Given last week’s break, Sunday night’s meeting was surprisingly brief, most of the agenda given over to updates and introductions with one resolution passed mandatorizing post-event evaluation surveys or PEES… kidding, they’re called PERFs, Post-Event Review Forms. But yes, PEES would have been so much better.

Updates:

  • Class of 2014 is working on implementing their new, hardwon Class design on winter wear… and not a moment too soon. #it’sonlyoctoberwhyisitfortydegreesout
  • Class of 2015 will continue their crusade for a “better bathroom experience,” working with administrators to get softer toilet paper and seat covers, and are planning a “shopping spree” with CSA  so that sophomores can sample departments before they declare their majors in the Spring
  • USenators talked about who they were and what they did exactly. In revealing the impetus for such a non-update, Eduardo Santana cited some recent “less than encouraging” conversations with various Council members who were less than knowledgeable about those subjects. The three also listed some topics the USenate are discussing this semester including the student space initiative, Manhattanville, and a quality of life survey that would look for primary stressors across the University’s various schools. VP Policy Will Hughes asked whether this survey would be similar to the one Ask Alice administers. The Senators were unfamiliar with it, but said they’d be looking to GSAS’s quality of life survey as their model.

Governing Boards:

  • SGB was up first, Chair David Fine explaining that the Student Governing Board, which was born out of the 1968 protests as a way to prevent the administration from interfering with the success of potentially controversial student groups, oversees clubs that are “religious, spiritual, political, ideological, humanitarian, or activist in nature.” Because CCSC often makes policy decisions that could affect the well-being of such clubs, Fine requested that when considering such policy measures there be a dialogue and greater collaboration between the Board and Council.
  • Former CCSC-er Ryan Cho stopped by to talk about what’s going on in the Inter-Greek Council. Of note is the Council’s new re-branding scheme where sororities and fraternities that use the term “frat boy” or “sorority girl” – opposed to the the more favorable “fraternity men” and “sorority women” – will be penalized.
  • Hahn Chang of Community Impact stopped by to tout the impressive figures that their organizations recruit some 1,000 volunteers and serve 9,000 community members of the immediate community as well as showcase a few of those organizations like their GED program, which was deemed one of the most successful in NYC by the New York State Education Department.
  • In his overview, VP Finance for Club Sports Governing Board Phil Chambers thanked CCSC for passing the Capital Investment Fund resolution a few weeks ago, saying that since 17 club sports teams went to nationals last year, the fund will be a “big help.”
  • Activities Board at Columbia (the largest of all five, comprised of 160 groups) President Saketh Kalathur gave a touching personal anecdote about why he decided to become more involved in leadership of ABC, ending his presentation by asking Council members to submit ideas about how ABC and other governing boards can actively engage student leaders and student groups, rather than simply operate behind the scenes. Previously, Saketh said, “if there [was] student life, we[‘d] consider it a job well done,” but now he’d like to see ABC more involved in club activity.

CU Dance Marathon:

  • A representative from CUDM gave a presentation to the council about possibly supporting their efforts by helping publicize the event, subsidizing costs that go into the actual event such as tech or food, as well as forming a team, which the Council has done in past years. The marathon lasts 18 hours and will be held early next year. Proceeds go to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. More information on the event can be found here.

PEES… PERFs… whatever:

  • Council passed a resolution penned by VPs Campus Life and Policy (Yanyi Luo and Will Hughes respectively) making it mandatory for class councils or Campus Life to fill out a review form of successes mounted/obstacles faced in the execution of an event. The logic behind this is that future councils will be able to use the forms, compiled on the CCSC website, as reference when planning similar events.