CCSC and ESC both canceled their weekly meetings because of board retreats, but SGA is still around to keep the student government machine rollimg. Nikhita Mahtani reports.

Monday’s SGA meeting had a special guest, Carol Katzman, the new head of IT at Barnard fondly dubbed “VPK.”  VPK apparently just couldn’t bring herself to leave the ivory tower: she began by joking that she has “been involved with higher education since college!” She continued to ask students’ opinions about so-called ‘hot buttons’, which sparked a discussion about students’ IT problems. Some of the main issues brought up included greater wireless access, wired networks, dining, clubs, and money, with all suggestions passed along President Debora Spar.

SGA is also to meet with Barnard’s Board of Trustees next Wednesday.  The meeting will now only be between the students and the board, without any administrators attending, to facilitate more in-depth discussion. Plans have been made to discuss Barnard’s new college ranking policies. Barnard was ranked 30th under liberal arts colleges by U.S. News last year, before which it hadn’t been ranked. This causes concern for many students, some for whom the ranking would have influenced their decision to come to Barnard.  U.S. News also inadvertently entered into the fray of the eternal (well, at least twenty-six-year-old) Columbia-Barnard debate, not noting Barnard’s relationship to Columbia in the rankings.  Some expressed concern that Barnard is little known as an independent institution, but the U.S. News still ranks it as one.

SGA’s Ecorep Liaison, Illana Krakowski, also stopped by to encourage all Barnard students to ask for recycling bins in doors. For those sick of Hewitt fare, there is also a potluck dinner on Oct 15th at 6pm in Sulzberger Lobby, as well as Hewitt’s annual Harvest Dinner, on Oct 28th at 6pm, and both should be delicious. For those clubs willing to take the time and effort to be more environmentally friendly, there is also a Club Sustainability Tip Sheet available, which gives you several ways to “go green!”

Amy Chen, VP of Student Activities, also had good news to offer Barnard sorority sisters: they will have a graduate assistant to advise Greek organizations on Barnard’s campus! 

October 21st is also Barnard’s ‘Women in Science’ town hall; all those who have an opinion about the Science requirement are encouraged to attend, especially those who like this requirement (such strange ones do exist).

Nostalgia set in with your reporter when the final topic turned to SGA’s Breakfast in Bed event, where SGA students will go around the quad giving breakfast to first-years on October 27th. And as if free food weren’t enough, SGA was also quick to point out that Millie the Bear would be present. First years, get ready for a whole lot of dancing and pancakes, while the rest of you BC students can watch in envy, or, better yet, try to steal leftovers.