Student Government kicks off the year with achievements in sight, including initiatives to honor students and to get more places to use CapBucks.
Jack Spiller, senior and student government president, has laid out some of the plans for the semester alongside the executive board.
“The executive board meets every other week … but our objectives are always to be student-facing and things to improve the university,” Spiller said.
Student Government has already finished some new ideas, the most recent just passing at the end of last semester.
“We just passed the bill last semester about the Spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. Award which is really exciting,” Spiller said.
This award was created to honor a student that brings forth their spirit on campus, similar to MLK and the energy that he brought to every movement he was in.
Spiller said that this is his favorite initiative right now because it was started by student senators and achieved by those senators, meaning the executive board didn’t have much influence on the award.
The Spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. award was not given this year due to the lack of time to create a committee and create a fair process, but Student Government is looking forward to the next MLK Day of Learning to give out the award.
To turn an idea like this into a finished product, it must start with a student’s idea.
“It starts with students, which is why we always encourage students to come to Senate meetings. The idea goes to one of three committees: student life, economic affairs, or governance,” Spiller said. “From there, if it’s passed through it goes to the Senate and we vote on it. It’s a multi-step process, but if we have an idea the Executive Board can help us.”
Another big issue Student Government is working on is improving dining.
“We recently added Jersey Mike’s and Newfangled Kitchen to CapBucks,” Spiller said. “You can use Newfangled now and can use Jersey Mike’s in two to three weeks.”
In the last year, Capital lost two businesses offered on CapBucks–Zoë Café and C’est Si Bon– leaving only Moshi Sushi, Jimmy John’s and Capital Grounds for CapBucks dining. Student Government worked to add these new outside dining options.
Spending has been on many people’s minds and some student groups are no stranger to that.
Spiller said that the process of getting money to different organizations has become more transparent — it will be “a more rigorous, multi-step process.”
Within Student Government, plans are broken down into either bills or resolutions–bills involving money and resolutions not involving money. Student Government has to look at the value of each bill being discussed, but Spiller said that the bills they have chosen to fund have all been approved with no opposition.
Student Government holds meetings weekly, alternating between closed Executive Board meetings and open Town Hall meetings. Student Government wants student opinions and encourages anyone to come to weekly meetings, the next being Feb. 10 at 8:30 p.m. in the CMC room 121.
