During their campaign, Ben Shaw (COL ’08) and Matt Appenfeller (COL ’08) made many promises. Of course, student government is limited in what it can accomplish, and can only be relevant if it listens to students and represents their interests. The Voice urges our new leaders to focus on a few very important, relatively accomplishable issues: expanded GU Mail, campus-wide wireless internet, more food options,and bolstering University resources for Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Bisexual or Questioning students.
The Georgetown e-mail system is outdated. E-mail messages take up to an entire day to be sent and received. The system’s storage space is too small to support the e-mailing of larger attachments, and doesn’t block spam effectively. Georgetown should get rid of the current system and hire an outside provider, preferably Google’s Gmail, which just offered a free service to colleges, to manage the University’s system.
Another priority should be blanketing the campus with wireless internet. In Lauinger Library, you have to move around just to find a wireless-enabled spot. Not only is this annoying, but it makes students, faculty and staff less productive. Students deserve high-speed access no matter where they may be. In addition, the currently insecure network should be password-protected.
Currently, there are not enough food options on campus—and not enough healthy ones. At lunch time, students without meal plans are stuck with Pizza Hut, Subway, Wisey’s or pre-made sandwiches and salads at Vital Vittles. This is supposed to change in the fall, when a new restaurant, Epicurean and Co., is set to open in Darnall Hall. Along with the Student Food Committee and Resident Hall Association, GUSA leaders should help shape Epicurean and Co. The restaurant owner has authority over what his place will be like, but our student government leaders should work with the administration to ensure that Epicurean and Co. works best for students. It should offer a variety of foods, at least some of which are good for you.
Further, as long as a meal plan is required for freshman and sophomores (Epicurean is supposed to be included), the Student Association should make it a priority to expand meal plan options to include Hoya Court and Vital Vittles.
Finally, the Student Association should push for more resources for LGTBQ students. This is a significant portion of the student population—11 percent of Hoyas are LGTBQ, according to GU Pride President Scott Chessare (COL ’10). But not only does the University not have a LGTBQ center to support these students, it has not even hired a full-time employee to for them. Coordinator of LGTBQ community resources Bill McCoy has two hats—he splits his time between LGTBQ issues and his post as Assistant Director for Student Programs. GU Pride and LGTBQ students need allies for their cause, and this is where the Student Association should help.
These are important problems to solve, and the Student Association can make a difference. If only the Voice were elected President.
