At the Student Senate meeting on Monday 18 November, Student Senate approved $5,000 to be put towards improvements to the Morren Fitness Center weight room.
According to Student Senate Advisor and Associate Dean of Student Life, John “JB” Britton, each year Student Senate is given the opportunity to appropriate money from the office of the Vice President of Student Experience for a “tangible student- related experience…typically that has been a physical improvement.”
Senators put forward a total of 5 potential projects for consideration to receive some, or all, of the $5,000 available:
Dorm ice machines
Team Harlow requested $3,897 for three industrial ice machines to be purchased and installed in dorm reading rooms across campus.
Native plant meadow
Team Savickas proposed an additional $1,000 to expand the size, by 500 ft2, of an existing native meadow project (that Student Senate has already committed $2,000 towards) with Plaster Creek Stewards.
Outdoor trash and recycling bins
Senator Martin proposed $4,370 to provide seven outdoor trash/recycling bins outdoors around campus in coordination with the existing recycling rollout from Calvin Facilities. The proposal included options for fewer bins, at a lower total cost.
Dorm beach volleyball court improvements
Senators Lu and Burns proposed $2,600 for a new net, boundary markings, sand and lighting for the dorm beach volleyball court. The proposal included a plan for hosting an open tournament event. The proposal also included options for omitting some elements, coming at a lower total cost.
Morren Fitness Center weight room improvements
Team Shilton proposed $5,000 for the Morren Fitness Center weight room “to fix broken equipment, buy new weights, and provide the weight room with an update” according to their presentation to the Student Senate on November 18.
The $5,000 was appropriated for improvements to the Morren Fitness Center, with a vote of 13-4, with 5 Senators abstaining. The funding is pending final approval from Calvin’s administration.
“When people find out I am on Senate, the gym is something they ask me to improve,” said Senator VanderLeest, and “I’m really excited to see what we can do with a full $5,000 budget.”The gym showed up repeatedly in student comments on the Student Senate fall survey, showing a large amount of support from the student body, according to Britton. VanderLeest said the goal of the project is to make “real tangible improvements” and that the “first priority is missing and broken equipment.”
The proposal to the Student Senate included no specific budget; but, the funding is “not a blank cheque,” said VanderLeest, and team Shilton will be hoping to develop a specific budget for the project as more information about student’s wants, and costs becomes available. “We are hoping to have a student poll outside the gym where students can vote on the most necessary and needed improvements,” said VanderLeest.
According to Britton, outside sources of funding are in the process of being secured for the outdoor trash and recycling bins project. Along with funds that have already been appropriated from Student Senate’s budget to fund the native meadow, this means three of the five projects proposed by Student Senate should come to fruition.
Past Senate projects using this funding included: the Library Lobby remodel and egg chairs, dorm basement improvements, and funding for the outdoor recreation student space.
