With a clown, can of White Claw, tasmanian devil and nine imitations of USA Advisor Jason Francey in attendance, Regis Room witnessed its weirdest Undergraduate Student Association Senate meeting of the semester this past Tuesday. Despite being dressed in their Halloween best, the senators had a productive meeting, discussing the college’s plan to remove computers across campus and hearing an update about the proposed change in dining services.
In last week’s meeting, senators were surprised when it was revealed that the college would be decreasing the number of computers around campus. USA President Jahare Hudson had asked to table the matter so he could meet with college administration about the matter.
Hudson indeed met in the meantime with Canisius President Steve Stoute and Vice President for Business and Finance Tim Balkin, who assured Hudson that the change was driven by usage data. Stoute and Balkin found that the computers are “severely underutilized” and that by closing some computers, they could invest the extra money into more software programs for the remaining ones.
In his meeting with Stoute and Balkin, Hudson said he suggested that the college first close 30 or 40 computers, see whether that causes an issue for students, and then continue to close computers until an issue does arise, at which point the college would stop cutting computers. Senators were assured that the change would be made incrementally and with Hudson’s input.
After the meeting was paused to take a picture of all the costumed senators, USA Advisor Jason Francey announced that Canisius is now accepting requests for proposals for a new dining service company. While Chartwells is able to submit a proposal to remain as the official partner, the college is currently collecting other applications. Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Harold Fields will present them to the Senate at its final meeting for the semester on Dec. 6.
Committee chairs updated the Senate on their work. Public Health Chair Gabby Kaderli is moving ahead with her plan to swab surfaces around the school to show the persistent presence of pathogens in public. Sustainability Chair Genevieve Fontana focused on her committee’s bottle collection, announcing that the Delavan Townhouses are cleaning house in the competition among residence halls.
Liaison reports began with Dining Services Liaison Alyssa Kornacki, who reported on her work to bring additional fruit and dessert options to the dining hall. Library Services Liaison Shalif Twizeyimana told the senators that, because of staffing shortages and decreased usage at non-peak times, the library will not expand its hours.
The constitution of Goblins and Griffins, the new Dungeons and Dragons club, was unanimously approved.
The meeting would have been fewer than 30 minutes long, except for a last-moment remark by USA Advisor (and Director of Student Engagement and Leadership Development) Francey which pushed it above the half-hour mark. The near-dozen doppelgangers of the director had their fun during the meeting, but it was Francey who in delaying the Senate’s adjournment had the last laugh.