The Student Council voted on a motion to revise its bylaws at Tuesday's meeting. The proposal, which refined the procedure by which motions are discussed and changed during meetings, was approved by a majority vote. Class of 2002 President Stephen Goutman, who created the proposal, hopes the revision will serve to protect the legislative intent of motions that are brought before the Council and will provide for greater efficiency.
Also discussed in the meeting were the plans for JHU Kinex, the bi-monthly journal for students that will be produced by the group leaders on campus. According to Secretary Manish Gala, production funding is looking secure and feasible. In addition to all of the groups across campus, Academic Affairs and HSA will contribute information, along with the Student Council members from each class. A communications committee has been established to take care of production, and will be run by freshmen Monica Lai and Corrina Viasante. President Anuj Mittal expressed confidence in the abilities and experience of both committee members. According to Mittal, the newsletter will give student groups the chance to "express the enthusiasm that they have for their groups to the rest of the student body."
With regards to the meal plan, the Student Council is making headway in their efforts to meet students' dining needs. Posters will be placed outside of Terrace informing students of changes made in dining procedure and menus.
The Student Council hopes that students will become more aware of the fact that their input can create change.
Efforts to change pricing at Levering are still ongoing and the Council has already succeeded in lowering the prices of combo meals. As many upperclassmen tend to pay cash at Wolman and Terrace, plans are underway to offer a reduced rate for their meals. The Student Council is hopeful that this will foster interaction between upper and lower classmen.
The Fells Point shuttles offered on Halloween were judged a great success by Council members. A pamphlet is currently being produced that will provide condensed shuttle information. It will be distributed to freshman and sophomores. This pamphlet is one of many efforts to keep students informed of the services offered at Hopkins.
In an attempt to further improve student services, the Student Council is investigating services offered at other colleges, such as Resnet and housing options.
In the academic realm, a proposal is being planned for an African American Studies program at Hopkins. JHUnity is leading the effort, and is currently getting in touch with other colleges to gain insight into how their programs work. According to Mittal, "this initiative has started itself a few times at Hopkins." Student Council hopes that such a substantial and beneficial addition to the Hopkins curriculum will be initiated this year.
Class of 2005 Representative Charles Reyner's membership into COLA was approved by the Student Council. Council members are confident that he will prove an asset to the committee, which nominates appointments to various student leadership positions. Reyner looks forward to the opportunity to nominate leaders who have a goal of contributing through a "united student front," and plans to encourage classmates to apply for positions.
Treasurer Noel de Santos briefed council members on the SAC proposal to construct judicial board.
"This is a huge decision that will have a large impact on the jurisdiction of SAC," said de Santos.
For this reason, de Santos has given the SAC General Assembly a month to consider his proposal and all its ramifications.
