The grassroots

Efficient Correspondent Renée Kraiem reports from the latest SGA meeting. 

Rep Council met last night in an alternative space next door to its usual haunt, the Diana Café. The new, more intimate setting proved metaphorically appropriate for the tone and subject of the night’s meeting.

First on the agenda was this week’s administrative guest, Jessica Nuñez, Associate Dean for Student Life and advisor to SGA. Nuñez intended to check in during her visit, and made clear that she wanted to address recent articles and discussions about SGA’s involvement on campus. She expressed concern at the recent statements from representatives expressing doubt about their impact on campus. “I want to reinforce a little bit why you do what you do, and remind you why you do what you do,” she began. She insisted upon the unique nature of SGA, highlighting Rep Council’s direct access to college administrators, and encouraged representatives to increase grassroots outreach. “We can’t find one size that fits all, which is why Barnard’s so fabulous,” she concluded, “and we need a multi-pronged approach. Maybe you’ll reach five people, and that’s five more people than you reached yesterday.”

One size certainly doesn’t fit all, apparently – especially if you’re discussing meeting efficiency. Following Nuñez’s reality check, PrezBla proposed multiple measures to make meetings more efficient, and put them to a vote. SGA voted to approve propositions limiting individual discussions to ten minutes, requiring representatives to wait until all members of the Council had a chance to speak before putting themselves back on the speakers list. Representatives were also limited to two direct responses per point. Rep Council approved these points following an discussion lasting longer than ten minutes and involving multiple speeches by multiple representatives on multiple speakers’ lists. Direct response: you are now (in)efficiently meeting.

In the words of PrezBla, “now that we’re efficiently meeting,” the Council voted to approve the Barnard Writing Collective for Stage 1 Recognition at the recommendation SGA’s Student Organization Committee. Seeing as the two representatives from the Collective bore witness to the discussion of meeting efficiency, it was probably only right.

The last few minutes of the meeting were devoted to the planning and celebration of various events on campus this week. Taking grassroots to the next level, Rep Council encourages you to attend the sophomore class’s upcoming Blood Drive, and Glass House Rocks! next Thursday night. Also, keep an eye out in mid-February for an SGA sponsored soap box event, where SGA representatives will be stationed in various spots on campus to listen to student feedback and take suggestions for improvement. Think à la CCSC–except luau themed. But actually, you know, to celebrate that winter that never happened.

Efficient butterfly in the grasslands via Wikimedia Commons

Your bold and beautiful Barnard leaders

Bwog’s correspondent Renée Kraiem reports on the first SGA meeting of the semester.

The Rep Council reunited last night at 8:10 to discover that a significant proportion of the group had either grown or cut their bangs. Then, the group got down to business.

Turns out that SGA is redecorating—and I’m not talking about the bangs. Be sure to stop by Rep Council’s new office hours starting next week to speak with your bold and even more beautiful Barnard leaders.

If you just can’t take your eyes off the new office, spend more time there! SGA is now accepting applications for positions on twelve committees, which are available here. Most applications are due on Friday, January 27th at 8 pm with the exception of one. Read more…

These lil' guys make their toys only from conflict-free plastic.

Bwog’s A-list correspondent Renée Kraiem tells you what went down at SGA’s final meeting of the semester.

Last night’s SGA meeting, the last of 2011, began with a joyful round of Secret Santas and Channukah Harriets. The evening’s first guest complemented the inclusive theme of the evening.

She was Pamela Phayme, Barnard’s Director of Diversity Initiatives for Student Life. Ever heard of Barnard’s Biased Reporting Incident System? Yeah, nobody else has either—but that’s probably because it doesn’t exist yet. These days, the handling of a bias report varies based on the location in which the report is filed, and, obviously, communication between each reporting body is pretty minimal. Believe it or not, though, bias reporting isn’t the primary challenge that Phayme sees facing Barnard. The greatest issue is that of “micro-aggression,” or the little things that we do each day that point to the larger, often unspoken, conflicts among us.

The second guest to pass through the evening’s meeting with holiday tidings was Shelby Layne, BC ’13. Shelby stopped by to propose action from SGA on behalf of a not-so-micro cause that she has spent the semester investigating as part of a class called “Environmental Leadership, Ethics, and Action.” She explained that we, as Columbia students, shouldn’t support the conflict mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, whose minerals make up the electronics that play an increasingly macro part in our lives. Instead, we should look to companies like Dell, whose products don’t support conflict mines and with whom Barnard has a contract. Interested? Dig through Shelby’s blog. Even more interested? Shelby presents her project, hopefully on a Dell computer, at her class’s culminating panel tomorrow.

Read more…

Dolla, dolla billz, y'all

Renée Kraiem gives you the juicy details of last night’s SGA Town Hall. 

Last night, Barnard’s Chief Operating Officer Greg Brown and its Vice President of Development Brett Silver spoke to a fuller than usual Diana Event Oval that included a conspicuous number of men (Bwog reporter Peter Sterne aside).

COO Brown and VP of Development Silver began with a presentation detailing how Barnard gets its money and how it spends its money. Barnard’s small endowment took up a large portion of the presentation (we’re seriously restraining ourselves from making a pun here). Only six percent of Barnard’s spending comes from its endowment, which, as Silver insists, is impressively well managed. “Since we’re poor,” Brown preached, the current economic climate isn’t “as bad for us as it is for some of our sister schools.” Suck on that, USNWR.

Reiterated throughout the presentation was the argument that Barnard’s financial strength lies in its human capital. “We’re a small college, we should be about people, and a lot of our money goes to paying people,” said COO Brown. It follows that the largest portion of Barnard’s operating expenses comes from salaries—$57.7 million, which comprises 37% of its budget.

The logical next step is expanding financial aid, and COO Brown made it a priority to answer to it. So did Barnard’s Board of Trustees, apparently. COO Brown reported that in the College’s forthcoming capital campaign, the Board’s “deepest concern…is doubling the financial aid.” As Brown repeated, “The core of this institution in terms of where our money goes is really financial aid. The people who interact here every day…that’s what’s most important.”

Read more to find out about Occupy CU’s role in the evening’s events

Diana Correspondent Renée Kraiem brings the latest from the SGA.

Constellations: A major focus of the SGA meeting

DSpar stopped by SGA this week to give thanks and get thoughts from Rep Council about the College’s forthcoming capital campaign, its Global Symposia and its new Constellations program. Each conversation built upon the central topics of SGA discussions this semester: communication and cash, and what it means to be a women’s college.

DSpar was insistent that the Constellations program, launched this year as a networking system and community builder for Barnard students and alumni that is based on their first-year residential life, was one that was built to evolve with lots of student imput. The main sentiment among members of Rep Council was that upperclassmen felt substantially disconnected from the program and that its purpose was confusing to all involved, which, in this case, is everybody. SGA will submit a report on their suggestions for the Constellations program to DSpar, which she intends to discuss with A-Hinks.

SGA had many questions about the growth of Barnard’s Global Symposia and its presence on campus. The Symposium is in its fourth year, and is to be held over Spring Break in Mumbai. The purpose of the Symposia were brought up as a continuation of the discussion about the purpose of women’s colleges that began following the Seven Sisters Conference. Rep Council discussed what could be done to make the Symposia more of a presence on campus considering how few students are selected to attend each year. Spring Break in PI? Try Mumbai. Read more…

Awwwz...sisters

Bwog’s sassiest of SGA correspondents Renée Kraiem reports. 

Meeting Highlights:

For the first half of the meeting tonight, Rep Council occupied the Diana Café—alone, for a closed meeting.

Rachel Ferrari, BC ’13 and vice president of student government, reported along with a few other members of the Rep Council on the third annual Seven Sisters conference held last weekend at Mount Holyoke. The conference intends to construct a mission statement, relates Ferrari, articulating what it means to be a seven sister. The answer isn’t as clear as one might think, as the Seven Sisters currently include Radcliffe—since absorbed by Harvard—and Vassar, which, though currently 60% female and 40% male, still attends conferences.

New VP of Finance Naomi Cooper (BC ’12) reported from the Joint Council Co-Sponsorships Committee (JCCC), and the Rep Council approved her recommendation to afford student dance group Dhoom SGA’s wedge of the total $500 allocated to support the group as they establish themselves and raise funds for their trip to Atlanta, where they have qualified for a regional competition. The JCCC agreed upon the $500 sum following a report from Dhoom that they had grossly miscalculated their request, because of the way they accounted for their Gatsby fund. and in reality, only really needed $16. Not $160, $16.While they thought co-sponsorship would then bring their expenses to $16, it turns out they will need at least $160.

Read more…

The lovely Renée Kraiem brings the latest from the SGA.

Voice your opinion in the SGA survey

Barnard SGA wants you to fill out a survey on your reaction to the college’s new full-time enrollment fees.

Almost a month ago, Dean Hinkson sent out the email that broke the student body’s back; the email briefly outlined Barnard’s new tuition policy, which mandated that all students pay full-time fees beginning next fall. Juniors who were planning on paying part-time fees their senior year must now adjust their plan of study to take on more courses in order to avoid tuition hikes.

Students circulated a petition following A-Hinks’s email that drew 600 signatures. A-Hinks visited SGA the following Monday, where she faced a barrage of student questions, most of which focused on the implementation of the policy and the timing of her announcement. Many argued the change imposed unreasonable demands on juniors in particular. A large-scale protest took place the following week on Lehman Walk.

SGA established a task force to respond to student concerns. The Rep Council insists that the SGA is a “legitimate way to funnel communication” to the administration and assure that it will be productive. Filling out the task force’s survey is the most direct way of communicating thoughts about the new tuition policy. Read more…

The top costumes of the night

Bwog’s SGA correspondent Renée Kraiem brings you the latest on costume contests, bureaucratic shakeups, and campus events, not-quite-live from the Diana.

• At last night’s meeting, the Colombian dancers emerged victorious from the Rep Council’s Inaugural Costume Contest. Madeline, Nicky Minaj and Gilly from Saturday Night Live also made surprise appearances.
• The SGA is getting a new VP of Finance—Naomi Cooper (BC 12), who will be transitioning over in the coming two weeks.
• If you have upcoming events or open meetings, SGA wants you to send them to barnardcampuscalendar@gmail.com. Please include the event’s name, date, time, and one sentence blurb in your email.
• One event that’s on the calendar is tomorrow’s (Thursday, November 3rd) Basketball Mania. Dan from CU Athletics stopped by to talk about fostering a strong relationship between Barnard and CU Athletics, and the Rep Council looks forward to working with them all year. Show up to Levien at 9:30 pm, get a free T-shirt (among other giveaways)!
• Another highlight on the calendar is Barnard’s Sustainable Iniative Consulting Board (SICB)’s round-table tonight (Wednesday, November 2nd), from 7 to 9 pm in the Altschul Atrium (the Hive). If you have any particular green initiatives that you’d like to see tackled this year, or are concerned about energy consumption, waste reduction, or water conservation at Barnard, head to the Hive. To celebrate the arrival of autumn and mourn the disappearance of green around us, a fall-themed diner will be provided.

Do the Diana Center floor plans have you feeling like you just stepped into a Target? Come and join the Barnard SGA for a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. in the James Room of the Diana Center to discuss new floor plan ideas over some free dinner. Stop by for just a quick word or stay for the whole meeting and work towards a more socially conducive, less department store ambiance for your student center.

Halloween costume ideas for your dog via Wikimedia

Don't let midterms leave you with a prickly virus.

Bwog’s resident SGA’er Reneé Kraiem reports not-quite-live-but-chronologically-close from last night’s meeting where talk of liquor and the new enrollment policy ensued.

• The Council established a task force to respond to student concern regarding the new enrollment policy. They have plans to improve the channels for students to voice their opinions about the announcement and communicate them effectively to AHinks and the administration. SGA is a “legitimate way to funnel communication” to the administration and utilize assure that it will be productive, contended one council member. SGA encourages students to email Dean Hinkson directly or speak to a class dean, or advisor, in order to make their opinions known; otherwise, says PrezBla, the Administration will underestimate the magnitude of the policy change’s effect on the student body.
• The administrative guest last night was the charmingly British Brenda Slade, Barnard’s Duchess of Health Services. After declining PrezBla’s pizza offer, Slade spoke elegantly about the mission of Health Services. She primarily championed the importance of daily necessities, which, she insists, are those that often get “jettisoned” during times like midterms. Whatever you’re doing with your time is not as important as obtaining sleep, adequate nutrition, and exercise—not just walking up the stairs to the second floor dining room at the Diana. “I think health promoters and health educators have always tried to concentrate on helping people build up good coping mechanisms because we don’t seem to be able to do much about is the world in general,” said Slade. “In my next lifetime I’m going to sort out the government.” We can only hope so.
• Slade also addressed last spring’s survey of the student body that emphasized the coping mechanisms that Barnard students use to deal with stress. Though the results are still being tabulated, it appears that Barnard women are, in fact, stressed.

Read more about last night’s meeting after the jump.

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planned expansion for SGA headquarters

Bwog’s shiny new Diana Bureau Chief Renée Kraiem reports on the goings-on at SGA.

• Reflecting on last week’s contentious meeting about Barnard’s new full-time enrollment policy, one council member explained that she knew of many students who hadn’t recognized the importance of the email announcement from A-Hinks. Barnard inundates students with so many emails, some argued, that it is impossible to distinguish invitations to an open house that bears (pun intended) no relevance to your life from emails presenting major policy changes. SGA President Jessica Blank (we hear the kids are calling her PrezBla!) clarified that doc@barnard.edu, the address from which Dean Hinkson sent her statement, stands for “Dean of the College,” but many students mistook it for spam. Discussion ensued about the way the college administration relates to students, and though the council agreed that the timing of Dean Hinkson’s announcement was too late into the semester, the proper forum for communicating an announcement of this magnitude was debatable. Read more…

Discussion of debt ensued

Tuition drama? Talk of co-sponsorships? Debt? Peter Sterne held his own at Monday night’s action-packed SGA meeting; here’s the rundown.

• A-Hinks stopped by to answer questions about Barnard’s new full-time enrollment policy. She stressed that Barnard has always expected students to enroll as full-time students for all eight semesters, though they have granted exceptions in the past. Going forward, students will need a compelling reason (e.g. a medical condition) to get an exception. The rationale for the change is largely financial: Barnard students pay about $10,000 less in tuition if they go part-time for a semester. The consensus of the SGA reps and A-Hinks was that 20–50 students (out of a class of 600) go part-time each semester, meaning Barnard is losing out on $400,000 to $1,000,000 of tuition revenue each year. Students can still opt to graduate a semester or year early to avoid paying a full four years of tuition. This doesn’t deprive the college of tuition revenue, said A-Hinks, because Barnard can always admit a new student to take that student’s place.
• After Dean Hinkson spoke, she faced a multitude of questions from SGA Reps and concerned Barnard students. Most focused on the implementation of the policy, rather than the change itself. Why, many students asked, was the policy being applied to juniors who had already planned their academic careers assuming they would be able to take go part-time for their last semester, in addition to underclassmen? A-Hinks only answered that the policy change had to be implemented in a timely manner, which one might reasonably conclude means that Barnard really needs the full-time tuition revenue as soon as possible. 
• Hinkson also insisted that the change should not have a major effect on students, since they could always graduate early or change their class schedule. One junior explained to A-Hinks that her major, History, required a two-semester thesis seminar, but she could not afford to enroll full-time for both semesters of senior year. As a result, she’d have to change her major. A-Hinks offered no response, though SGA President Jessica Blank volunteered that Political Science is a great major that only requires a one-semester thesis seminar.
• In general, the Dean seemed willing to listen to suggestions on how to amend or modify the policy, but had nothing to say to those who simply opposed it. Only seven students had even emailed her about the change, she told SGA, though over 500 people have signed a petition, which she has not yet read, opposing the new policy.
• SGA considered whether to fund joint co-sponsorships with the other councils (CCSC, ESC, and GSSC) for various clubs. Far and away the biggest ask came from Bacchanal, for a co-sponsorship of $18,000 (from all councils) due to costs associated with moving the location of the Spring concert. Like CCSC, and ESC, SGA voted to table the issue, until they have more time to discuss the myriad of issues surrounding Bacchanal (which was already allocated $88,000 for the year).

Mo money mo problems

• An EcoRep stopped by and discussed initiatives to make Barnard more eco-friendly. She announced that the Barnard compost machine is only open through Thanksgiving, so everyone should get in all their composting before the machine goes into hibernation… or whatever it does when it gets too cold to smoosh garbage.
• President Jessica Blank gave an update on her meeting with Dean Hinkson, during which they spoke about the new campus calendar that SGA is launching. It will be on the SGA homepage and serve as a central location for students to check out what’s going on around campus—events, academic deadlines, fitbear classes… the works. Clubs should email sga@barnard.edu to have events added.
• Sarah, VP Communications, presented possible ideas for the new SGA logo and led a discussion on the upcoming town hall (date TBD) regarding use of the Diana as a student space.
• Mica Spicka announced that the “Hive,” the newly renovated student space in Altschul atrium (formerly java city, for seniors who have been around long enough to remember it), will be opening TODAY, 9/27.

Chilly compost heap via Wikimedia Commons

VP Communications SGA, Sarah Steinmann, tells Bwog the elections period for First Year elections has closed, and the Class of 2015 now has a President and Vice President.

President: Gladys Velez-Caicedo
Vice President: Hannah Rosenwein

Congrats to the new duo!

First year class secretary and treasurer will be appointed based on applications, which can be found here and are due on Friday. First year class representative applications can also be found on that page.

Your nascent student council

Brief headlines from last nights council meetings. Sean Zimmermann reports from the first Engineering Student Council session:

• During the summer, recently elected Academic Affairs Representative Huili Zhu notified President Nate Levick that she would not be able to carry out her duties as the Academic Affairs representative in the coming year. The President invited runner up, Dong-Yoon “Tom” Yang, if he would still be interested in the position, subject to the council’s approval. The vote passed, and Yang was elected.
• Senior Class President Judy Kim reported that, if you were unable to RSVP for the Dean’s Senior Class Engineering reception on Wednesday, you can still pick up your free “gift” (it’s a surprise!) at a later date.

Meanwhile, over at Barnard’s Student Government Association, the following items were addressed:

• Those intending to run for first year elections had to declare today. Voting will open after Wednesday’s candidate forum and run until Monday at noon.
• The Barnard Activities Fair is this Friday, from 12-3. Any clubs or governing boards that would like a table should email the SGA.
• McAC, the Barnard Programming Board, discussed the upcoming Founder’s Day (Oct 11th) and possibility that students will need to swipe in to access the Founder’s Day and Spirit Day BBQs (i.e. no more free food). SGA is trying to find solution to keep these events open to everyone as they traditionally have been.
• Maya Zinkow, Campus Programming Rep, confirmed that SGA reps will be serving breakfast to freshladies in the quad on October 16th.