ASLC talks Counseling Center and CAB events

By Elsa Spaulding

Fresh off the heels of its latest Senate election, the Associated Students of Lewis & Clark (ASLC) had their first senate meeting on Sept. 27 which focused on funding for the Counseling Center and a presentation by the Campus Activities Board (CAB) on upcoming events.

Resources at the Counseling Center have been spread thin since a $200,000 alumni gift donated to the Center five years ago ran out last year. As of now, the Center has enough extra funds to employ a dietitian who can help students build a nutrition plan to fit their individual needs.

The center will need additional funding in order to maintain short wait times for counseling. Through an additional charge, ASLC hopes to employ another full-time therapist in the Counseling Center.

“The entire student body is going to have a $37 dollar fee added to their tuition cost at the end of the month, and this is going to cover an extra position in the counseling center that was covered before by the alumni donation,” Senator Sherlock Ortiz ’20 said.

Interim Dean of Students Andrew McPheeters said this fee, compared to those charged at other schools in the area, is relatively small. Lewis & Clark College does not charge students for physical examinations and lab work as much as schools like Reed, Whitman, and University of Puget Sound do.

CAB gave a presentation at the Senate meeting reporting on three different events that will be coming to campus this fall. They are seeking co-sponsorship from ASLC on the  Halloween Dance, scheduled for Oct. 26.

“It’ll be like Silent Disco [that took place earlier this semester], but bigger and with a bigger cost. We would love ASLC to co-sponsor this particular event with us, as it would make [ticket prices] accessible for more students,” Campus Activities Intern Jayana Alvarez ’19 said.

CAB hopes that another upcoming event will provide students with a unique way to de-stress before finals.

“On December 9, we want to host glow yoga for like an hour,” Alvarez said. “We’ll hire a DJ, and it should be a relaxing fun event right before finals.”

CAB has also begun planning for the annual Fall Ball. The board is striving to make the event more accessible to all students this year.

“The tickets have traditionally been $25, but some students can’t spend their money on that kind of event,” CAB’s Director of Finance Henry Alexander ’20 said. “This year, we are hoping to reduce the price to ten dollars a ticket. Ticket prices that low will bring a lot of people.”

A higher attendance rate will help offset the cost of the event, which has grown considerably more expensive due to the addition of a new catering company, professional DJ, and private venue. Before proceeding, the ASLC and CAB hope to gauge the student body’s interest in attending the event for a lower cost.

“We haven’t sent out a school survey yet, but at this point we’re listening to everyone.” Alexander said.