No Space, Big Problem
Issue date: 11/26/08 Section: News
Vera Zukelman
Senior Staff Writer
When the newly chartered Red Cross Club holds meetings, its members often find themselves convening in Hunter College bridges and hallways. Their plight is common at Hunter, where finding space amidst a 21,000-plus student body is never easy. Hunter currently has about 175 student organizations, but only about three-quarters of them have some form of space to call their own. This year, the Student Space Allocation Committee (SSAC) has reconvened to address this issue.
The committee has existed at Hunter for over 25 years and is designed to make recommendations to Dean Michael Escott, the Associate Dean of Student Life, on how space can be distributed and assigned fairly within the various student organizations. The committee consists of 11 Hunter students, including USG President Deborah Francois, who serves as the committee's chair, Cultural Affairs Commissioner, David Wexler, and USG Senator Leo Delgado. There are also two students from the Graduate Student Association, and four student club members, two from clubs which do not have office space. The members on the committee are from the Hostos Puerto Rican Club, Alpha Phi Omega, Mu Sigma Upsilon and the Global Medical Brigades.
"The committee is a think-tank; coming up with ideas that we recommend to the administration," said USG President and SSAC chair Deborah Francois via e-mail. "It has no interest in being punitive, but rather working together to improve the current situation for all."
The SSAC held its first meeting on Nov. 4, during which the members discussed plans to address how clubs should get space, for how long, and who should regulate the process.
But the lack of space has become a very sensitive issue for many club-goers, and many are unhappy with the lack of organization the SSAC has experienced in the past. And, this year, according to several club executives, neither the committee nor the administration notified many clubs about the establishment of the SSAC.
Senior Staff Writer
When the newly chartered Red Cross Club holds meetings, its members often find themselves convening in Hunter College bridges and hallways. Their plight is common at Hunter, where finding space amidst a 21,000-plus student body is never easy. Hunter currently has about 175 student organizations, but only about three-quarters of them have some form of space to call their own. This year, the Student Space Allocation Committee (SSAC) has reconvened to address this issue.
The committee has existed at Hunter for over 25 years and is designed to make recommendations to Dean Michael Escott, the Associate Dean of Student Life, on how space can be distributed and assigned fairly within the various student organizations. The committee consists of 11 Hunter students, including USG President Deborah Francois, who serves as the committee's chair, Cultural Affairs Commissioner, David Wexler, and USG Senator Leo Delgado. There are also two students from the Graduate Student Association, and four student club members, two from clubs which do not have office space. The members on the committee are from the Hostos Puerto Rican Club, Alpha Phi Omega, Mu Sigma Upsilon and the Global Medical Brigades.
"The committee is a think-tank; coming up with ideas that we recommend to the administration," said USG President and SSAC chair Deborah Francois via e-mail. "It has no interest in being punitive, but rather working together to improve the current situation for all."
The SSAC held its first meeting on Nov. 4, during which the members discussed plans to address how clubs should get space, for how long, and who should regulate the process.
But the lack of space has become a very sensitive issue for many club-goers, and many are unhappy with the lack of organization the SSAC has experienced in the past. And, this year, according to several club executives, neither the committee nor the administration notified many clubs about the establishment of the SSAC.
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