Senate passes resoluton in support of bike program
By MEGHANNE DOWNES
Assistant News Editor
Senators passed three resolutions Wednesday to support a bike deposit program, the South Bend Old Boys Rugby Team and the Sexual Assault Awareness poster.
Jeremy Lao, sophomore class president, and Matt Kinsella, sophomore class treasurer, presented the resolution for a bike deposit program. Lao initially included a community bike program on his platform when he ran for sophomore class president and researched programs at other colleges with similar programs. The resolution said the program will provide students with refurbished low-cost bikes and asked for a one and a half year trial period.
The program will begin next spring and students may rent a bike and lock from Notre Dame Security/Police for $25. At the end of the semester, students who return their bikes will receive a $15 refund, said Lao. The remaining $10 will be used for maintenance purposes.
Lao said he and Rex Rakow, director of NDSP discussed the program and Rakow gave him a tentative thumbs-up. "All of these details aren't tentative, but they will be worked out," said Lao.
NDSP collected abandoned or lost bikes to use in the program and will maintain the bikes for students throughout the year for free.
Sean Williams, St. Ed's Hall senator, presented a resolution to support the SBOBRT's efforts to become a club.
The University previously banned the rugby club twice for misconduct before any of the current members joined the team, said Williams. Williams met with Bill Kirk, assistant vice president for Residence Life and said Kirk did not dislike the rugby team but was not in favor of granting it club status.
"We have four years here and it hurts the current people to wait for the institutional memory to die down," said Williams.
After many revisions, the Senate approved the Sexual Assault Awareness poster. Courtney Kohout, chair of the Diversity committee, discussed the poster with Kirk and the Sexual Assault Advisory Committee approved the poster. The poster will be sent back to Kirk for review and Residence Life will provide funding for the project, said Trip Foley, student body vice president.
The poster will be laminated and printed in teal, the color for sexual assault awareness. Posters will be provided for each dorm's bathrooms and RA's rooms. In response to concern that the posters would be torn down, Kohout said, "It is better to try than to not try at all."
In other Senate news:
u Dave Brenner, Dillon Hall senator, presented a letter to Senate regarding the need for distance learning opportuties at Notre Dame. Distance learning is currently offered for a business MIS course, said Brenner.
Staley said distance learning would provide additional opportunities for abroad students who needed to take courses at the Notre Dame campus in Indiana. "The lack of knowledge and lack of willingness to explore distance learning that we feel Provost Hatch and others should look at," said Brenner.
u Joanna Cornwell, chair of the Ethics Committee, said her committee met Wednesday to discuss the attendance policy and said, "We feel there is no issue that we need to pursue at this point."
u Lee Svete, director of the Career Center, provided information about the career center and its services. Svete said companies are looking for individuals with problem solving, communication, writing, leadership and critical thinking skills. "With a Notre Dame education if you are focused you will be successful," he said.
u Jason McFarley, editor in chief of The Observer, submitted a letter to Senate regarding disclosure of information. Several senators questioned the need for disclosing attendance records and Jeremy Staley, senator from Sorin College, said reviewers of the records would not know how to correctly interpret them. Jesse Norman, senator from O'Neill Hall, referred to the Attendance Policy Amendment and said it was each committee chair's discretion to mark an absence and these records should be made public.
All News Stories for Thursday, November 21, 2002
