ZACH CORREIA — DCGA passed four resolutions over last semester during their fall term. Six resolutions total were brought to the floor to be debated, with only two of those failing to garner enough support to pass in the end. The two resolutions that failed to be approved were one establishing a scaled payment system for student workers and another appropriating money from the reserve fund for voter registration collection boxes. The scaled payment resolution vote was 15-10-6 — failing only do to absentations. Voter registration collection was never brought to a vote due to concerns over if it was DCGA’s place to spend money on the initiative.
Resolutions that did pass were as followed:
Resolution to Establish a Public Relations Seat on the Senate Elections Committee
The first piece of legislation passed by DCGA this year was a resolution making the Chair of the Public Relations committee and member of the Senate’s Election Committee. From the resolution, the measure is intended to “improve the state of advertising of the DCGA Elections” and to “improve voter turnout in class-wide and student body elections.” The Public Relations Chair is tasked specifically to “spearhead Public Relations responsibilities of the election process and allocate duties to the Public Relations Committee.” This move is intended to improve advertisement of DCGA elections after concerns were raised last spring over a perceived lack of public notice. The resolution passed 22-1-4.
Resolution To Expand Gender Inclusive Housing
On December 11th, the Senate passed a resolution supporting the expansion of general neutral housing to first-year residence halls. The legislation called for additional questions be added to the first year housing application form to allow students to state their gender identity and if they want to live in gender-inclusive housing. Gender inclusive housing is defined by the resolution as “a residential space in which roommates of any combination of biological sexes, gender identities, and gender expressions choose to live together.” Safeguards are also called for in the resolution to protect a student’s gender identity and allows an opt-out for students who wish to live with people of the same gender. The resolution is in conjunction with the work already being done by the Student Housing and will be implemented for the Class of 2023.
Resolution for Community Bench Funding
The Senate passed a resolution allocating $3,241 from the reserve fund to be used for building community benches. Sponsored by DCGA Vice-president Lexi Seward ’19, the project calls for the building of two metal and wood benches to be located outside of Huffman and Herrick. The benches themselves will have different student organization logos laser cut into the benches to offset a “lack a sense of community and school pride” per the resolution. Riley Johnson ’19 was tasked with building the benches as he already owns his own woodworking business, West Coast Woods. The legislation passed 19-1-3 and the benches will be completed during March of this year.
Campus Improvements Resolution of 2018
Every year, DCGA is tasked by Facilities Services to develop a list of suggested areas that need improvements or maintenance. In specific areas addressed include fixing of bricks along the walks on West Quad, adding a speed bump at the intersection of the North Loop and Chamberlin Drive and fixing the steps down to South Quad, among others. The resolution also called for more frequent removal of leaves on the stairs to South Quad, more frequent salting and snow removal on the stairs to South Quad and more trimming of bushes in highly trafficked areas, such as the Sunnies and Brownstones. The resolution passed 23-0-0.