Update, 11/9:  During Sunday night’s CCSC meeting, representatives from CAVA argued that their current space in the basement of Carman did not allow for secure holding of patient medical records. This accusation has not been verified and Bwog has been informed that patient medical records continue to be protected via a swipe access system. We’ll keep you posted on the issue as we get more information.

Grantland D’Avino keeps you in the know!

Representatives from CUEMS (which you may know as CAVA) gave a presentation regarding their request for a new space. CAVA argued that the group’s current space, in the basement of Carman, was inadequate because it does not allow for gender-segregated sleep areas or for secure holding of patient medical records.

With a minimum requirement of 12 hours volunteered per week, 91% of CUEMS members sleep at some point while volunteering. This is a problem for the group’s Orthodox Jewish members, whose religion forbids them from sleeping with members of the opposite sex. While some have found rooms to sleep in with friends in nearby dorms, others have had to quit. The current space also does not allow for patient medical records to be locked securely, which complicates issues of patient confidentiality. Plus, there isn’t any cell phone reception.

The proposed plan is to swap the current CUEMS space in the basement of Carman for 102 and 103 Broadway, former CSA offices which are now used as space for student groups. However, CUEMS pointed out that those spaces have not been reserved often and that they could be replaced by space in the Carman basement. Also, CAVA argued that the Broadway rooms would allow for sex-segregated sleeping areas, more secure patient records, and adequate cell reception, since the space is above ground.

Next, representatives of club sports presented their proposal for a pilot program to allow athletes on club sports teams to get credit toward the physical education requirement. While their original hope was to simply have team practices count as physical education, this was not feasible since this would place undergraduates in control of their classmates’ credits. The proposed pilot plan is for an additional physical education class to be added, which would be tailored to the needs of a particular team or collection of teams. Early registration would be open to members of teams that the programs had been designed for, but would open to all students in regular registration.

The representatives stressed that the new program would not replace physical education classes now offered to the wider undergraduate population. Instead, physical education teachers will be required to take on extra classes.

Some council members raised concerns, noting that regardless of whether or not these classes replace current physical education classes, they will monopolize the gym and prevent students and faculty from using it at those times. Some doubted whether or not instructors would take on extra classes for the same pay.

And so it goes…

Image via Wikimedia Commons