LEWIS & CLARK’s student senate is still lacking a senior senator and a junior senator, and no one has stepped up to apply for either position. Thus, legislative drafts have been circulated to lower the class quorum to two senators per cohort. However, there is debate over whether two senators would be representative of each diverse class.
Student Organizations Coordinator Alden Chatfield ’19 acknowledged the enthusiasm regarding the election and Ray Warren Symposium on Race and Ethnic Studies. However, according to Chatfield, it would be great if LC could carry through with that desire to be active and involved in working for the community and start taking ASLC seriously as a vehicle for change.
“We have the infrastructure and resources to work with the administration and push for concrete policy changes,” Chatfield said. Despite the unfilled senate, the Associated Students of Lewis & Clark (ASLC) have been working on fundraising events and resolutions. Zack Johnson ’19, Natalie Souders ’19 and William Hart ’18 co-sponsored and passed a resolution regarding the lack of summer storage offered to students for the summer of 2017.
“We collectively felt the new policy was extremely restrictive and specifically affected minority students, international students and low-income students,” Johnson said.
In the resolution, they expressed their reasoning for why they believe the college should continue to offer free storage to all students. The resolution said that “students were blatantly unaware of the sudden changes being made to summer storage policies, and were subsequently given no time to organize alternate routes of storage,” as well as that “the integrity of Lewis & Clark College is rooted in its pursuance and admittance of students from diverse cultural, racial, socioeconomic, and geographical backgrounds.”
President Adam Fractor ’17 and Community Service and Relations Coordinator Miranda Mora ’19 are currently beginning fundraising efforts for the student-led fund Pios for Pios. The fund provides emergency assistance for students who encounter surprise debts in attendance costs for LC and need aid to cover the amounts. For every dollar Pios for Pios raises from student donations, the Board of Trustees triples the amount. Their first event was a grilled-cheese stand on Nov. 10.
Overall, senate meetings have been very productive and informative.
“I like how the ASLC meetings are going so far, because they are incredibly informative to the topics that are on campus at the current moment,” William Witmer ’20 said. “[For example,] we got a report from the Board of Trustees meeting about how having 50 less students enrolled in the freshman class this semester really affected the finances of the college.”
student donations, the Board of Trustees triples the amount. Their first event was a grilled-cheese stand on Nov. 10.
Overall, senate meetings have been very productive and explanatory.
“I like how the ASLC meetings are going so far, because they are incredibly informative to the topics that are on campus at the current moment,” William Witmer ’20 said. “[For example,] we got a report from the Board of Trustees meeting about how having 50 less students enrolled in the freshman class this semester really affected the finances of the college.”
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