8 Comments
Space: it's a big deal
Sarah Ngu dashes through space and issues about space to bring you the report on the last CCSC meeting.
Some of the complaints were directed towards the logistics of booking space, but most of them had to deal with space allocation, an issue which is not under Joe’s but Robert Taylor’s office (Student Development and Activities).
Quite a few people expressed surprise over how space allocation works: it involves all the club advisors sitting together, reading the requests, and deciding who gets what space (a recipe for internal politics). No one really knows how they make decisions (one advisor has a “token” system where you designate what’s more important – space, tech, date, etc), but Joe did say that the earlier one submits one’s request, the better chances one has at getting meeting space. If the fund-allocation of clubs are decided solely by students, it’s curious that space allocation is entirely decided by advisors.
Main complaints lodged:
- student groups should be allowed to negotiate with each other (who requests what? what’s more important to which group?) before confirmations of space are delivered.
- rooms are left locked when unused (this is apparently not supposed to happen; Joe was surprised); Lerner cinema v. auditorium; last-minute confirmations of space
- centralization of spaces on space-booking form
Joe welcomes anyone to stop by his office (7th floor of Lerner, 7:45 am to 6pm) to talk, but it sounds like the bigger issue is with advisors and creating more opportunities for students to collaborate with one another. When SGB was initially formed, students had the power to decide space-allocation in Earl Hall and St. Paul’s. Coincidentally, a survey was recently released for student groups to evaluate their advisors (courtesy of Dean Martinez).
Update on crackdown on cheating:
What’s proposed right now is a “honor” version of alcohol.edu and a systematic clarification on what cheating is, especially in areas of collaboration and attribution. Steven Castellano, the newly elected Academic Affairs Rep, is already leading the charge.
SGO: What’s that?
Most students are unaware of a few rooms on the 5th floor of Lerner, dubbed the “Student Government Office,” which are sequestered in-between multiple offices. They tend to be used by publications, like Bwog, council meetings, and informal work-space. Aki is spearheading a re-decoration of it to turn it into a more “comfy” meeting space (no more long tables?).
Fun facts
- Want to see what projects facilities is working on? (A new LLC on 113th St. for undergrads) http://facilities.columbia.edu/projects
- Barry Weinberg and Alex Frouman dominate policy committee meetings, training younger council members on how to navigate the politics of the administration.
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8 Comments
@FUCK AKI and his fucking “comfy space.”
that conference table is fucking important for CPR, Bwog, the Blue adn White, the Fed, fucking student gov, that asian group that’s in there sometimes, and god knows how many other student groups and informal meetings.
“comfy space” will inevitably mean more shitty, semi-lounge furniture. it will be gross, and aesthetically abhorrent. who the fuck can relax in a space with that flourescent lighting and crusty carpet? it has to be a workspace.
aki, fuck you, come this time next YOU WON’T EVEN GO HERE
@CC'13 To be fair, Aki did talk with a number of people who supported his idea, including representatives from some of the groups you named, as came up during the last council meeting. While I don’t support any changes to the space, I think it’s inaccurate to characterize this as his idea completely existing in a vacuum devoid of any input from anyone.
The other thing, about him not going here for when these changes actually happen: we’re all here for a limited time, but don’t we want to encourage people to change things? Obviously he believes that this is net benefit for students, and there’s a way to criticize the idea without saying fuck aki. Not saying he deserves a cookie or anything (esp since his job as president is to change things for students), but something about “YOU WON’T EVEN GO HERE” really seems off.
@Anonymous Ignore first comment! I misread.
@Truth Not another fucking LLC. Anything but another fucking LLC. Goddammit I was supposed to do work tonight and now all I’ll be able to do is get worked up about this extra fucking LLC
@lolol so true, the LLC ruined my freshman year
@Anonymous I don’t understand people who bitch about the LLC. Yes the facilities are pretty shitty but they’re no worse than John jay, plus you get kitchens. We’re the people in your suite monsters? I’ve lived here for two years and had only one or two people I couldn’t stand and it’s pretty easy to avoid them.
@Anonymous The physical buildings are fine. It’s just all the extra “community” bullshit that isn’t.
@Anonymous I attended the meeting. Unless I am mistaken, the current policy is that rooms in Lerner should be unlocked when not in use. Joe was surprised that they are usually LOCKED. Students expressed that they can ask to be let into the rooms at the front desk, but both students and Joe agreed that the rooms should just be open during Lerner Hall’s regular hours.