Bwog’s Barnard Bureau Chief Renée Kraiem reports from last night’s SGA meeting.

Last night, Rep Council met in a new (but temporary) location, the Sulzberger North Tower. The majestic North Tower wasn’t the only thing different about last night’s meeting; over half of the Reps are serving their rookie years, and some veterans have traded places themselves. Fresh from their retreat into yet another space, SGA discussion was comfortable and, given the history of the group, impressively quick, aided also by the presence of a respectable audience of liaisons and freshwomen. (The gold star for the evening, on that note, goes to First Year Presidential candidate Nikita Ash, perhaps the most vocal participant of last night’s meeting.)

Another impressive performer last night was newly minted VP of Communications, and former Representative for Academic Affairs, Malvina Kefalas, who took a noticeable leadership role among the Executive Board. Kefalas announced a redesign of SGA’s internal website, and a new policy for office hours. Following feedback from Rep Council that office hours were decidedly not serving their intended purpose, office hours this academic year will be, according to Kefalas, “a space where reps are communicating outside Rep Council,” which apparently needs to happen more. The hours will take the form of breakout sessions among groups and leaders that will rotate weekly, and address subjects that “blend consistency and randomness.” If you’re aching to be a part of these breakout sessions, SGA strongly encourages you to apply for available council positions by Friday, September 14th at 5PM by visiting www.barnard.edu/sga.

If you’re sick of breakouts (aren’t we all), another traditional semester’s beginning opportunity lies in this Friday’s club fair, on Lehman Lawn from 12-3. With over 55 clubs, the event should draw at least as many visitors.

It would be wise to make it to Lehman Lawn before Thursday the 27th, anyway, since Associate Director for Residential Life and Housing Frank Cironi plans to light it on fire—for Fire Safety Prevention Day, that is, which is apparently a real thing. So is Fire Safety Prevention Week, and Fire Safety Prevention Month, so Frank, in conjunction with SGA, plans to deliver that day. Look for activities to learn about fire safety on the 27th, and opportunities to win prizes—most notably a lunch date with DSpar and four of your most bold and beautiful friends.

The meeting ended with a brainstorming session to determine projects for the year, and administrative guests to measure up to Cironi–who, by the way, oversees what, apparently, people call “the Burbs,” Plimpton, 610, and Cathedral Gardens, and is a hard act to follow. Among the most popular, and productive suggestions were:

1. A regular distribution of financial information about the college to increase transparency among financial officers and interested students.
2. A method of recording administrative guests at meetings and, you guessed it, distributing them to students.
3. An improved channel of communication between students and general staff, especially those affected by recent Worker’s Union contract negotiations.

In an effort to wrap up the session, which led a number of Reps to get an early start on the breakout sessions while still in the room, the ever-eloquent Rachel Ferrari, this year’s Representative for College Relations, encouraged “a true community building activity to talk about things that are difficult.” Here’s just hoping they stay on the record.
Lawn fire via Wikimedia Commons