Student Senate held its Student Issues meeting Thursday to let students vent their complaints. Among the issues discussed were problems with campus safety and lighting (including the lack of cooperation from the SMU police department and Giddy-Up), parking, RFoC, the increase in tuition next year, faulty advising, the increase in night classes and the overall lack of daytime classes (especially in the political science department and in the Law School), and the numerous car break-ins that have been happening in the Dedman parking lot.
Senate representatives from the Cox, Meadows, and Engineering schools, the first-years, Asian-Americans, and the Perkins School of Theology and the Cox grad school were all present at the forum.
Also, Vice President Katherine Tullos, Chief of Staff Katie White, Secretary Brooks Powell, and Speaker of the House Lulu Seikaly were present.
The senate wanted to inform students about what they do around campus and how students can get more involved. Students were able to voice their opinions and ideas for changes around campus.
“Student Senate is an amazing untapped resource for SMU students. Apathy among college students is a terrible thing,” said Cheyenne Rogers, Student Issues Committee chair, “especially when our tuition is being increased outrageously by the administration and we are being cheated daily by RFoC. SMU needs to make their voice heard, and Senate is the best way to do that.”
One issue of the night was the parking-ticket problem.
Vice President Tullos proposed implementing a Defensive Driving course to help with the problem.
“This will make it easier on students, so students don’t need to get the boot or towed – they will be able to take defensive driving instead, ” said Tullos.
No concrete plans have been made for the defensive driving idea, but students seemed on board with it.
Questions about the changes to fall break next year were addressed, too.
“The reason we are doing this is to make it easier on students that live out of state and to allow them to have more time with their families. Next year’s plan is just a trial run; nothing is set in stone,”Tullos said.
The ongoing “Pound the Pavement” survey was passed out to 300 students to help the senate see where the major problems are at SMU. The survey asks students about their opinions about most of the issues talked about at the forum.
