The Student Government Association (SGA) held its weekly meeting this Nov. 14.
Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Initiatives Dr. Lainie Rutkow talked about the Nexus Awards initiative, which awards a variety of projects and programs at Hopkins. The initiative began this past spring and awarded 40 projects funding. This included over 100 students from across all nine academic divisions. Rutkow discussed the academic opportunities available through these awards, which include funding for a conference, research in a new area of collaborative work and teaching. She took questions from SGA members, some of whom recommended an intersession course as part of the Nexus Awards initiative.
Student Body President Ryan Chou then reported on communications among committees. Among discussion was the planning for the upcoming Lighting of the Quads and the Freshman Formal. Afterward, members of the African Students Association gave a presentation on their fashion show, which will take place on Dec. 4 in the Glass Pavilion. They will raise money from ticket sales to donate to the charity United to Beat Malaria.
The SGA then discussed an amendment to the SGA Constitution to reform the number of assistant secretaries and take out a clause regarding removal after four unexcused absences. Another amendment, which mainly changed the language about the Finance Committee’s responsibilities, was introduced.
The meeting ended with a discussion about funding for the Lighting of the Quads. Spending was as high as $6,000 in recent years, which led SGA to discuss how the tradition could be more cost-effective while keeping important funds for food and clothing. By the end of the meeting, total costs were estimated to be around $1,100.
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