SGA discusses plans for proposed student center

The Student Government Association (SGA) debated the creation of a new student center at Homewood on Tuesday during its weekly meeting in Shaffer Hall.

A group of SGA senators first detailed their recent trip to the student centers of three different nearby institutions: George Washington University, American University and Georgetown University.

The senators recommended separate office spaces for student groups including the SGA, an aesthetically pleasing design, the grouping together of organizations to urge collaboration, an efficient bulletin board system for advertisements and the addition of restaurants coupled with a full-service bar.

“[These pictures] show what a college campus is supposed to look like,” SGA Executive President Jack Bartholet said. “We need a cohesive student union center to encourage this kind of school spirit. This needs to be a primarily student-based hub: No administrative offices or anything of that kind.”

Junior Class Senator Liam Haviv advocated for mixing administrative and club-related groups in the new building.

“If we’re working to encourage more collaboration between the administration and student groups, then we should bring these two together into one space rather than separate them,” Haviv said.

Tiffany Sanchez, Associate Dean of Student Engagement, stressed that a multi-use space was the ideal outcome.

“We have to make all of this space multifunctional,” Sanchez said. “We can’t have a big auditorium that sits empty for most of the day. But alternatively, if you open up your union to having classes in it, then it becomes classroom space and it’s not a performance or social space. You’ve got to make everything be really smart and be able to be used in dual capacities. Since the building is not yet built, there is room for all kinds of conversations about how to occupy the space.”

Since the student center will most likely be built after demolishing the Mattin Center, there may be the need to incorporate some administrative space.

Sanchez said that the building has to be focused on adapting to future needs.

“Even as a freshman, this is what you talk about when you say ‘leaving with a legacy,’” Sanchez said. “You yourselves may not have the opportunity to see it, or even sit in it, but what would be really beneficial about all of you getting involved is that you, as the students, have such a strong voice in being able to push this agenda. We’re currently in the fundraising stage of this project, but I think you all get to say ‘Do it harder, do a better job, go out there and get the money, or do what you can to raise the money that can help make this happen faster.’ Coming from you, it will mean a lot more.”

Sanchez stressed that University President Ronald J. Daniels greatly supports the project, but that students also have an obligation to make sure their voices are heard.

“You need to be careful about how you say that message. The president is on board; he wants this to happen,” Sanchez said. “There are 6,000 undergraduates at Hopkins right now. SGA has a really great opportunity to motivate the entire undergraduate class and push this agenda through. If you do it carefully and respectfully, and as partners with the University, I think it can go a long way with getting ground broken a lot faster.”

In addition to discussion of the student union center, two bills were introduced to the floor during the meeting, and both bills passed.

The first bill, sponsored by Haviv, requested funding for an engineering event during Spring Fair. The bill passed by a vote of 6-0 through the preliminary round and would be funded through Student Services. Proposed by two student groups, Engineers Without Borders and Engineering World Health, the bill allotted $400 in funding out of the SGA events budget to these groups for organizing a Spring Fair Catapult Competition. Spring Fair has already approved this event, allowing them to occupy seven booths over the weekend.

The second bill, sponsored by senior Class Senator Max Wilde, requested funding for the Hopkins Emergency Response Organization (HERO) to attend the annual National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation (NCEMSF) conference in Philadelphia.

This bill passed by a vote of 6-0 through the preliminary round. The total cost to send six HERO members would be $1,200 including the conference registration fee, cost of lodging and transportation. The purpose of attending the NCEMSF annual conference is to provide HERO with a substantial opportunity to learn more about providing emergency medical services and thereby better serve the community.

SGA also announced its intention to begin the transition process to pass along important details and documents to next year’s SGA board. The executive board stated that this year’s transition will look different from those of past years and that it will be a highly strategic movement.