state of social justice activism on this campus needs to improve.”
SGA President Gabe Schechter ’12 updated Joint Board on the trustees’ visit to the College last weekend. In addition to approving the wind turbines (see full coverage on page 1), the trustees also approved a 3% increase in Grinnell’s tuition, but Schechter noted that this is a smaller price hike than Grinnell’s peer institutions. College President Raynard Kington has worked to find other sources of income to limit tuition increases.
“Raynard has been bringing up the fact that there is a culture of not giving,” said Schechter. Increased alumni donations could keep the College’s finances healthy, without placing a larger burden on current students.
VPSA Chris Dorman ’12 announced that Grinnell will release the data collected by AlcoholEdu soon. The school still has one year left in its contract with the program.
Finally, Administrative Coordinator Alex White ’12 asked senators to tell their constituents about the upcoming SGA Executive Board Candidate Open Forum on Sunday at 4:00PM in ARH 302. White reminded all fourth-years that they are still eligible to vote in the election, even if they are graduating.
