Working Together We Can Make Campus Ever Better
BY ROSHAL PATEL ’13
Students’ Association President
Hello, Yellowjackets! I hope you are all enjoying the conclusion of summer, whether it be endlessly watching reruns of Friends and That 70’s Show, or soaking up as much sun as you can before you head to Rochester.
A very warm welcome to the incoming Class of 2016 and, of course, to the returning Classes of 2013, 2014, and 2015!
When you get back, there will certainly be some new and exciting changes. If you see construction next to Wilson Commons and Morey, that is because construction for the new Ronald Rettner Hall for Media Arts and Innovation has begun. Additionally, there will be several upgrades to Fauver Stadium, the baseball fields, and the soccer field on Wilson Boulevard.
This year, the Students’ Association will be focusing on the themes of “Inclusion” and “Responsibility,” this year’s communal principle.
We intend on working with all student organizations to ensure that they all are adequately represented and feel a part of the larger campus community.
We will work to increase two-way communication between students and the SA.
This does not just mean finding better ways for the SA to reach out to students, but also finding better ways for the students to voice their concerns to the SA and the administration.
Last year we saw an increase in the number of students who attended the Monday night Senate meetings, which had a profound, positive impact on improving student life and cultivating organic, student-driven initiatives to better serve the campus community.
We hope to see this trend continue this year and in years to come.
SA thrives on student feedback, so you are welcome and encouraged to voice your opinions at Senate meetings, or email me directly at president@sa.rochester.edu.
There are a lot of ways that you can get involved within the SA.
On Aug. 25, come hang out with some current members of the SA to see how you can get involved.
And if you cannot make that, certainly visit our table at the Activities Fair. We have an impact on everything from the food you eat to the peer advising program. Whether you get involved or simply voice your concerns to the SA, either way you are helping to make the changes you want become a reality.
To learn more about what the SA can do, look us up on The Hive at http://sa.rochester.edu.
If being a part of student government isn’t for you, there are about 250 other student organizations that you can join. There is everything from dance groups to community service organizations.
Check them all out at http://sa.rochester.edu/ccc.
There is certainly something for everyone.
As you get busy with the start of classes, activities, and, of course, catching up with your friends, don’t forget about all the exciting events on Yellowjacket Weekend as we celebrate the start of the academic year.
Also, don’t miss out on tickets to see ABC correspondent Barbara Walters give the keynote speech and The Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson present hilarious comedy at Meliora Weekend.
Vice President Alina Czekai ’13 and I are especially excited to meet and work with many of you in this upcoming year.
Together we can work toward making our campus exactly what we wish it to be—ever better. Meliora!’
—————————
New Dining Center, Game Room Await at Eastman
BY MOLLY O’ROARK ’13
Eastman Students’ Association President
My name is Molly O’Roark, a senior harp performance major, and I will be serving as the Eastman Students’ Association president this coming academic year. I hope you are all having a fabulous time while on vacation!
hether you are making sandwiches at Subway, gallivanting across Europe, or being amazing at a summer festival, you will soon find yourself back on Gibbs Street with your Eastman family for another year of concerts, recitals, papers, and plates.
I would like to extend a very warm welcome to the incoming Class of 2016! We are very excited for you to join our Eastman family and learn about the many wonders of the school and city of Rochester. There will be a time in the very near future when you will be able to locate places like the Cave and the Chamber of Secrets, wear black clothing more often than jeans, and mutter solfège syllables under your breath as you walk to class. You will also learn to uncover vast musical treasure at the Sibley Library, hear incredible music from your teachers and your peers, and enjoy the breathtaking beauty of our concert halls.
For all students, we have many exciting things planned for next year. Look for our new Welcome Weekend, which will kick off with the reopening of the newly renovated Eastman Dining Center (and its exciting new menu options), then continue with convocation and a weekend filled with lots of fun and free activities, such as a carnival, movie, giveaways, and more. Find some free time to attend the grand reopening of the Student Living Center Game Room (in the basement), featuring all new furniture, an air hockey table, a pinball machine, a pool table, and much more. Next year will also feature a new special bus line, the Red Line, which is a direct route shuttle from Eastman to River Campus. As always, our numerous student-run organizations will be looking to recruit new members and sponsor lots of programs and events throughout the year.
If you are interested in becoming a student leader, getting involved behind the scenes at Eastman, or joining student government, I highly encourage you to come to our first Students’ Association meeting—we will be electing any open positions as well as the new Freshman Class Council.
Every meeting has an open forum where students may voice their concerns, complaints, praises, or general interest about issues on campus. Our goals throughout the year will be to treat any challenges that arise as opportunities, to act as an official voice through which student opinions may be expressed, and to act as a liaison between the student body and the administration.
Be sure to read the 2012 edition of Clef Notes, the annual newsletter, with lots of helpful information available on the Orientation website.
I hope that the rest of your summer is relaxing, and I am looking forward to seeing you all in August!
All the best, Molly.
