Security and diversity discussed in Senate

Senators approved language of OhioPIRG petition

In a meeting fueled by fresh blood and veteran guidance, Student Senate tackled many serious issues and staged their plan of attack for the coming year.

At the meeting senators heard reports about security issues, the associate dean search and long range planning. They approved petition language for OhioPIRG's reaffirmation drive and broke into committees for brainstorming. They also formed a task force to assess internal diversity.

The meeting began with a segment devoted to addressing the security concerns of the campus, as brought to the table by the Campus Safety and Security Advisory Committee. Issues ranged from increasing lighting to the investigation of the current Mutual Aid Agreement with the Oberlin Police Department. While no final decisions were made, the committee will devote more time to researching the various items.

The meeting room was packed with members of the OhioPIRG committee. Student Senate must oversee and regulate OhioPIRG's reaffirmation campaign, which will occur this fall. The first stage of this regulation was approval of the petition language for the support drive. Senate approved the wording of the petition after a brief discussion on several clarity concerns.

Student Assistant to the President Joel Whitaker, fifth-year, then spoke to the Senate regarding the Long Range Planning Committee. This group will use information from a variety of focus groups to prioritize long range issues for the college. A number of the committee slots remain unfilled, Whitaker said.

Joe DiChristina, acting associate dean of student life, appeared to talk about the three candidates for the open associate dean position which he now fills. DiChristina requested the input of Senate members in the process and asked that they come to him individually after the meeting with any suggestions.

Diversity issues were also discussed and a task force on internal diversity was formed, as Senate turned a critical eye inward. The lack of minority representation on Senate concerns some Senators. Discussion revealed that the problem seems not to reside in the election process, but in the small range of candidates. First-year senator Bobbi Lopez will organize the task force.

The Senate then broke into workgroups and brainstormed, for the first time, with the newly elected Senators.

Senator Nicole Johnston was happy with progress made. "Not only did we get stuff to and on the table, but we got people and committees assigned to research them," she said.

Issues brought up in the groups ranged from the smoking policy in Dascomb, to a reduced meal plan option for light eaters, to abuse of the Domestic Partnership Policy. The ideas and concerns raised will now be investigated by the various groups in the upcoming weeks.

The Senate was pleased with the meeting and felt that much was accomplished.

It was just an excellent, productive week," said Johnston. "We're off to a very good start and everyone is real excited."